Sparks +5 (-110) over Dream
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- Atlanta had a losing record on the road last season, going 8-12 away from home.
- We expect the Sparks to be better than anticipated early this year, as their rookies and new acquisitions make them an intriguing team out West in our eyes.
The final two teams to open their 2024 WNBA seasons are the Atlanta Dream and Los Angeles Sparks, who will tip things off on Wednesday night in Los Angeles. The Dream hope to be a playoff team again this season, while the Sparks are aiming to get back to the postseason after missing out last year, with both teams hoping to be above the .500 mark at the end of the regular season. Continue reading for our WNBA betting picks for Dream vs Sparks from LA.
This game will be played at 10:00 PM ET at crypto.com Arena on Wednesday, May 15, 2024.
Atlanta Dream
The Atlanta Dream finished in fifth place in the WNBA standings last season and made the playoffs, where they lost in the first round to the Dallas Wings. Atlanta was outscored on average for the season despite being a top-five team, as they struggled to find consistency behind their young core led by Rhyne Howard. This year, the Dream will hope to make a leap forward, which they hope coincides with some regression from teams like the Liberty and Wings.
This team is largely similar to last year’s from a roster perspective, though bringing in Jordin Canada and Tina Charles could be impactful in the long run. There are legitimate questions as to how much gas Charles has left in the proverbial tank, while Canada’s limitations as a jump shooter are a concern. But both players bring legitimate talent to this team that could help elevate them from where they were last year.
As far as this game goes, the key for Atlanta will be finding a way to contain both Cameron Brink and Dearica Hamby. While Brink may not be as impactful right away as Nneka Ogwumike was for the Sparks last year in the frontcourt, the Dream split their four-game season series with the Sparks last season. To fare better against them this year, the Dream must be stronger against the bigs of Los Angeles.
Los Angeles Sparks
The LA Sparks finished in ninth place in the WNBA standings a season ago, one game out of the final spot in the postseason. That ended up working in LA’s favor, though, as they ended up with two of the top-four picks in the recent WNBA Draft. Those two picks turned into Stanford’s Cameron Brink and Tennessee’s Rickea Jackson. Now the question is whether those draft picks can lead to wins early in their rookie campaigns.
Along with their rookie class, the Sparks brought in some veteran leadership in the form of Kia Nurse, who joins Layshia Clarendon as a vet on this Sparks roster in the backcourt. This Sparks team will be relying on some young guards like Zia Cooke and Aari McDonald for a scoring punch this season, making the presence of players like Clarendon and Nurse very important looking ahead to the 2024 season.
As for this game, perimeter defense is going to be key for the Sparks. We know that the frontcourt of Los Angeles should be strong on both ends of the floor with Brink and Hamby leading that group. But Rhyne Howard went for 43 in a game against the Sparks last year and Los Angeles has to make things tough on her to have a chance in this game.
