Seattle Storm vs Los Angeles Sparks Picks and Odds – July 4th
- The Storm and Sparks meet on July 4th at 9pm ET on NBA TV as part of a WNBA doubleheader
- Sunday’s game features one team near the top of the league standings and the other near the bottom
- See game odds, preview and the best bet for the game below
To round out the weekend on Independence Day, the WNBA will feature a doubleheader on Sunday, July 4th airing on NBA TV.
In the nightcap of that doubleheader, the Seattle Storm (13-4) will visit the Los Angeles Sparks (6-10) at 9pm ET on NBA TV from Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Storm vs Sparks Odds
| Team | Spread at FanDuel | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle Storm | -12.5 (-110) | -1000 | Over 163.5 (-112) |
| Los Angeles Sparks | +12.5 (-110) | +610 | Under 163.5 (-108) |
Odd as of July 4th
Storm Looking to Move into First
Seattle comes into the game tied for first place in the WNBA standings, tied with the Las Vegas Aces for the top spot. Both the Storm and Aces are 13-4 overall, with Seattle aiming to move back into first.
The Storm are coming off of a 91-88 victory over the Atlanta Dream on July 2nd, a game they ended up winning in the final second to end a two-game losing streak.
Seattle has been led once again this season by the dynamic duo of Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd, both of which have already earned Player of the Week honors at least once this season.
Stewart is averaging 21 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.9 blocks and 1.1 steals per game, while Loyd is averaging 18.1 points, 4.4 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals a contest.
Stewie THREE to kick things off!@breannastewart x #TakeCover pic.twitter.com/jHjkD8JJFb
— Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) July 3, 2021
Sue Bird has continued her Hall of Fame career by averaging 11.1 points, 6.0 assists and 1.1 steals.
One interesting move that was made by Seattle over the weekend was surprisingly waiving veteran Candice Dupree, who had played in 16 games for the Storm while averaging 5.9 points and 2.5 rebounds.
ROSTER UPDATE: The Storm has waived forward Candice Dupree.
📰: https://t.co/laqy5O7yKr pic.twitter.com/MeqnokAeBS
— Seattle Storm PR (@SeattleStormPR) July 2, 2021
There had been recent rumors of her frustration with her role on the team, which might have resulted in the team deciding to move on from her so she can carve out a larger role elsewhere.
For the most part, the Storm have been healthy all year long and have been one of the more balanced and offensive-lethal teams, which has made them a dangerous team to play in every game.
Sparks Try to End Losing Streak
Los Angeles enters Sunday going through a bit of a rough patch as of late, and injuries certainly haven’t helped the Sparks over the last month or so with injuries to multiple players depleting the roster.
The Sparks, tied for 10th place in the WNBA standings, have lost three straight games following a 66-58 loss to Las Vegas on July 2nd and have now gone 3-7 overall in their last 10 games.
Without key players like Nneka Ogwumike, Chiney Ogwumike and others, Los Angeles has been been led by Erica Wheeler with 13.2 points, 4.3 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game.
Amanda Zahui B and Te’a Cooper have also played well for the Sparks, with Zahui B averaging 11.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks, while Cooper has averaged 10.7 points and 2.1 rebounds a game.
🚨 ERICA WHEELER. LATE GAME. BIG TIME BUCKET OVER BG.#CountIt pic.twitter.com/4YgF4QjY3B
— WNBA (@WNBA) June 17, 2021
Los Angeles just has had too many difference-making injuries and that has set it back from the start, excelling those struggles over the last 10 games or so. Even though the Sparks are at home on Sunday against the Storm, it will be a tough test once again for Los Angeles to end its losing skid.
Prediction and Best Best
This meeting between Seattle and Los Angeles on Sunday will be the first of three games between the two squads this season, with the second game actually taking place not too long from now on July 7th in Seattle.
In this first game, it would be nice to see Los Angeles at full strength health-wise to see what it could do against one of the top teams in the WNBA in Seattle.
LA Sparks Injury Report ahead of Sunday’s game against the Seattle Storm. #LASparks #SeattleStorm #WNBA #WNBATwitter
1Nneka Ogwumike- OUT (left knee)
2Chiney Ogwumike- OUT (right knee)
3Jasmine Walker- OUT (right knee)
4Kristi Toliver- OUT (eye)— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) July 4, 2021
But unfortunately for the Sparks, they are very shorthanded and the Storm are fully healthy, which might make this game one-sided by the end of of the contest.
When it comes to the early betting odds for the game, Seattle is a heavy favorite, which isn’t much of a surprise. The Storm, who are 12.5-point favorites, should be able to take care of business on the road. For the best bet of the night, keep an eye on the over/under for this contest and lean towards taking the over for the line that is set at 163.5.
- The Pick: Over 163.5 (-112)
Mitchell has a decade of experience in journalism, marketing, communications and digital fields, having covered sports teams and leagues on all levels. He has spent more than seven years covering the WNBA and NBA, among other sports. You can follow him on Twitter @M_Hansen13.
