The National Lacrosse League wraps up Week 13 with three games and I’ve got my sights set on two in particular. So, let’s take a look at which team I’m eyeing to get an outright win and which total I’m looking to play on Saturday night.
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Georgia Swarm vs. Albany FireWolves (-1.5)
| Albany Odds | -165 |
| Georgia Odds | +125 |
| Total | 24.5 |
| Time | Saturday, 7 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
Odds via Barstool Sportsbook.
The 2-6 Albany FireWolves and 0-7 Georgia Swarm meet Saturday night with their playoff hopes all but gone. It will take a miraculous run for either to make the postseason and both could be nearing a fire sale with the trade deadline looming.
While the FireWolves, despite a young, revamped roster, showed some promise at the start of the season, they’re now in the middle of a four-game losing streak, despite facing opponents at similar spots in the standings as them.
Doug Jamieson has arguably been Albany’s most valuable player for the past few seasons, but the FireWolves netminder has struggled recently. He's been pulled in three of his past four games and only made 33 saves in the contest in which he played the full game.
Albany’s x-factor has been lackluster and their offense doesn’t have much more to show for it, averaging less than 10 goals per game in their past four losses. While the Swarm didn’t look great in their previous game, they’ve fared much better against some much stiffer competition recently.
I don’t like the old adage that a team is “due for a win,” but it certainly feels like it with the winless Georgia Swarm. After getting doubled up in their loss to the Buffalo Bandits in Week 6, the Swarm played the Bandits tight the following week. They followed that up with a pair of close games against the defending champion Colorado Mammoth and the NLL’s highest scoring offense, the Toronto Rock. While their most recent game — a rematch with the Rock — was far less competitive, it worries me much less than the FireWolves recent string of losses.
The Swarm should have an easier time stopping this struggling Albany offense, especially with Charlie Kitchen out of the lineup, and I expect the Swarm to come out strong and play fast against an Albany team that has looked uninspired in their past few games. Bet the Swarm to win outright at +125 on Barstool.
Pick: Georgia Swarm Moneyline
Saskatchewan Rush (-2.5) vs. Vancouver Warriors
| Saskatchewan Odds | -300 |
| Vancouver Odds | +235 |
| Total | 25.5 |
| Time | Saturday, 8 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
In the final game of the weekend, the Saskatchewan Rush face off with the Vancouver Warriors in Saskatoon. The Rush enter as 2.5-point favorites following a big win over the San Diego Seals.
A 25.5 total in the NLL is rare, but not too surprising when designated to games between high-scoring offenses. While the Rush are fresh off scoring 16 goals on San Diego, I wouldn’t put this matchup in the category of a “high for a reason” total.
Only one of the Rush’s eight games this season — last week's win over the Seals — has gone over 25.5. Furthermore, the Rush defense has allowed an average of 10.1 goals per game and will now face a depleted Vancouver offense that they held to eight goals just a few weeks ago.
The Warriors have topped 13 goals just twice, both times against the Las Vegas Desert Dogs. While this high total is likely due more to a Vancouver defense that has struggled all season, the presence of veteran and former Rush netminder Aaron Bold should provide some more stability.
These teams don’t like each other so I'm expecting a very physical battle reminiscent of their earlier meeting this season, which finished with a 14-8 Rush victory. Expect both defenses to show up and bet this total to stay under 25.5 at -115 on DraftKings.
Pick: Under 25.5
