Sparks and Lynx Battle in Single-Elimination 1st Round Game
The Minnesota Lynx and the Los Angeles Sparks will meet in the WNBA Playoffs on Tuesday night. They will battle at STAPLES Center in a winner take all first round matchup. They will be the late game on ESPN2, starting at 10:30 pm EST.
The Mercury hosts the Wings at 8:30 to start the action in another single-elimination contest.
Oddsmakers opened the Sparks as -7-point favorites versus the Lynx, while the game’s total opened at 152.5. The line now has the Sparks as 5.5-point favorites. The total is down to 149.
Sparks and Lynx are Familiar Playoff Foes
The top rivalry in the WNBA will write another Playoff chapter. This is a saga that has produced two of the best WNBA Finals in league history. Only this time, the teams won’t square off with the championship on the line. That shouldn’t affect the intensity.
This is the fourth straight postseason that the Sparks and Lynx have met. In 2015 the Lynx defeated the Sparks 2-1 in the opening round in the Western Conference. This was en route to their third WNBA title.
This was also the last year of the Eastern and Western Conferences being used in playoff seeding.
In each of the past two seasons the Lynx and Sparks have finished 1-2 in the standings. This was under the new playoff format. Each team earned byes to the semifinals. They eventually met in the WNBA Finals.
Past History Says this Game will be Good
In 2016, the Sparks stunned the Lynx on their home floor with a Game 5 victory. This was courtesy of a Nneka Ogwumike game-winner with 3.1 seconds left to win the title for the first time in 14 years.
The next season the teams faced a similar predicament. A winner-take-all Game 5 in Minnesota for the championship. After watching the Sparks celebrate the year before, the Lynx got their revenge behind a huge game from MVP Sylvia Fowles.
A clutch jumper by Maya Moore to thwart a late Sparks run. The Lynx captured their fourth title to join the Houston Comets for the most in league history. It also preventing the Sparks from being the first team to win back-to-back titles since 2002.
Lynx Looking for Title #5
The Lynx look for title No. 5 as the postseason opens. They face a much tougher road than they have in the past. Both teams are experiencing the do-or-die opening two rounds of the playoffs for the first time.
The Lynx they will have to win two road games before having a chance to host a playoff game in the semifinals.
Considering this is a one-game series between these bitter rivals, it should be noted that the Sparks won Game 1 in each of the past two WNBA Finals. And did so in dramatic fashion.
In 2016, Chelsea Gray found Alana Beard in the corner for a game-winning jumper at the buzzer. A year later, Gray called her own number.
The Sparks squandered a 26-point lead and saw the Lynx go up one with 6.5 seconds to play. Gray delivered a game-winning jumper with two seconds left.
Recent Form
| Name | Record | ATS | Offense | Defense | Diff | ATS Home | ATS Away | OU Record | OU Home | OU Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 18-16 | 12-21-1 | 78.94 | 78.26 | 0.67999999999999 | 5-12 | 7-9-1 | 12-22 | 9-8 | 3-14 |
| Los Angeles | 19-15 | 15-17-2 | 78.91 | 77.00 | 1.91 | 7-9-1 | 8-8-1 | 14-20 | 3-14 | 11-6 |
Power Stats
| Assists Turnovers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Assists | Turnovers | Ratio | |
| MIN | 19.56 | 13.62 | 1.44 | |
| LOS | 18.35 | 10.94 | 1.68 | |
| Rebounding | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Offense | Defense | Total | |
| MIN | 8.94 | 26.32 | 35.26 | |
| LOS | 7.24 | 24.09 | 31.33 | |
| ShootingPercentage | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Offense | Defense | Differential | |
| MIN | 45.10 | 44.53 | 0.57 | |
| LOS | 45.24 | 45.01 | 0.23 | |
Head To Head Summary
| Team | record | ATS | O/U | AVG | AVG ½ | FG% | REB | 3PT | steals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 4-6 | 3-7 | 3-7 | 73.50 | 36.30 | 45.94 | 36.40 | 43/124 | 6.50 |
| Los Angeles | 6-4 | 7-3 | 3-7 | 75.60 | 36.00 | 44.56 | 29.20 | 46/174 | 9.50 |
Head To Head Detail
| Date | Away | away score | Home | home score | line | ATS | Total | O/U | FG% Edge | Reb Edge | 3PT Edge | Away Half Score | Home Half Score | Away FG% | Home FG% | Away Rebounds | Home Rebounds | Away Three Pointers | Home Three Pointers | Away Steals | Home Steals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2, 2018 | MIN | 57 | LOS | 79 | -3 | LOS | 153.5 | U | LOS | MIN | LOS | 29 | 40 | 41 | 49.2 | 35 | 30 | 1/10 | 8/16 | 5 | 7 |
| Jul 5, 2018 | LOS | 72 | MIN | 83 | -3.5 | MIN | 154 | O | MIN | MIN | MIN | 35 | 38 | 42.4 | 51.8 | 27 | 33 | 6/20 | 8/13 | 7 | 3 |
| Jun 3, 2018 | MIN | 69 | LOS | 77 | -6 | LOS | 158 | U | LOS | MIN | MIN | 38 | 40 | 47.3 | 51.6 | 31 | 25 | 5/14 | 3/13 | 5 | 6 |
| May 20, 2018 | LOS | 77 | MIN | 76 | -7 | LOS | 154.5 | U | MIN | MIN | Push | 32 | 38 | 40.3 | 49.1 | 25 | 41 | 3/18 | 3/7 | 14 | 4 |
| Oct 4, 2017 | LOS | 76 | MIN | 85 | -4.5 | MIN | 153.5 | O | LOS | MIN | Push | 35 | 41 | 45.3 | 44.9 | 29 | 46 | 2/18 | 2/10 | 14 | 9 |
| Oct 1, 2017 | MIN | 80 | LOS | 69 | -2.5 | MIN | 152 | U | MIN | MIN | Push | 43 | 31 | 42.4 | 40.6 | 48 | 28 | 5/12 | 5/22 | 8 | 13 |
| Sep 29, 2017 | MIN | 64 | LOS | 75 | -3 | LOS | 154.5 | U | LOS | LOS | MIN | 26 | 32 | 40.3 | 42.9 | 27 | 34 | 7/20 | 5/17 | 11 | 11 |
| Sep 26, 2017 | LOS | 68 | MIN | 70 | -6.5 | LOS | 158.5 | U | MIN | MIN | LOS | 26 | 45 | 38.7 | 44.4 | 29 | 36 | 3/12 | 1/6 | 6 | 9 |
| Sep 24, 2017 | LOS | 85 | MIN | 84 | -5.5 | LOS | 157 | O | MIN | MIN | LOS | 43 | 33 | 47.8 | 50 | 34 | 35 | 7/20 | 5/14 | 6 | 6 |
| Aug 27, 2017 | MIN | 67 | LOS | 78 | -2.5 | LOS | 155.5 | U | MIN | MIN | MIN | 32 | 46 | 49.2 | 47 | 32 | 31 | 6/18 | 4/18 | 5 | 11 |
WNBA Betting Odds and Trends
| Minnesota Lynx | ||
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games | ||
| Minnesota is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games | ||
| The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Minnesota’s last 16 games | ||
| The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Minnesota’s last 12 games on the road | ||
| Minnesota is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games when playing Los Angeles | ||
| The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Minnesota’s last 13 games when playing Los Angeles | ||
| Minnesota is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Los Angeles | ||
| Minnesota is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Los Angeles | ||
| The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota’s last 5 games when playing on the road against Los Angeles | ||
Los Angeles Sparks |
||
|---|---|---|
| L Angeles is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games | ||
| LAngeles is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games | ||
| The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Los Angeles’s last 9 games | ||
| Los Angeles is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games at home | ||
| Los Angeles is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games at home | ||
| The total has gone UNDER in 16 of Los Angeles’s last 19 games at home | ||
| Los Angeles is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games when playing Minnesota | ||
| The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Los Angeles’s last 13 games when playing Minnesota | ||
| Los Angeles is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Minnesota | ||
| Los Angeles is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Minnesota | ||
| The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Los Angeles’s last 5 games when playing at home against Minnesota | ||
Minn Lynx
| Date | Opponent | score | Result | line | Total | ATS Result | field goal percentage | free throw percentage | three pointers | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 19, 2018 | WAS | 88-83 | W | 1.5 | 158 | W/O | 57.38 | 92.31 | 6 | H |
| Aug 17, 2018 | CON | 79-96 | L | 5.5 | 161 | L/O | 49.30 | 100.00 | 3 | A |
| Aug 14, 2018 | CHI | 88-91 | L | -9.5 | 163.5 | L/O | 46.48 | 63.16 | 10 | H |
| Aug 12, 2018 | SEA | 72-81 | L | 3 | 163.5 | L/U | 41.33 | 100.00 | 6 | H |
| Aug 9, 2018 | LAV | 89-73 | W | 1.5 | 168 | W/U | 50.00 | 69.23 | 8 | A |
Los Angeles Sparks
| Date | Opponent | score | Result | line | Total | ATS Result | field goal percentage | free throw percentage | three pointers | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 19, 2018 | CON | 86-89 | L | 5 | 161 | W/O | 39.47 | 86.36 | 7 | A |
| Ag 17, 2018 | WAS | 67-69 | L | 4 | 158.5 | W/U | 37.31 | 100.00 | 6 | A |
| Aug 14, 2018 | NY | 74-66 | W | -13.5 | 154 | L/U | 36.71 | 85.71 | 4 | H |
| Ag 12, 2018 | PHO | 78-86 | L | -3 | 162 | L/O | 42.03 | 73.33 | 9 | A |
| Aug 9, 2018 | ATL | 73-79 | L | -1.5 | 155 | L/U | 42.03 | 64.29 | 6 | A |
Get a 100% Bonus up to $1,000 at the Worlds Oldest Online Sportsbook, Intertops!!!
