College lacrosse's opening weekend got off to a great start as our best bets went 4-1 for +3.35 units. Let's keep the momentum going with a best bet for the lone Monday matchup — Syracuse vs. Colgate.
If you’re an avid bettor who’s new to lacrosse or a lacrosse fan who’s new to betting, check out my guide on how to bet on lacrosse for some tips to use when placing a lacrosse bet.
No. 9 Syracuse vs. Colgate
| Syracuse (-8) Odds | -6000 |
| Colgate (+8) Odds | +1300 |
| Total | 27 |
| Time | Monday · 6 p.m. ET |
| TV | ACC Network |
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
Both Syracuse and Colgate started the season with wins on Saturday and have quick turnarounds on Monday. Syracuse is an 8-point home favorite after opening at -8.5 Saturday night. We cashed Syracuse -6.5 on Saturday as it dominated Vermont in a 20-7 win and pulled its starters early in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, Colgate had the biggest upset of the weekend, knocking off Penn State, 13-12.
This spread is about in line with how I'd set the odds, so I see no value in backing either team on the spread. Instead, target the total, which is 27 at DraftKings and Caesars.
Syracuse took advantage of a young Vermont defense with a lot of new starters, but will have a bit of a tougher time with a Colgate defense that ranked 13th in defensive efficiency last year, according to Lacrosse Reference. Syracuse's defense last season was even more efficient, ranking 10th in defensive efficiency during competitive time (excludes garbage time), and picked up where it left off by holding Vermont to just seven goals. Will Mark stopped 61% of the shots he faced and should be able to limit Colgate's offense.
Pick: Under 27
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Upcoming Weekend Lookahead Lines
Additionally, there are two games this weekend that I've already bet.
Delaware opens its season against Lafayette on Saturday and is a 6-point favorite. I mentioned in my win total article that I’m bullish on the Blue Hens and this is a number I expect Delaware to cover. Tye Kurtz and Owen Grant are key losses for Delaware on both sides of the ball, but I still expect last year’s 18th-ranked adjusted offense and ninth-ranked adjusted defense to handle a Lafayette team that was middle of the pack on defense and offense, and faced off extremely poorly last season. The juice is already starting to move on this number, so grab Delaware -6 while you can.
The other game I’m targeting is Hofstra vs. Navy. Both teams secured big wins to start the season, with Navy destroying Mount St. Mary’s — a team it lost to outright just two years ago — 19-6. Meanwhile, Hofstra beat an equally weak Wagner team, 21-9. Navy is a 2.5-point favorite and I think it should be able to cover this number against Hofstra. Navy’s offensive explosion was the first game for former Maryland head coach and three-time pro lacrosse champion Dave Cottle, who was hired as offensive coordinator over the offseason.
Cottle should be able to get Navy's offense to deliver a high-scoring performance against a Hofstra defense that allowed goals on 34.2% of its defensive possessions on Saturday. Bet Navy -2.5 at -125 before the number moves later this week.
Picks: Delaware -6, Navy -2.5
