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Toronto (1-2) at Los Angeles (1-2)
- When: May 17 2026, 7:00 PM
- Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- TV: TSN
Toronto vs Los Angeles Preview & Prediction
Spread: Los Angeles -8.0
Moneyline: Los Angeles (-360)
Total: 174.5
Los Angeles Sparks: Hollywood Scoreboard Chaos
Los Angeles Sparks finally grabbed their first win of the season Friday night, although they nearly turned a comfortable victory into a live-action stress test for everyone holding Sparks tickets.
Los Angeles jumped out to a ridiculous 21-2 start and built multiple 20-point leads before suddenly deciding defense was optional sometime during the second half. Thankfully for Sparks fans, Kelsey Plum remembered she gets paid to ruin opponents’ evenings.
Plum exploded for 27 points and nine assists, including 20 second-half points while personally preventing the Sparks from becoming the internet’s newest comedy clip. Every time Toronto got close late, Plum casually walked in and said, “Not today.”
Meanwhile, Nneka Ogwumike returned looking like somebody who absolutely refused to let the expansion franchise steal the spotlight in Los Angeles. She added 20 points while Dearica Hamby chipped in 19 more.
Coach Lynne Roberts admitted afterward the Sparks still haven’t figured out how to play a full 40 minutes yet. Judging by Friday, Los Angeles apparently believes basketball games only last about 28 minutes and emotional panic handles the rest.
The good news? This offense can score in bunches.
The bad news? Sometimes their defense disappears faster than free casino drinks after midnight.
Toronto Tempo: Expansion Team Refuses To Behave
Toronto Tempo deserve credit for refusing to quit Friday night after spending the opening quarter looking like they accidentally landed at the wrong arena.
Coach Sandy Brondello compared the slow start to her team still being asleep back in Toronto, which honestly felt accurate considering Los Angeles opened the game by dropping points on them like a video game set on rookie mode.
Still, Toronto fought back hard.
Brittney Sykes torched her former team for 27 points and looked determined to personally ruin Sparks fans’ Friday evening. Rookie Kiki Rice also provided strong minutes off the bench in her first professional game after winning a national title with UCLA.
The Tempo nearly completed the comeback despite Marina Mabrey having one of those nights where the basket suddenly looked roughly the size of a coffee mug. Mabrey finished with just seven points while shooting 3-for-10 overall and 1-for-6 from deep.
If Toronto shoots even slightly better early Sunday, this could become uncomfortable for Los Angeles again very quickly.
LVSB Final Score Prediction
The Sparks probably learned their lesson after nearly blowing a gigantic lead Friday night. Probably.
Los Angeles clearly has more offensive firepower, especially with Plum heating up, but trusting this defense to cover big spreads currently feels like trusting airport sushi.
Toronto competes hard and keeps games alive late, which makes the underdog attractive again.
Final Score: Sparks 92, Tempo 86
Lean: Toronto Tempo +8.0
Total: Over 174.5
- NBA Playoffs Odds source: Bovada Sportsbook
