The Sparks could be tougher than perceived down the home stretch now that they have Azura Stevens in their rotation. Dearica Hamby may be the most underrated player in the league and Rickea Jackson is a good-looking rookie forward, who would be getting far more attention if not for other rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.

But much of this handicap is a fade on the Liberty.

New York's superstars, Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu, just helped the U.S. win a gold medal in the Paris Olympics this past Sunday. It's hard to imagine Stewart and Ionescu getting nearly as excited about this matchup. They also could be bothered by jet lag.

The Liberty, as a team, might get caught looking ahead of this opponent as their next game is against the two-time defending champion Aces in Las Vegas on Saturday. The Aces beat the Liberty in the Finals last year.

New York has been dreadful as a double-digit favorite covering just once in 12 tries in that role.