Los Angeles at Phoenix

Los Angeles walks in with a little momentum, winners of two straight after handling Portland by 17 at home and grinding out a five-point win at Seattle. The competition is worth a second look. One came against a cold expansion team, the other against the team with the worst record in the league. That is not the kind of run that should move a line, and the Sparks still carry one of the worst defenses in the WNBA, a problem they have not solved all season. That is the opening here. Phoenix is flawed and parked near the bottom of the West, but the Mercury get to attack that soft Los Angeles defense at home, where they already knocked off this same Sparks team once this year. The market reads it as a near coin flip, which fits two uneven rosters. In a spot this tight, the points decide it, and you would rather hold them than give them away. Phoenix is on the right side at home tonight. Take the Mercury.