Dream vs. Sparks prediction and odds for Saturday, Aug. 12 (Atlanta undervalued)
By Peter Dewey
The Atlanta Dream are looking to bounce back after a bad loss to the Seattle Storm on Tuesday when they take on the Los Angeles Sparks on Saturday night.
Los Angeles is dealing with a bunch of injuries at the moment, and the team’s record has suffered because of it. The Sparks are just 11-18 on the season, but they have won two straight games.
Los Angeles Sparks injury report
- Nia Clouden (out)
- Lexie Brown (out)
- Chiney Ogwumike (out)
- Katie Lou Samuelson (out)
Losing Brown (12.4 points per game) and Ogwumike (8.4 points per game) certainly puts the Sparks at a little bit of a disadvantage on offense.
The Dream are No. 1 in the league in pace this season, but they haven’t been super efficient, ranking seventh in offensive rating. Still, it’s surprising to see the squad set as an underdog in this matchup.
Do oddsmakers know something we don’t? Here are the odds and my best bet for this WNBA matchup:
Dream vs. Sparks odds, spread and total
Dream vs. Sparks prediction and pick
These teams already played twice this season with the Dream easily winning both games.
The first was a 28-point win in Atlanta before the teams played in Los Angeles and the Dream won by 11.
I don’t expect another blowout, but it’s crazy that Atlanta isn’t getting more love in the odds. The team is 7-8 on the road this season while Los Angeles is 7-8 at home, so there’s no real advantage on either side.
Between Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard and Cheyenne Parker, the Dream have enough offense to dominate this Sparks team, even if Nneka Ogwumike plays at a high level.
Los Angeles is still below the Dream in net rating this season despite having a top four defensive rating.
With all the injuries on the L.A. side, I can’t help but take the underdog Dream on Saturday night.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.