Saturday in the Premier Lacrosse League starts with a potential championship preview featuring the New York Atlas and Utah Archers at 2:30 p.m. ET on ABC. New York is a 1.5-point favorite and the total is the highest of the weekend at 27.5. Let’s dive in to how I’m betting this juggernaut battle.
Utah Archers vs. New York Atlas
| Utah (+1.5) Odds | Moneyline: +116 |
| New York (-1.5) Odds | Moneyline: -142 |
| Total | 27.5 |
| Time | Saturday · 2:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | ABC |
Odds via FanDuel
Utah the Better Team
While the total is high at 27.5, I actually think this will end up near that amount when the dust settles. Instead, I’m targeting the Utah Archers to win outright.
The Archers are still a top-three team, with two one-possession losses and a third loss that saw them score the same amount of goals, but lose due to five two-pointers allowed. They have the ability to beat New York in a low-scoring slugfest or high-scoring shootout. And at +110 odds or higher, there’s value in betting them to not just cover, but win all together.
New York's defense has still been carried far too much by the Atlas offense and it’ll have its hands full with this deep Archers roster. While Utah’s defense struggled last weekend, it's actually played well since former defensive player of the year Graeme Hossack rejoined the lineup. While it’s never easy defending an offense led by Jeff Teat, expect the Archers to limit the Atlas enough to win.
Bet Utah to win outright at +116 on FanDuel.
Three Player Props to Target
I’m also betting three player props. The first player I’m targeting is Connor Shellenberger, whose points prop is 3.5.
Shellenberger quickly became the Rookie of the Year favorite to start the season, but he’s dealt with some nagging injuries and has seen his production wane in recent weeks. He has had four or more points in just two of seven games this season and has stayed under 3.5 in his last five games. On Saturday, he’ll face an Archers defense that has allowed the third-fewest points per game and I expect him to be limited yet again. Bet Shellenberger to stay under 3.5 points at -113 on FanDuel.
On the flip side, I’m betting Connor Fields to record a hat trick on Saturday. Fields has been a model of consistency, scoring three goals or more in 13 of his last 17 regular season games (76.5%)! That includes six of seven games in 2024. He’s second in shots and touches on Utah and leads the team in shots on goal. The opportunities are going to be there and at -128 on FanDuel, the odds are still great to bet Fields to score three goals again.
Finally, I’m also betting a half unit on Tre Leclaire to score a first-quarter goal at +164 on FanDuel. With Matt Moore injured, both Leclaire and Grant Ament will likely spend time on attack, but history has shown that head coach Chris Bates prefers to start Leclaire down low. Whether he’s on attack or running midfield, Leclaire should draw favorable matchups and have a better than a 38% chance to score a goal in the first period.
