Still in last place in the WNBA playoffs, the Chicago Sky are desperate for a win when they host the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday night.

Chicago has lost seven games in a row and is still considered a 5-point favorite for the home team tonight, and my Sparks vs. Sky prediction says that lead is justified.

LA is literally the last soft landing spot for the rest of the schedule. See why my September 6 WNBA predictions suggest Chicago should hold on to eighth place for at least one more day.

Sparks vs Sky Predictions

My best chance
Chicago -5 (-110 at FanDuel)

My analysis
Somehow, the Chicago Sky have not fallen out of the playoffs despite losing seven in a row, including a 90-71 loss in the previous game to the Las Vegas Aces.

There is no room for error now, however. Chicago, Atlanta and Washington all have 11 wins, and a loss would drop them from eighth place.

The Sky have struggled to score, allowing a paltry 74.1 points per game over the last seven, the lowest mark of any WNBA team in that span. Their 41.1% shooting from the field is better than only the Atlanta Dream’s 38.8%, and they’re losing the ball 16.7 times per game, the worst in the league.

A defense that is in the top half of the league in terms of scoring against opponents, averaging 84 points per game on 44.1% shooting from the field, is no match for Chicago’s faltering offense.

Perhaps the only good news for the Sky is that the Los Angeles Sparks have been tanking for weeks. Injuries and poor play have left the Sparks reeling, and they have just two wins in their last 13, and they have the worst points differential in the league at -7.4.

This is the third and final meeting between these teams, with the Sky seeking a series sweep for the second consecutive season. They snuck past the Sparks on August 17 by a score of 90-86. You have to go all the way back to May 30 for the first matchup, an 83-73 victory before the Sparks wrapped up their season.

Can the Sparks blow it? Looking at their last seven games, where they’ve gone 1-6, LA has a 5-2-0 record against the spread. However, only one of those lines has been below Friday’s 5-point spread, and only one of those wins has been by a sub-double-digit cover.

This is the break Chicago needs. If Sky are serious about making the play-offs, this needs to be a big win.

Sparks vs Sky parlay for the same match (SGP)

Chicago-5

Angel Reese More than 27.5 points + reb

Dearica Hamby Less than 16.5 points

Even as the losses piled up, Sky rookie Angel Reese has been working hard. She now has 27 games with at least 10 rebounds, after notching a double-double in the loss to the Aces with 12 points and 16 rebounds.

Reese entered Friday’s game with 27.5 points and rebounds, which is a significant number considering she has scored 28 or more points in five of her last seven games.

One of those games she went down in was against these Sparks — which happened to be the last time the Sky won a game. With the stakes so high, though, expect Reese to be a big presence in this must-win.

While it’s been a rough year overall for the Sparks, Dearica Hamby has had a solid campaign, averaging 17.5 points and 9.5 rebounds. Her scoring line on Friday looks like a reasonable 16.5 points, but the Sparks forward’s play has flagged since the Olympic break.

Hamby has scored fewer than 17 points seven times in the last nine games. One of those games was against the Sky, where she scored just seven points on 2 of 8 shooting. She has failed to score above double figures four times in that span.

Learn how to bet on a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

Sparks vs Sky Odds

Sparks vs Sky live odds

Check out the latest WNBA odds for Sparks vs Sky for tonight.

Sparks vs Sky opening odds

• Distribution: Los Angeles +5 (-110) | Chicago -5 (-110)
• Moneyline: Los Angeles +184 | Chicago -230
• Over/Under: More than 163.5 (-112) | Less than 163.5 (-108)

Sparks vs Sky spread and Over/Under analysis

• At 4-12, Chicago has the worst home record in the WNBA.
• The Sparks have gone 1-9 in their last 10 games.
• The Under has won six of the last eight meetings.
• Sky have been under the total in four of their last five games.

Sparks vs Sky trend

Chicago is 5-0 against the spread vs. LA in their last five games. Find more WNBA betting trends for Sparks vs. Sky.

Sparks vs Sky game information

Sparks vs Sky Latest Injuries

Sparks: Layshia Clarendon G (Out); Lexie Brown G (Out).
Air: Elizabeth Williams C (Out).
Check out our latest WNBA injury reports.

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