WNBA Best Bets Today (July 17): Odds & Predictions for Friday

Four games for Friday, with just one week before All-Star Weekend in Chicago, which is where we start tonight, with the Los Angeles Sparks visiting the Sky for a battle of bottom feeders. The Sparks (10-13) are in 10th place, while the Sky (8-16) are 1.5 games behind in 12th place. The game tips at 7:30 p.m. Eastern and can be seen regionally on ION.

(Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Two others have tip times at 7:30 p.m. and are also being broadcast regionally on ION, with the Seattle Storm (6-20) visiting the Indiana Fever (14-10), and the Atlanta Dream (14-10) north of the border to play the Toronto Tempo (10-14). The Storm and Fever are both coming off losses, though Indiana's a bit more detrimental as it continues to vie for a playoff spot. The Dream are looking for momentum after a rough patch, and arrive in Toronto after a home win over the Sparks. The Tempo continue their nine-game homestand after a 17-point loss to Washington.

The nightcap brings us the Connecticut Sun (6-18) in Phoenix to play the struggling Mercury (8-17). That game tips at 10 p.m., and is on ION. The Mercury have lost four straight as they get set to open a back-to-back home set with the Sun.

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Here are the odds for Friday's WNBA games (odds via FanDuel):

Los Angeles Sparks at Chicago Sky

• Spread: Los Angeles +1.5 (-118) | Chicago -1.5 (-104)
• Moneyline: Los Angeles (+110) | Chicago (-110)
• Total: O/U 185.5 (-108/-112)

Though they're 4-8 since June 11, the Sky rank second in the WNBA with 93.3 points, and are fifth with 33.9 rebounds per game. They also rank second during the same stretch with 45.7 points in the paint. I know Kamilla Cardoso is questionable with a knee injury, but with the team already missing Skylar Diggins and still without DiJonai Carrington, I'm going into this optimistic about the 6-foot-7 center playing.

The Sparks, who have covered four straight, are three games under .500 and arrive on a two-game skid, yet they're in the playoff conversation at the midway point of the campaign. They're two games back of the eighth spot, and have continued to stay in the race without the services of Kelsey Plum. But the fact is, they've struggled terribly on the defensive end of the floor, allowing the league-worst 93.7 PPG.

My Best Bet Prediction: Chicago Sky -1.5 (-104)

• As much as I'd like to think the Sparks can beat the equally dinged-up Sky, I need to see more from them away from Los Angeles. They've lost five straight away from home by an average of 18.0 points per loss. And with the Sky looking for revenge after a 102-87 loss in L.A. earlier this month, my lean is on the home team. Also, the Sky boast a 3-0 ATS mark in their first home game after being on the road.

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Atlanta Dream at Toronto Tempo

• Spread: Atlanta -7.5 (-108) | Toronto +7.5 (-112)
• Moneyline: Atlanta (-310) | Toronto (+240)
• Total: O/U 183.5 (-108/-112)

The Dream have dropped off considerably, having lost six of eight since opening the season tied with the second-highest win percentage through 15 games. They went from winning 12 of 16 (.750), to losing six of eight since June 24. The worst part for them is they're 0-4 on the road during the 2-6 slide. Over their last eight games, the Dream are tied with the league's fourth-lowest scoring offense (84.0).

The injury-plagued Tempo haven't taken advantage of their nine-game homestand, losing five of their first seven, including Tuesday's 17-point loss to the Washington Mystics. The Tempo went from allowing the league's third-highest 88.8 PPG. while opening the season 7-6, to allowing the second-highest 94.7 over their last 11 (3-8).

My Best Bet Prediction: Atlanta Dream -7.5 (-108)

• The Dream have been an easy fade and have made bettors a fortune if they've parlayed winning over their nine-straight losses at the window. But tonight, they bring an end to the skid. These teams met twice in June, and the Dream won both, including a 25-point shellacking in Toronto. If there were ever a game for the Dream to build confidence and roll to an easy win, it's against a Tempo squad that is on a 2-5 ATS skid when catching 7.5 or more points.

Seattle Storm at Indiana Fever

• Spread: Seattle +8.5 (-108) | Indiana -8.5 (-112)
• Moneyline: Seattle (+285) | Indiana (-375)
• Total: O/U 175.5 (-112/-108)

It was only a matter of time before the Seattle Storm proved they're worse than the Sun. Seattle is now at the bottom of the table and has the daunting task of playing an angry Fever squad that the Golden State Valkyries tamed in its return to Indianapolis after a successful road trip. The Storm have lost three straight and five of six. They have the third-lowest-scoring offense (80.4 PPG) and the second-worst offensive efficiency while shooting just 42.7% from the field.

Indiana is 2-0 SU when playing a second consecutive home game after losing the previous one, including the last occurrence, when it was a -6.5 favorite and blasted the Sparks by 24 on June 27. The Fever, who are on a 5-1 ATS roll after failing to cover their previous game, are putting up a league-best 97.5 points at home, which plays nicely into a Seattle team that is being outscored by 10.1 points per road game.

My Best Bet Prediction: Indiana Fever -8.5 (-112)

• The Fever have dominated this series, winning five straight meetings and covering four of them. The only non-cover was this season's first meeting, back in May, when Indiana was still tabbed as a league favorite and laid -12.5 points. The Fever won by 11. Nevertheless, the average margin during Indiana's 5-0 run against the Storm is 12.0 points per victory. Lay the points, as the Fever improve to 7-3 ATS in this series with the win and cover.

Connecticut Sun at Phoenix Mercury

• Spread: Connecticut +4.5 (-105) | Phoenix -4.5 (-115)
• Moneyline: Connecticut (+156) | Phoenix (-194)
• Total: O/U 163.5 (-108/-112)

Scary as it sounds, the Sun have been playing better than the Mercury since the calendar switched to July. The teams are next to one another in the offensive rankings this month, the Sun scoring 81.4 PPG (10th) and the Mercury scoring 80.6 (11th), but roughly four points separate the teams on the defensive end. Connecticut is just 2-3 this month, but close losses to Dallas and Minnesota tell us how much the Sun have improved. They also beat the Lynx in Minneapolis, 90-89, on July 6.

The Mercury, meanwhile, have lost four in a row, as they return home for this two-game series with Connecticut after losing by 48 in Las Vegas and by four in the Twin Cities. They've lost seven of their last nine in Phoenix, which is troubling when you have two of the most dominant players in the game, Kahleah Copper and Alyssa Thomas. The Mercury's -8.6 point differential in July is second-worst in the WNBA.

My Best Bet Prediction: Over 163.5 points (-108)

• This is a tricky game for the mere fact that both teams are unpredictable and both are capable of pulling off the straight-up win. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me to see their first meeting of the season go into overtime. With or without an extra frame, this game is going to run high, as we've seen four of the last five meetings do. More recently, the Sun have gone over in three of four, while Phoenix has gone over in two of three. Look for this one to sail over.

W.G. Ramirez is a veteran sports writer from Las Vegas and a Senior Staff Analyst at Ballislife Bets. Follow him on X at @WillieGRamirez.