New York Liberty vs. Los Angeles Sparks 8/2/22 WNBA Picks, Predictions, Odds

The New York Liberty and Los Angeles Sparks face off on Tuesday in a WNBA showdown at the Barclays Center. When these two teams faced off on July 3rd it was the Sparks that secured the 84-74 victory. 

The Liberty comes into this game with a 10-17 record overall, but they are coming off a big win in their last game. The offense put up 83 points against the Sky, and that was enough to win by three points. The Liberty are averaging 79.4 points, while their defense is giving up 83.8 points per game. New York’s offense is ranked 10th in the league, while their defense is ranked 7th. The offense at times hasn’t found a ton of success, and they are going to need the offense to get going here. The best player for the Liberty has been Sabrina Ionescu, and she is averaging 16.9 points while shooting 40.9 percent from the field and 34 percent from behind the three-point line. 

On the other side of this matchup is the Sparks, who sit with a 12-17 record overall, and they are coming off another loss in the last game. The defense gave up 84 points and that led to the seven-point defeat. The Sparks are averaging 80.4 points, while their defense is giving up 85.5 points per game. The offense is ranked 7th in the league, while their defense is ranked 11th in the league. Nneka Ogwumike has been the top player for Los Angeles, averaging 18.6 points while shooting 55.7 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from behind the three-point line. There are four different players that are averaging at least 10 points per game. 

These are two teams that have been a big disappointment, but the big difference between these two teams has been the defense. The Liberty’s defense hasn’t exactly been good, but it’s been better than the Sparks. I expect the Liberty are going to get over the Sparks’ defensive average of 85.5 points and that will be the difference as New York gets the job done. Back the Liberty against the spread.