Sunday’s four-game WNBA slate on May 17, 2026, featured the Las Vegas Aces against the Atlanta Dream, but one of the sharper betting angles centered on a rematch in Los Angeles. The Sparks and Tempo met again less than 48 hours after a Friday night game that left one side looking for a reset and the other looking for a repeat.
Peter Dewey said he had hit 12 of his first 17 bets to open the season and was coming off a sweep on Friday night in the W. That set the tone for a preview that highlighted three player props on the board for Sunday, including a look at Rickea Jackson and a bounce-back spot for Marina Mabrey against the Sparks.
The setup comes from what happened Friday night. The Sparks beat Toronto 99-95 but failed to cover the 7.5-point spread, leaving them 0-3 against the spread and 1-2 straight up on the season. That matters because the market has been slow to trust Los Angeles, especially with a defense that ranked 14th in the WNBA in defensive rating.
The other side of the rematch had a clearer recent profile. The Tempo entered Sunday at 2-1 against the spread, and Brittney Sykes had just put up 27 points on Friday night. Mabrey, meanwhile, managed only seven points while going 3-of-10 from the field, which is part of why the matchup drew attention as a possible rebound spot for her.
Dewey said he was going back to a spread pick that cashed on Friday, pointing to the Tempo’s rematch with the Sparks. In betting terms, that is the whole case: one team still trying to prove it can defend enough to cover, and another carrying the form that has already produced early success against the number.
The tension is that the Sparks still have not translated their actual results into respect from the spread market, even after a win, while the Tempo arrive with a better betting record and a player in Mabrey whose Friday line invites a correction. Sunday’s rematch does not need much more than that to make the handicap feel live.
