Sparks vs. Liberty WNBA Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Thursday, June 20

Betting odds, pick and prediction for the New York Liberty-Los Angeles Sparks matchup on Thursday.
Los Angeles Sparks forward Dearica Hamby.
Los Angeles Sparks forward Dearica Hamby. / Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY

The New York Liberty had their winning streak snapped earlier this week by the Phoenix Mercury, but they’ll look to get back on track at home against the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday. 

The Sparks lost rookie star Cameron Brink to a torn ACL on Tuesday night, putting a huge damper on a rebuilding season. Now, the Sparks are sitting at 4-11 and don’t have their young star developing alongside the rest of their core. 

Oddsmakers are extremely low on the Sparks – even though they covered the spread on Tuesday against the Connecticut Sun – setting them as 14.5-point underdogs in this matchup. 

Should we trust the Liberty to cover despite their concerning against the spread record (6-9) this season? 

Sparks vs. Liberty Odds, Spread and Total

Spread

  • Sparks +14.5 (-112)
  • Liberty -14.5 (-108)

Moneyline

  • Sparks: +900
  • Liberty: -1600

Total

  • 164 (Over -108/Under -112)

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Sparks vs. Liberty How to Watch

  • Date: Thursday, June 20
  • Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
  • Venue: Barclays Center
  • How to watch (TV): Prime Video
  • Sparks record: 4-11
  • Liberty record: 12-3

Sparks vs. Liberty Injury Reports

Sparks Injury Report

  • Cameron Brink – out
  • Azura Stevens – out

Liberty Injury Report

  • Nyara Sabally – out
  • Courtney Vandersloot – doubtful

Sparks vs. Liberty Key Players to Watch

Los Angeles Sparks

Rickea Jackson: With Brink out for the season, the Sparks should focus even more on rookie Rickea Jackson as the future of the franchise. Jackson is averaging 10.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game this season while shooting 47.1 percent from the field. She’s scored at least 10 points in three straight games heading into Thursday’s contest.  

New York Liberty

Jonquel Jones: Liberty forward Jonquel Jones has been dominant as of late, scoring 17 or more points in four of her last four games, pushing her season average to 16.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. I expect the Liberty to continue to run offense through the former MVP in this matchup. 

Sparks vs. Liberty Prediction and Pick

The Liberty are a much better team than the Sparks, especially with Brink now out for the season, but I think Los Angeles could cover the spread in this game. 

New York has struggled as a major favorite, going just 1-6 ATS at home this season and 5-9 ATS when favored. A big reason why? The Liberty have been laying double digits against many of the bottom-tier teams in the league. 

Los Angeles, on the other hand, is 4-4 against the spread on the road and closed out Tuesday’s loss against Connecticut strong to pull out a backdoor cover.

Losing Brink is a major blow to the Los Angeles defense, but the team should have the offensive pieces in place to at least replicate the rookie’s production (7.5 points per game). 

At the end of the day, this is just a ton of points to give any team in the W. 

Pick: Sparks +14.5 (-112)


Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Published
Peter Dewey

PETER DEWEY

Peter is a senior editor for Sports Illustrated Betting. He has worked as a writer and editor for BetSided, NBC Sports, the Connecticut Sun and the Meriden Record-Journal covering the NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLB, and more. A New York City resident, he is a hoops fanatic with a soft spot for his New York Knicks.