With MLB on All-Star Break, Aces stand as top WNBA play tonight

Good afternoon sports fans, it's Chris Bengel back in the saddle with you.

The 2023 MLB All-Star Game is in the books and an unlikely hero rose to the occasion in the form of Rockies catcher Elias Diaz. In the eighth inning, Diaz slugged a two-run home run off of Orioles closer Felix Bautista to give the National League the 3-2 lead and eventual win. It snapped the American League's nine-year winning streak in the Midsummer Classic.

Following a few days off, the second half of the MLB season will begin Friday, and we'll have a clearer view of what the 2023 postseason will look like as the season chugs along. The race to the World Series looks to be wide-open with teams like the Braves, Rangers, Rays, and many others hoping to make a deep run. Next month's trade deadline could be the difference for a few of these teams.

With the MLB having a few days off, the sports calendar doesn't have a ton happening. However, the WNBA season is in full swing, and I've got a few picks for you on this Wednesday.

All times Eastern |All odds via Caesars Sportsbook

Aces at Sparks, 10 p.m.| Watch live: CBS Sports Network

• The Pick: Aces -12.5 (-110)
• Key Trend:The Aces are 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings.

The Aces have looked nearly flawless throughout the first half of the 2023 season. While this is a rather large number, I'm still confident that Las Vegas will be able to cover the lofty spread.

The Aces enter Wednesday with an impressive 18-2 record on the season and have lost just once over their last 11 contests. During that dominant stretch, Las Vegas has been blowing teams out by an average margin of 21 points. The Aces have also won nine of those games by double-digits.

Las Vegas possesses three of the most dynamic scorers in the WNBA in A'ja Wilson, Jackie Young, and Kelsey Plum. Wilson's accolades are well-defined as she's a two-time WNBA MVP in addition to helping lead the Aces to a WNBA title in 2022. Meanwhile, Plum is currently on a hot stretch in which she's shooting 60.3% from the field over her last four games. Plum also had a 40-point outburst in a 113-89 win over the Lynx on Sunday in which she drilled six of her nine attempts from 3-point range. Simply put, the Aces should have no problem dominating a Sparks team that scores the third-fewest points in the league.

Storm at Dream, 7 p.m.| Watch live: WNBA League Pass

• The Pick: Dream -8.5 (-110)
• Key Trend: The Storm are 1-5 ATS in their last six games.

To say the Storm's 2023 season has been disappointing would be an understatement. With Seattle currently on a slide, I'm backing the Dream to come away with a convincing victory.

The Storm are currently riding a six-game losing streak and have lost by an average of 9.8 points. This is a team that surrenders 86.4 points-per-game, which is the second-worst clip in the league. Meanwhile, the Storm is only scoring 79.2 points-per-game on the offensive end with only two players (Jewell Lloyd and Ezi Magbegor) scoring in double figures.

On the other hand, the Dream are one of the more dangerous scoring teams in the WNBA. Atlanta's 86.7 points per game is good for third in the WNBA behind only the Aces (93.9) and Liberty (87.4). The Dream are paced by a star trio that features guards Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray, and forward Cheyenne Parker, who are all averaging double figures. Howard has been on fire lately as she's averaging 26.8 points over her last four games, including scoring 32 points in the team's most recent game against the Sky. The Dream should prove to have too much firepower for the Storm to keep up.

Aces at Sparks, 10 p.m.| Watch live: CBS Sports Network

• The Pick: Under 169.5 Points (-110)
• Key Trend: The under is 4-1 in the last five meetings.

Back to Las Vegas at Los Angeles -- while I do expect the Aces to come away with a convincing win, points may not come easy at times throughout Wednesday's contest. That's why I'm taking the under in this spot.

The Aces may be the highest scoring team in the league, but they're also the top defensive team in the WNBA. Las Vegas gives up just 78.6 points-per-game, while forcing the fourth-most turnovers (12.7) per contest. On the other hand, the Sparks aren't a juggernaut offensively, but they do thrive on the defensive end at times. Los Angeles' 81.4 points-per-game allowed is good for fifth-best in the WNBA.