With some scares along the way, the Los Angeles Sparks outlasted the Toronto Tempo on Friday for their first win of the season, and they're clear favorites again in tonight's rematch.
Toronto hung around in that 99-95 loss despite a quiet night from Marina Mabrey, but my Tempo vs. Sparks predictions expect Kelsey Plum to grab the headlines again tonight.
Check out my free WNBA picks and storylines for this May 17 battle.
Tempo vs Sparks prediction
Tempo vs Sparks best bet: Kelsey Plum Over 21.5 points (-115)
Kelsey Plum isn't dwelling on the sting of missing the playoffs in her first season with the Los Angeles Sparks. Instead, she's doing everything in her power to drive a different outcome this year.
Plum has poured in 25+ points in all three games so far on 58% shooting, and she's up to 43% from beyond the arc. With the Sparks' high-tempo style, volume shouldn't be an issue here, and she gave the Toronto Tempo fits on Friday night with a 27-point effort.
Ariel Atkins is still working her way back from the concussion protocol, which will keep the ball in Plum's hands early and often tonight. Pencil her in for 15+ shots en route to covering this scoring total.
COVERS INTEL: The Sparks had been short on assists before unlocking the offense with 26 dimes on Friday, and that kind of ball movement plays to Plum's strengths.
Tempo vs Sparks same-game parlay
Plum has put the Sparks on her back in the season's opening contests, and her 3-ball is a big piece of the puzzle. She's nailed four triples in two of her three outings, and L.A. found cracks in an otherwise excellent Toronto defense on Friday.
While the hosts have been shaky against the spread, they were 15-9 SU in their final 24 games last year, and the Tempo are still gelling as a group capable of grinding out victories on the road.
The O/U line feels too high, but I still see the Sparks escaping with another W, so I'm rounding out my SGP with the L.A. moneyline.
Tempo vs Sparks SGP (+200)
- Kelsey Plum Over 21.5 points
- Kelsey Plum Over 2.5 3-pointers
- Sparks moneyline
Tempo vs Sparks first basket scorer: Marina Mabrey (+500)
The bubble burst a little for Marina Mabrey against L.A. on Friday, with just seven points after impressive shot-making in the Tempo's first two games. Sandy Brondello called out the starters after the loss, so expect a response tonight from one of Toronto's key scorers.
Mabrey only logged 21 minutes in that matchup, but watch for her to get back to her high-volume ways here. After all, she took a combined 38 shots in the Tempo's opening two outings of the season.
This is a nice price for Mabrey, who's the likeliest player to erupt for the visitors in this rematch.
- Best bet: 3-3, +0.05 units
- SGP: 2-4, -2.75 units
- First basket: 0-6, -6.0 units
Tempo vs Sparks odds
- Spread: Tempo +8.5 | Sparks -8.5
- Moneyline: Tempo +265 | Sparks -330
- Over/Under: Over 175.5 | Under 175.5
Tempo vs Sparks trend
The Sparks are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 outings. Find more WNBA betting trends.
How to watch Tempo vs Sparks
| Location | Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA |
| Date | Sunday, May 17, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | TSN3, Spectrum SportsNet |
Tempo vs Sparks latest injuries
Tempo: None.
Sparks: None.
Find our latest WNBA injury reports.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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