The 2023 Premier Lacrosse League semifinals start with the No.1-seed Archers taking on the No.4-seed Redwoods in a rematch from earlier this season. The Archers will look to become the first PLL team to cover the spread following a first-round bye and the first No.1-seed to advance since 2020. Meanwhile, Redwoods are hoping to carry some momentum over from their dominant victory over Chaos in the first round. Let’s take a look at the betting angles for this matchup.
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Archers LC (-1.5) vs. Redwoods LC
| Archers Odds | -170 |
| Redwoods Odds | +138 |
| Total | 24.5 |
| Time | Sunday · 3 p.m. ET |
| TV | ABC |
Odds as of Saturday via FanDuel
The Archers defeated the Redwoods 10-3 earlier this year, but both offenses have looked more potent in recent weeks. The Archers enter as 1.5-point favorites and the total ranges from 23.5 to 24.5, depending on the sportsbook. Past playoff history may suggest the Archers will have a tough time covering and advancing, but I think this matchup with Redwoods was the better of the two scenarios and that they'll buck the trend of first-round exits by top-seeded teams.
The Redwoods have been really inconsistent this season, winning games thanks to herculean efforts from goaltender Jack Kelly, or losing games despite outplaying opponents on both sides of the ball. The Redwoods offense has looked great in recent weeks, in large part due to the emergence of Cole Kirst and other midfielders, but I think they match up poorly against Archers.
This Archers defense won’t make the same mistakes Chaos did last game — allowing Wes Berg to get his hands free, sliding up field and allowing Rob Pannell to feed the crease for point-blank goals. The Archers are the best at defending doorstep opportunities. Not only have they allowed the fewest doorstep goals (15), they’ve also allowed just 34 shots in front of the crease — the fewest in the PLL this season. In their previous meeting, Archers did a great job of keeping the Redwoods’ star players in check and held them to just 11.5% shooting. Starting goalie Brett Dobson also only saw 12 shots on goal and made nine saves. While we can expect some regression in this game, the defense should be be able to replicate its past success.
I expect this Archers defense to stifle the Redwoods offense, but it’s their offense that gives me confidence in their ability to win by a decent margin. The Redwoods defense slides early, so the Archers’ ability to score assisted goals will be pivotal. Luckily for Archers, they have a handful of the best feeders in the game in Tom Schreiber, Grant Ament and Connor Fields. Pair that with a Tre Leclaire, Mac O’Keefe and a healthy Matt Moore and you could see a ton of assisted goals in this game. The Redwoods defense has been solid this season, so it won’t be a walk in the park, but I expect the Archers offense to expose the Redwoods short-stick midfielders early and force Kelly to have to move to stop shots. Bet Archers -1.5 at -118 on FanDuel.
I also recommend betting Berg to stay under 3.5 points and 4.5 shots on goal. Berg tied a PLL record with seven goals last week and, as a result, his player props are a bit inflated this week. Berg is predominantly a goal scorer with 21 of his 23 points this season coming from goals. With that in mind, and his goals prop sitting at 2.5, I’d rather bet him to stay under the higher total, which is 3.5 points and 4.5 SOG in this case. Berg has surpassed 3.5 points just three times this season and has five or more shots on goal in just four of 11 games. I expect Archers to prioritize Berg and limit his scoring opportunities, just as they did in their previous meeting. Bet Berg to stay under 3.5 points (-174 on FanDuel) and 4.5 SOG (-120 on DraftKings).
Also, I expect Connor Fields to have a big day offensively. Fields only had two points in their most recent meeting, but generated 10 shots and assisted on a pair of goals. I expect we’ll see a performance similar to last season’s Archers-Redwoods playoff matchup, where Fields started on attack and recorded five points on two goals and three assists. Fields has also scored three or more goals in seven of 10 games and four or more points in six of 10 games. Fields is a dual threat who can win his individual matchup, but can also feed his teammates if Redwoods choose to slide early. Bet Fields to go over 2.5 goals (+108 on FanDuel) and 3.5 points (-113 on FanDuel).
Picks: Archers -1.5 | Wes Berg Under 3.5 Points & Under 4.5 SOG | Connor Fields Over 2.5 Goals & Over 3.5 Points
Read my other PLL Semifinals betting previews here.
