The Los Angeles Sparks and New York Liberty meet Thursday in WNBA action at the Barclays Center. Here’s a Liberty vs Sparks Prediction. This article will include a Liberty vs Sparks Pick.
Los Angeles Sparks Betting Preview
The Los Angeles Sparks need a win after losing 14 of their last 19 games. The Sparks have lost 8 of their last 10 road games.
The Los Angeles Sparks are averaging 89.1 points on 46.5 percent shooting and allowing 93.6 points on 48 percent shooting. Nneka Ogwumike is averaging 17.1 points and 3.1 assists, while Dearica Hamby is averaging 15.3 points and 7.4 rebounds. Rae Burrell is the third double-digit scorer, and Erica Wheeler is dishing out 5.4 assists. The Los Angeles Sparks are shooting 33.3 percent from beyond the arc and 78.4 percent from the free-throw line. The Los Angeles Sparks are allowing 34.8 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 31.1 rebounds per game.
New York Liberty Betting Preview
The New York Liberty look for a win after winning 7 of their last 9 games. The Liberty have won 4 straight home games.
The New York Liberty are averaging 90.8 points on 46.5 percent shooting and allowing 87.6 points on 45.4 percent shooting. Breanna Stewart is averaging 21.3 points and 3.2 assists, while Sabrina Ionescu is averaging 15.8 points and 4 rebounds. Jonquel Jones is the third double-digit scorer, and Satou Sabally is grabbing 2.8 rebounds. The New York Liberty are shooting 35.3 percent from beyond the arc and 85.3 percent from the free-throw line. The New York Liberty are allowing 35.8 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 35.1 rebounds per game.
Why the New York Liberty will win
- The Liberty have won each of their last 11 games at Barclays Center following a road loss.
- The Sparks have lost each of their last nine Thursday night games against Eastern Conference opponents that held a winning record.
- The favorites have covered the spread in three of the Liberty’s last four games.
- The Sparks have failed to cover the spread in three of their last four games as road underdogs against Eastern Conference opponents.
Why the Los Angeles Sparks will win
- The road team has won six of the Sparks’ last seven games.
- The Liberty have failed to cover the spread in each of their last six games at Barclays Center against Sparks teams that held a losing record.
- The Sparks have covered the spread in eight of their last nine games against teams that held a winning record.
Total Points Facts
- Nine of the last 10 games between the Liberty and Sparks have gone OVER the total points line.
- Each of the Sparks’ last five games as underdogs following a home loss have gone OVER the total points line.
New York Liberty Player Facts
- Breanna Stewart has recorded 1+ steals + blocks in each of her last 29 games – longest active streak of any player in the league.
- Pauline Astier ranks 3rd amongst qualified players for true shooting percentage (65.1%) this season.
Los Angeles Sparks Player Facts
- Nneka Ogwumike is the only qualified player in the league to be leading their team in rebounds per game (8.8) and free-throw percentage (85.9%) this season.
- Erica Wheeler ranks 4th amongst qualified players for assist-to-turnover ratio (2.8) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The New York Liberty rank 1st for opponent free throws made per game this season (13.9).
- The New York Liberty rank 1st for opponent free throw attempts per game this season (18.4).
- The Los Angeles Sparks rank 14th for rebounds per game this season (31.1).
- The Los Angeles Sparks rank 14th for opponent field goal percentage this season (48.0%).
Liberty vs Sparks Injury Report
Satou Sabally is out for the Liberty with a concussion. Leonie Fiebich is out with a foot injury.
Monique Akoa Makani is out for the Sparks with an ankle injury.
Liberty vs Sparks Prediction
I’m looking at the over in this spot. The Sparks can score the ball but don’t defend, and the Liberty are talented offensively but allow a lot of games to come down to the wire. These teams met a couple of weeks ago and combined for 222 points. The over has hit in 9 of the last 10 meetings between the Liberty and Sparks. The over is 8-2 in the Liberty’s last 10 games overall. Expect a back-and-forth, high-scoring game. Give me the over.