
Bottom-feeders Los Angeles Sparks and Washington Mystics hope to return to their winning ways as both teams seek for their fifth win of the season when they battle one another on Tuesday, July 2, 2024 at the Crypto.com Arena.
(Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
After making the playoffs last year, the Mystics have found themselves on the opposite side of the spectrum heading into the mid-part of the season, winning just four of their 19 games.
Like the Mystics, Los Angeles fought tooth-and-nail with the Mercury in the early goings, even taking a 44-43 lead at halftime but their tank ran out of gas in the second half as the latter went on a 28-17 scoring barrage in the third quarter and never looked back to seal the win.
In their most recent clash with the Mystics, the Sparks eked out a 70-68 victory behind the stellar play of shooting guard Lexie Brown who scored 20 points and forward Dearica Hamby who notched an impressive 17-point and 18-rebound double-double effort.
Will the Sparks continue their mastery of the Mystics or will the latter finally solve the puzzle that is Los Angeles and return to the win column?
Let’s find out how the current Los Angeles Sparks vs. Washington Mystics betting lines stand.
The Los Angeles Sparks are going up against the team they might be better than. While the Sparks have been getting rag-dolled in the past seven games, they actually have beaten the Washington Mystics this season. If that is not good enough, it was on the road too.
Now, they play a wounded Mystics squad at home. Washington will be missing the services of center Shakira Austin, who was among the bright spots for the Mystics in that game, tallying 12 points and eight rebounds.
With Austin out of commission, expect the Sparks to go inside and get forward Dearica Hamby more involved in offense.
Hamby stuffed the stat sheets in that game with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists while 25-year old guard Aari McDonald added 16 off the bench.
With the Sparks returning home after more than two weeks on the road, backing them to cover the spread offers significant value at these current Los Angeles Sparks vs. Washington Mystics lines.
The Washington Mystics hold the worst record in the league at 4-15 (win-loss). But if there is one thing punters love about this Mystics team this season is their ability to always fight to cover the spread.
The Sparks will also be missing one of its lethal offensive weapons in Lexie Brown, who is out until August 15. The 29-year old Brown led the Sparks offense these two teams last faced with 20 points and six assists.
With Brown gone, the Washington Mystics will have one less offensive weapon to worry about. Plus, the Mystics will also have forward Aaliyah Edwards in this game.
The 21-year old rookie from Connecticut returned to the court on Saturday after missing the previous three games with a back issue. In 20 minutes of play, Edwards recorded nine points and seven rebounds.
Under different circumstances, I would lean towards the Los Angeles Sparks since they are playing at home. But who knows what Sparks’ team would show up on Tuesday, especially with shooting guard Lexie Brown out of action.
On the other hand, picking the Washington Mystics to cover may sound appealing at these current odds but they just got manhandled by the Las Vegas Aces in front of their home fans.
It can be recalled that the Sparks beat the Aces this season in Los Angeles. However, that was when Brown was still playing.
Both teams are also ranked eighth and ninth respectively in field goal percentage, making the under quite appealing for punters looking for a value bet in this matchup.
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