The Portland Fire close their first season series with the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday night, and the market can barely separate them. Los Angeles is laying 1.5 points at Crypto.com Arena in a game with no playoff weight. Portland arrives on a three-game slide, and the Sparks have won all three meetings this year. Yet the total has been bought up since it opened and the public has crowded onto one side. Our plays go the other way.
Last Updated: Sunday, September 20, 2026
Portland Fire vs. Los Angeles Sparks — Time & How to Watch
| Where | Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles CA |
| When | Sunday, September 20 – 7:00 PM ET |
| TV | USA Network |
Portland Fire vs. Los Angeles Sparks Betting Preview
Portland arrives at 16-26, one game clear of the 15-26 Sparks. That is a respectable mark for an expansion roster. Neither club is playing for position. Both were eliminated from the playoff field before the FIBA World Cup break.
Recent form flatters nobody. The Fire lost 94-91 to Phoenix on Thursday, then fell 82-66 at Golden State on Friday. That makes three straight defeats and six losses in their last seven. Los Angeles was beaten 97-77 by Dallas on Thursday, ending a two-game winning streak built against Washington and Seattle before the layoff. Our Fire vs. Valkyries prediction from September 18 covered that Portland trip.
Carla Leite remains Portland’s engine. The guard leads the Fire with 15.8 points and 6.3 assists per game, and she scored 26 against Phoenix. She also handled Los Angeles well in August, posting 21 points and eight assists. For the Sparks, Nneka Ogwumike is averaging 17.2 points and 8.8 rebounds in her final professional season. She announced her retirement earlier this year and has recorded a double-double in both appearances against Portland.
The injury report tilts the frontcourt. Dearica Hamby (knee), Cameron Brink (ankle) and Aaliyah Nye (ankle) are all listed as doubtful for Los Angeles. Portland is without Teja Oblak (knee), while Bridget Carleton (ankle) and Jordan Harrison (ankle) are questionable. The WNBA swings on single-player availability more than most leagues, and three doubtful Sparks is the heavier blow.
Portland Fire vs. Los Angeles Sparks Odds
| Spread | Moneyline | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fire | +1.5 (-115) | +105 | U 176.5 (-110) |
| Sparks | -1.5 (-105) | -125 | O 176.5 (-110) |
Odds accurate as of Sunday, September 20, 2026 via TheSpread.com. Odds change, get the latest WNBA Odds – Futures – Props
Portland Fire vs. Los Angeles Sparks — Who Is the Public Betting?
| Fire | 22% | 78% | Sparks |
See the latest WNBA Public Betting Splits and make smarter wagers!
Fire vs. Sparks Prediction — Can Portland Finally Solve Los Angeles?
Start with what the number has done. Los Angeles opened at -1.5 and the spread has not moved. The moneyline has, shortening from -120 to -125. Meanwhile 78 percent of spread tickets sit on the Sparks, and the moneyline split is more lopsided still at 86 percent. When three-quarters of tickets land on one side and the spread refuses to follow, tickets and money are usually not pulling together.
The case for Los Angeles is easy to make. The Sparks have taken all three meetings this season, winning 85-75 in May, 89-72 in June, and a shootout 106-101 on August 2. Ogwumike and Hamby combined for 45 points in that August game. Los Angeles also gets an extra day of rest, while Portland played on back-to-back nights.
The case against is the availability sheet. If Hamby and Brink both sit, the Sparks lose two frontcourt pieces on the same night, and Nye’s status thins the wing rotation further. Portland owns the better record and the more reliable creator in Leite, and gets a point and a half. Still, the Fire have not looked sharp since the break, and a team that scored 66 on Friday could be outclassed. The lean is toward the side the tickets have abandoned, not toward any certainty about the result.
The Pick: Portland Fire +1.5 (-115)
Fire vs. Sparks Prediction — Will Two Leaky Defenses Keep Trading Baskets?
Neither defense holds up. Los Angeles allows 91.9 points per game and Portland surrenders 90.9, while the offenses sit at 87.1 and 86.2. Cross those season-long rates and the projection lands just above the posted number. The market appears to agree. This total opened at 175 and has been bought up to 176.5.
The counterargument is real. Portland managed only 66 points at Golden State on Friday, and Dallas held the Sparks to 77 on Thursday. Take Hamby and Nye out and the Los Angeles offense thins further. Still, the last meeting produced 207 combined points, and end-of-season games between eliminated clubs rarely tighten up.
The Pick: Over 176.5 (-110)
Final Thoughts and Bonus Angle
One alternate-line angle stands out. Portland is priced at +105 on the moneyline while the spread sits at just 1.5 points, so the half-point of cushion costs 20 cents. Bettors who like the Fire to hang around can take the outright win at plus money instead. The trade-off is clear: a one-point Portland loss cashes the spread ticket and burns the moneyline. That is what the extra 20 cents pays for, so it is a choice, not a free upgrade. Our earlier Sparks best bet from August 30 covered a similar pricing question.
The market has priced this as a coin flip and the public has not. Two eliminated teams, two weak defenses, and a home side possibly missing three rotation players is a setup that rewards taking points and the over.
Final picks: Portland Fire +1.5 (-115) · Over 176.5 (-110) · Bonus angle: Portland Fire moneyline +105
WNBA Fire vs. Sparks FAQ: Sunday September 20, 2026
What time does the Portland Fire vs. Los Angeles Sparks game start?
Tip-off is 7:00 PM ET on Sunday, September 20, 2026, which is 4:00 PM local time in Los Angeles. This is the fourth and final scheduled meeting between the two clubs in the 2026 regular season, and the second of the four to be played in Los Angeles.
What channel is the Portland Fire vs. Los Angeles Sparks game on?
The game is televised nationally on USA Network for the 7:00 PM ET tip-off. Viewers outside the Los Angeles and Portland markets should still check local listings, because WNBA national broadcast windows rotate between partners during the closing week of the regular season.
Where are the Portland Fire and Los Angeles Sparks playing today?
The game is at Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles, California, the Sparks’ home venue. Portland is the road team. Two of the three earlier meetings this season were played in Portland, so this is the second of the series to be staged in Los Angeles.
Who won the last meeting between the Portland Fire and Los Angeles Sparks?
Los Angeles won the most recent meeting 106-101 on August 2, 2026, in Portland. Nneka Ogwumike and Dearica Hamby combined for 45 points in that game, while Carla Leite led the Fire with 21 points and eight assists. The result ended a six-game Sparks losing streak.
What is the season series record between the Portland Fire and Los Angeles Sparks?
Los Angeles leads the 2026 season series 3-0. The Sparks won 85-75 on May 3, 89-72 on June 7 and 106-101 on August 2. Sunday’s game is the final scheduled meeting, so Portland is playing to avoid a season sweep in its debut year.