WNBA predictions, picks today: Sparks vs. Valkyries player prop is Saturday’s best bet

This will be the fourth and final time that the Los Angeles Sparks and Golden State Valkyries play each other in the regular season, and the first time since June 9. After the Sparks won the season opener 84-67, the Valkyries have won the past two meetings. Golden State has the chance to pick up the series win in its inaugural season in fron of its home fans on Saturday, August 9, at 8:30 p.m. ET.

If you’re interested in WNBA betting and WNBA player props at the best betting sites for Saturday, August 9, then make sure to see today’s WNBA best bets at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Today’s WNBA pick:

Janelle Salaun Over 10.5 points

This number seems a bit low to me considering the combination of how poor the Sparks’ defense is and the fast tempo they like to play at. As a result, this total (165) is higher than most Valkyries games, with Golden State being a defensive-first team that is last in the WNBA in pace.

So why Salaun in this matchup? The Sparks allow the third-most points in the paint per game (37.4) as well as opponents to take the second-most three-point attempts per game (27.4). The 6-foot-2 rookie can score from anywhere on the floor, and I think her ability to space the floor will be a tough defensive assignment for a more traditional big like Dearica Hamby or Azura Stevens. We’ve seen that in Salaun’s two previous matchups against the Sparks this season, where she’s scored 18 and 21 points in those contests.

Salaun’s scoring has been more inconsistent over the past few weeks, leading to a lower line. But since coming back from EuroBasket on July 5, she’s scored at least 11 points in three of the four games that she’s played 30+ minutes. Salaun has played at least 30 minutes in three of the Valkyries’ past four games, with the one exception being the 16 she played two games ago against the Aces after she was ejected right before halftime because of a Flagrant 2 foul. I don’t see any reason why her playing time would decrease here, given her past success against the Sparks and the fact that she was the team’s second-leading scorer (13 points in 30 minutes) last game.