The Denver Nuggets aren’t the only Stan Kroenke-owned Colorado team competing for a championship this weekend.
On Saturday night, the defending champion Colorado Mammoth travel to New York to face the Buffalo Bandits in a winner-takes-all NLL Finals Game 3.
The Bandits find themselves in the same exact spot as last year — as 1.5-point favorites at home against the Mammoth once again. Will they finally win it all or — trigger warning, Buffalo fans — lose their third straight NLL Finals appearance?
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Buffalo Bandits (-1.5) vs. Colorado Mammoth
| Buffalo Odds | -200 |
| Mammoth Odds | +155 |
| Total | 22.5 |
| Time | Saturday · 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
Odds via BetMGM.
Do you have déjà vu yet? For the second straight season, Colorado has erased a 1-0 series deficit and forced a Game 3 against the favored Bandits.
Last year, the Mammoth went into Banditland and came away with the franchise's second NLL title. You may also have some déjà vu after seeing the spread and moneyline for Game 3 as well.
Let's recap: Colorado entered Game 1 at +165 on the moneyline, and you could bet it to cover the +1.5 at +115.
The Mammoth opened the game with arguably the worst eight minutes of their postseason, yet still managed to lose by only a goal. So, sportsbooks made them slightly lower-priced underdogs in Game 2, and they responded by turning in a dominant performance at home that resulted in a six-goal win.
So, it's surprising that the Mammoth, after following last year's NLL Finals script, are now once again a significant underdog in Game 3 at as high as +155 — a great price to bet the hot team.
The Mammoth have had Buffalo's number, plain and simple.
The addition of Josh Byrne on the active roster is a positive sign for the Bandits, but how effective Byrne will be is up in the air. In fact, Byrne could just as easily be a game-time decision much like how a banged-up Eli McLaughlin was in last year's NLL Finals Game 3. McLaughlin was activated and even appeared in warm-ups before ultimately not playing in Game 3. These teams don't like each other, so any potential gamesmanship will be on the table.
Yet, what it ultimately comes down to is Colorado has played like the more confident team in seven of the eight quarters of this series. Dillon Ward has been a brick wall in net, and the Mammoth offense is playing at its full potential at the right time. Colorado isn't afraid to get physical but has also been keen on keeping its cool when it matters.
It's also been effective in drawing power play chances, and it's turned those chances into goals.
The odds may make the Mammoth a substantial underdog, but they're in the best position to win Game 3, and this is a great price to bet them to get it done. Bet the Mammoth to repeat at +155 at BetMGM.
If you’re hesitant to fully back the Mammoth, you can still get them to cover the 1.5-point spread at +110 at BetMGM, but I think it’s worth going all in and betting them on the moneyline at these odds.
Pick: Colorado Mammoth ML +155
