Aces vs Sparks Betting Preview: Defending WNBA Champs Look as Advertised
A'ja Wilson, Candace Parker and Co Give Las Vegas Decided Edge

The reigning WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces were dominant in their season opener, routing the Seattle Storm 105-64 on Saturday. Looking to build off that, the Aces will be back in action Thursday (10 p.m., ET, CBSSN) when they visit the Los Angeles Sparks at Crypto.com Arena.
The line has jumped from -4 to -13 (-105) in favor of Las Vegas, with the betting public clearly bullish on the Aces’ potential. Los Angeles hasn’t earned the same respect after finishing with the league’s second-worst record (13-23) in 2022. The Over/Under, meanwhile, has moved from 170.5 to 172.5 (-110).
For more on that matchup, here is our Aces vs Sparks betting preview.
Aces vs Sparks
Day/Time: Thursday, May 25, 10:00 p.m. ET
Location: Crypto.com Arena
So Far, So Good for Vegas
Las Vegas looked as good as advertised to begin the season. The 41-point victory was the most lopsided opening game in the WNBA’s 27-year history.
Jackie Young and Kelsey Plum scored 23 points apiece, and A’ja Wilson contributed 13 points and 13 rebounds. The defending WNBA champions were without head coach Becky Hammon, who has been suspended two games following an investigation into ex-Aces player Dearica Hamby saying she had been bullied and discriminated against while pregnant.
Assistant Natalie Nakase, a UCLA alum and Southern California native will coach Thursday.
No team has won back-to-back titles since the Sparks in 2001-02, but Las Vegas is in prime position to change that. Las Vegas bolstered its roster over the offseason, signing seven-time All-Star and two-time Most Valuable Player Candace Parker. Because of that, the Aces have been popularly labeled a “super team.” They are a +120 favorite to repeat, slightly ahead of the New York Liberty (+150), who added Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, and Courtney Vandersloot.
While New York struggled in its opener, losing 80-64 to Washington, the Aces already appear to be in midseason form. Against Seattle, they shot 54.8%, including 11-of-18 from 3-point range, and had six players score in double-figures. Their depth could give Los Angeles fits. Keep that in mind in our Aces vs Sparks betting preview.
Encouraging Start for Los Angeles
Expectations aren’t very high for Los Angeles. Only three teams — Minnesota and Seattle at +5000 and Indiana at +10000 — have longer WNBA title odds than the Sparks (+4500). Still, the Sparks delivered encouraging returns in their opener.
Los Angeles beat Phoenix 94-71 on Friday, covering the WNBA point spread with ease. The Sparks, a 2-point favorite, got 17 points from Nneka Ogwumike. Chiney Ogwumike added 15 points, and Lexie Brown and rookie Zia Cooke each scored 14. Hamby had nine points.
The goal for Los Angeles, of course, is to improve upon last year’s 11th-place finish and climb back up the WNBA standings. Los Angeles took a significant step this offseason, hiring Curt Miller from the Connecticut Sun. Miller — and assistant to Brian Angler with Los Angeles in 2015 — should bring stability to a franchise that sorely lacked direction the past few seasons under Derek Fisher. Miller led Connecticut to the WNBA finals twice in seven seasons and was named WNBA Coach of the Year in both 2017 and 2021.
One of Miller’s responsibilities is to build a better supporting cast around the Ogwumike sisters. That includes Cooke, the 10th overall pick in April’s draft out of South Carolina. Cooke shot 5-of-6 and hit two 3-pointers in 15 minutes off the bench in her professional debut, providing some early optimism.
Handicapping Aces-Sparks
Los Angeles should be improved. Miller’s presence alone will buy the Sparks a few extra wins this season. Still, the Sparks aren’t in the same class as Las Vegas. In reality, no one is outside of New York and, when healthy, Washington. The Aces have two multi-time MVPs on their roster in Parker (2008, 2013) and Wilson (2020, 2022), and an elite scorer in Plum. Oh, and don’t forget Chelsea Gray, who was MVP of the 2022 Finals.
After 11 seasons, Nneka Ogwumike remains one of the league’s steadiest and most reliable players. But at this point, she simply doesn’t have the help she needs to mold Los Angeles into a consistent contender. Thus, even on the road, Las Vegas should be a heavy favorite in our Aces vs Sparks betting preview.
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