Premier Lacrosse League Betting Odds & Picks: Best Bets for Waterdogs vs. Atlas, Chrome vs. Cannons

The 2023 Premier Lacrosse League travels to Columbus this weekend for PLL Week 3 and kicks off with two Friday night matchups. Both Atlas and Waterdogs sit at 1-1 and look to get above .500 before the upcoming break for the World Lacrosse Championship. They’re followed by Chrome and Cannons, with the Cannons seeking their first win since Week 1 of the 2022 PLL Season. Let’s take a look at my favorite bets for the slate.

If you’re an avid bettor who’s new to lacrosse or a lacrosse fan who’s new to betting, check outmy guide on how to bet on lacrosse for some tips to use when placing a lacrosse bet.

Atlas LC (-1.5) vs. Waterdogs LC

Odds via FanDuel.

The Waterdogs have had a less than ideal start to the season, narrowly escaping Week 1 with a win over Chaos and then following that up with a blown six-goal lead and one-goal loss to Redwoods. It’s not time to press the panic button yet for the defending champs, especially if starting goalie Dillon Ward returns to the lineup, but the Dogs' upcoming schedule is… rough.

This week they’ll play an Atlas team that beat the Whipsnakes for the first time in team history and gave a stronger effort on defense than in Week 1. Atlas are 1.5-point favorites against the Waterdogs, and the total is currently 24.5 at every sportsbook. I’d lean Atlas to win this game, but would rather back them by betting a few player props from this game instead.

We’ll start with Atlas attackman Chris Gray. I like Gray to surpass both his goals and points prop, but we’re going to go with his goals prop for our best bet. His goals prop is 1.5 goals (-113 on FanDuel), and he’s surpassed this in seven of his last 13 games. While he’s failed to tally two goals in both games this season, this is a great buy-low spot against a defense that gave up a handful of one-on-one goals last week.

Gray’s shooting volume is also a positive sign. He’s taken 18 shots through two games, and 10 of those shots were on goal. Regardless of whether Matt DeLuca or Dillon Ward is in cage, I think Gray gets his looks on Friday night and buries two or more goals.

My other two player props are plays on the Waterdogs. I’ll be fading Michael Sowers and Connor Kelly’s points props on Friday.

While Sowers has surpassed 3.5 points in eight of 14 games, he’ll likely draw Atlas defender and first overall pick in the 2023 PLL College Draft Gavin Adler. Adler held former PLL MVP Zed Williams scoreless, going 0-for-6 shooting and added three caused turnovers last week. Adler is a physical force and can match Sowers’ speed. Sowers has a knack for making a mark on the stat sheet, but four points will be hard to come by against this Atlas defense. This is still a good price and a great scenario to bet Sowers to stay under 3.5 points (+136 on FanDuel.)

Connor Kelly’s points prop has the most value in this game with the Waterdogs midfielder only surpassing 2.5 points in six of his last 15 games. While Kelly is a two-point threat, he’ll likely draw a matchup with either defender Brett Makar or LSM Craig Chick—not a great recipe for big performance. Kelly is the Waterdogs midfielder who will draw the most attention on Friday night, and I expect Atlas to keep him in check. Bet Connor Kelly to stay under 2.5 points (+110 on FanDuel.)

Picks: Chris Gray Over 1.5 Goals, Michael Sowers Under 3.5 Points, Connor Kelly Under 2.5 Points

Chrome LC (-1.5) vs. Cannons LC

Odds via FanDuel.

Chrome enter Friday’s matchup as 1.5-point favorites against the winless Cannons, with the total set at 23.5 at most sportsbooks.

This is a get-right spot for Chrome. They lost handedly to the top-ranked Archers last week despite another strong defensive effort. Yet, their settled offense didn’t show up, and they didn’t push their transition offense nearly enough. Still, their moneyline price is too steep, and I’m hesitant to bet them to cover the spread against a Cannons team that has looked a lot better this season despite their record.

Honestly, if you think Chrome will win on Friday, the best way to bet on them is to place a championship future on them at +850 on Caesars (they’re +600 or shorter everywhere else.) This team is built to contend and should have significantly shorter odds, but neither the moneyline nor spread is the best way to back them in Week 3.

Instead, I plan to bet another three player props in this game.

We’ll start on the Cannons' side, where I’m looking to bet Marcus Holman and Ryan Drenner to stay under their goals props. The Chrome’s biggest strength lies in their defense and netminder Sean Sconone. This defense, even without Jesse Bernhardt this week, has the physicality and scheme to handle two of Cannons' top offensive players.

Holman has made a big impact on this Cannons team from Week 1, but he’ll still have tough matchup with Mike Manley or Nick Grill even if JT Giles-Harris draws Asher Nolting. Holman has stayed under this mark in eight of his last 14 games, and expecting a hat trick against Sconone is a big ask. I recommend betting him to stay under 2.5 goals (+136 on FanDuel.)

This is also a great game to fade Drenner, who has been getting most of his runs from the midfield and has converted on an unsustainable percentage of his shots so far this season. Even if he doesn’t draw a long pole, he’ll have to contend with arguably the best short-stick defensive midfielder group in the league. Drenner has had multiple goals in just five of his last 12 games, and he should stay under this mark again on Friday. Bet Drenner under 1.5 goals  at -113 on FanDuel.

My final player prop is a bet on the Chrome attack. Dylan Molloy rejoins the lineup after being a healthy scratch in the two previous games. Chrome missed his presence as a dodger last week, with Jackson Morrill being the only player who demonstrated the ability to win his one-on-one matchups. Molloy can be a matchup nightmare, and he’ll face a Cannons defense that is still trying to gel and could feature either Cade van Raaphorst or Max Wayne in both of their rookie debuts. 

I think the Cannons defense has strong potential, but it will take some time and could be a long day facing Molloy. While Molloy’s points prop has some value, he’ll likely be doing more shooting than passing on Friday night. Bet Molloy to exceed his goals prop of 1.5 goals (+136 on FanDuel) as he has surpassed this mark in five of his last 11 games and should do so again in his return to the Chrome lineup.

Picks: Marcus Holman Under 2.5 Goals, Ryan Drenner Under 1.5 Goals, Dylan Molloy Over 1.5 Goals

PLL Week 3 PrizePicks Entry

Last week I gave out my first PLL PrizePicks entry of the season and we ended up adding 1.25 units thanks to a three-player flex play. This week, I have a two-pick power play entry (pays out 3x including the stake), so we’ll risk a unit to potentially win two units.

These picks are both props I mentioned earlier, with one from the Atlas-Waterdogs game and one from the Chrome-Cannons. I’m going with Connor Kelly under 2.5 points and Ryan Drenner under 1.5 goals for this week’s PrizePicks entry

PrizePicks Power Play:  Connor Kelly Under 2.5 points, Ryan Drenner Under 1.5 Goals