The Atlanta Dream take on the Los Angeles Sparks. Our WNBA odds series has our Dream Sparks prediction, odds, and pick. Find out how to watch Dream Sparks.
The Atlanta Dream finished fifth in the WNBA last year. That seems good on the surface, but when you look underneath that surface, the accomplishment is less impressive than it might initially appear to be. The Dream were a sub-.500 team. Only the top four teams had winning records. Fourth-place Dallas was 22-18 in the 40-game schedule. WNBA finalists New York and Las Vegas were the only two dominant teams in the league. Third-place Connecticut (27-13) was a very good team one notch below elite status. Dallas was merely the “best of the rest,” and Atlanta was part of those leftovers in the league. The Dream lost to Dallas in the first round of the playoffs, failing to claim a single win in that best-of-three series. Legitimate questions surround Atlanta in its attempt to break into the top four of the WNBA. The realistic — though not necessarily likely-to-achieve — goal for this team is to make the semifinal round of the playoffs. Many people will doubt Atlanta can pull it off, but if this group is to fulfill its big Dream, it needs to win games such as this one in Los Angeles.
The homestanding Sparks are in rebuilding mode. They finished near the bottom of the W last season. The good news was that they gained two top-four picks in the 2024 WNBA draft, taking Cameron Brink of Stanford and Rickea Jackson of Tennessee. Can these two rookies develop into strong, dependable players over the course of the season? Their education in the ways of women's professional basketball begins for real in this game. Los Angeles is a team for which process is more important than results this year. The main task for the Sparks is to cultivate the young players on the roster so that in 2025, this team can make a real run at the playoffs and perhaps something more than that.
Here are the Dream-Sparks WNBA Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
WNBA Odds: Dream-Sparks Odds
Atlanta Dream: -5.5 (-106)
Los Angeles Sparks: +5.5 (-114)
Over: 159.5 (-108)
Under: 159.5 (-112)
How to Watch Dream vs. Sparks
TV: Peachtree TV (Dream) / SportsNet LA (Sparks)
Stream: WNBA League Pass
Time: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
*Watch WNBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Dream Could Cover The Spread
The Dream are facing a young and unproven Los Angeles team with a remade roster that might be good later in the season, but will probably take its lumps early in the campaign. One specific reason the Sparks might struggle in the first few weeks of the season is that No. 2 WNBA draft pick Cameron Brink might struggle to adjust to the pro game. If you watched a lot of Stanford basketball this past season, Brink was elite on defense but regressed on offense toward the end of the season. Kiki Iriafen became the leading scorer and crunch-time bucket-getter for the Cardinal in March. Brink's ability to create her own shot and win on offense in one-on-one situations is something she will need to prove she can handle. Early in her WNBA career, that one skill might not emerge at the level the Sparks need. This gives the Dream a chance to limit Los Angeles's offense and take control of this game.
Why The Sparks Could Cover The Spread
The gap between the Sparks and Dream might not be that large, given that Atlanta had a losing record last season and shouldn't be assumed to be especially superior. You can bet against the Sparks in this game, but you shouldn't necessarily trust the Dream. There's a difference between betting on a good team to win or a bad team to lose. The Dream have not earned enough benefit of the doubt to be trusted in this game, even if you have reservations about the Sparks.
Final Dream-Sparks Prediction & Pick
This is going to be a tough first month of the season for the Sparks. Go ahead and distrust them, even if you do have reservations about Atlanta. Take the Dream here.
Final Dream-Sparks Prediction & Pick: Dream -5.5
Follow Us
Subscribe
