The National Lacrosse League kicks off Week 7 with two conference rematches on Friday night, with Halifax hosting Albany and Colorado hosting Saskatchewan.
Heading into this weekend, my 2022-23 NLL record is 16-9 for +6 units. Let’s start the weekend off right with a pair of bets on the two Friday games and a lookahead to a particular Saturday matchup.
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.
Halifax Thunderbirds (-2.5) vs Albany FireWolves
| Halifax Odds | -220 |
| Albany Odds | +190 |
| Total | 24.5 |
| Day ⋅ Time | Friday ⋅ 6:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
| Odds via Caesars Sportsbook. | |
Our first of several rematches this weekend is between the Albany FireWolves and Halifax Thunderbirds. Following a hard-fought 14-11 Halifax victory, the T-Birds return home as 2.5-point favorites.
In last week’s matchup, Albany's defense was able to slow down Halifax's high-octane offense, even while missing 2020 NLL Goaltender of the Year Doug Jamieson due to an undisclosed injury.
Despite the final score, Albany kept it close throughout, and no team led by more than two goals until the final two minutes.
Typically, this would be a great spot to back Albany +2.5 — and I do think Albany could keep it close and potentially even win outright. However, the absence of Connor Kelly, who was added to the short-term holdout list, is concerning.
I also think the Halifax defense will be more dialed-in for this rematch, so the better bet is on the total. Last week, the total was set at 24.5, and 25 goals were scored. Yet, the majority of the first half was fairly slow-paced.
Albany’s defense managed to disrupt the Thunderbirds offense with Justin Geddie between the pipes in place of Jamieson. Geddie played really well in relief, making 52 saves in last week’s game.
Nevertheless, Jamieson — who was recently activated off the PUP list — should provide an even bigger boost to this defense if he starts.
On the flip side, the absence of Kelly is a huge loss for Albany. Kelly led the charge for the FireWolves, contributing on six of Albany’s 11 points last week, and has been part of nearly half of the team's 35 goals this season.
Furthermore, last week’s total was shockingly close to staying under 24.5, if not wasn’t for a pair of goals in the final minute of the second half and a late goal by Halifax to ice the game in the fourth quarter.
Regardless of who is between the pipes for Albany, I think we see another close contest, which plays to the under.
As far as Halifax goes, Warren Hill had a bounce-back week last Saturday. As long as coach Mike Accursi opts to start him in the first game of a a back-to-back (more on that later), then I think the T-birds defense will be able to limit this Connor Kelly-less offense.
Bet this game to stay under 24.5 (-110 at Caesars.)
Pick: Under 24.5
Colorado Mammoth vs Saskatchewan Rush (-1.5)
| Saskatchewan Odds | -140 |
| Colorado Odds | +110 |
| Total | 22.5 |
| Day ⋅ Time | Friday ⋅ 9 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
| Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook. | |
The Colorado Mammoth and Saskatchewan Rush will also face off for the second time this season. Yet, this time the Rush enter as 1.5-point favorites.
When these teams last met, Saskatchewan dismantled the defending champs by a score of 18-6.
Colorado failed to generate any consistency on offense during the first meeting. The Rush suffocated the Mammoth's two-man play and converted turnovers into breakaway goals.
Since then, Colorado has looked better. Recent acquisition Rhys Duch has made an impact, but the Mammoth offense still leaves a lot to be desired.
On the other end, the Rush have had two weeks to prepare for this game. Moreover, Sasketchewan's biggest letdown of the season was a blown seven-point lead against the top team in the West, San Diego Seals.
Saskatchewan’s defense has played really well all season, with the sometimes streaky Alex Buque posting an 81% save percentage (second behind only Nick Rose and Dillon Ward).
I don’t expect to see another 12-point blowout, but I do think the Rush should be able to pull away en route to a multi-goal victory on Friday night.
Bet the Rush -1.5 (+105 at DraftKings).
Pick: Saskatchewan Rush -1.5
NLL Lookahead: Halifax Thunderbirds vs. Toronto Rock
I’ll have a more detailed breakdown of Saturday’s NLL slate tomorrow morning, but one game that is currently without odds that I want to target is Halifax’s second game of the weekend.
Following the Thunderbirds' 6 p.m. ET Friday game in Halifax, the team will travel to Hamilton, ON to take on the Toronto Rock at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Regardless of the outcome in Halifax’s game on Friday night, the 24-hour turnaround is historically a very challenging spot for teams playing their second game of the weekend against a team that has had a week or more to prepare.
Last season, teams playing in their second game of the weekend against a team playing in its first game of the weekend were 4-10 straight up (SU) and 3-11 against the spread (ATS) according to the Bet On Lacrosse report.
Earlier this season, we saw the Panther City fall victim to this trend when they lost and failed to cover against the Colorado Mammoth in their second game of the weekend.
If Halifax opens as the favorite — or if the game is a pick ‘em on the moneyline — I’ll be looking to play the Toronto Rock on the moneyline at -120 or better. This is the best case scenario.
However, if the Rock is favored, then I’ll still be looking to play them, but will instead play Toronto -1.5 at +100 or better.
Ultimately, this is a great spot to back a Toronto team that could compete with Halifax regardless of the short rest. Be on the lookout for this Saturday matchup’s odds to drop late Friday night, and take a stab at Toronto when it does.
