Only three weeks remain in the regular season for the Premier Lacrosse League. The teams will head to Homewood Field in Baltimore, Maryland, this week for the Maryland Whipsnakes homecoming as well as the 2024 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Let’s take a look at the Premier Lacrosse League Picks and Best Bets for Week 9.
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PLL: Premier Lacrosse League Picks and Best Bets for Week 9
Both the New York Atlas and the Boston Cannons punched their playoff tickets with wins in Week 8. While both teams have clinched playoff berths, the fight for the win in the Eastern Conference continues as they sit tied atop the standings, the Atlas currently holding the tiebreaker.
Philadelphia Waterdogs (+1.5) vs Maryland Whipsnakes (-1.5)
This game will kick off the weekend Saturday at 1:00 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN+. The Waterdogs have fallen to just 1-6 on the season and are now on the verge of playoff elimination. It hasn’t been for lack of close games though. They took the Atlas to the wire in Week 8 losing by just a single point, their third one-point loss on the season.
Maryland kicks off their homecoming weekend against this Waterdogs team, a rematch of Week 2, where the teams went to overtime before Maryland came out on top 15-14. These two teams are battling to stay out of having one of the two worst records in the league.
This one should be another tough-fought close game. The teams went to overtime in their earlier match, and everything is on the line in this one. Because of that, I’ll take the underdog, and in this case, that happens to be the Waterdogs.
Pick: Waterdogs +1.5 (-160)
Denver Outlaws (-1.5) vs California Redwoods (+1.5)
Denver will face California in Saturday’s second match at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+. This is another battle to keep playoff hopes alive, although the Western Conference isn’t as top-heavy, with every team still in the mix. The Outlaws fell to the Boston Cannons in Week 8 after taking down the Waterdogs in Week 7.
The Redwoods pulled the upset last week over the Carolina Chaos for just their second win of the season. Their other win, however, which came in Week 5, was against the hometown Boston Cannons, one of the best teams in the league.
Both of these teams have shown us both the good side and the ugly side. Denver seems to play up against lesser competition a little more, though, which is the case here. I expect a good game from Brennan O’Neill. The last time these teams matched up in Week 4, it was a 13-8 Denver win.
Pick: Outlaws -1.5 (-105)
Boston Cannons (-1.5) vs Maryland Whipsnakes (+1.5)
The Whipsnakes find themselves the underdog in their second matchup of the homecoming weekend. This time to the Boston Cannons. Boston locked up their playoff spot last week with their win over the Outlaws. They now sit at 6-2 on the season with the same record as the Atlas but trailing New York in the tiebreaker (scoring differential).
Boston might be in, but they won’t settle for that. Their eyes are on the big prize of the best record in the league and that all-important bye week in the playoffs. That’ll lead to Boston not taking their foot off the gas if they can grab a lead.
Pick: Cannons -1.5 (-130)
Carolina Chaos (+1.5) vs Utah Archers (-1.5)
The Carolina Chaos are coming off a devastating loss to the Redwoods in Week 7. They fell by a score of 10-8. Despite that, they sit just one spot behind Utah for that top spot in the Western Conference and the other all-important playoff bye week.
The Archers won the first matchup against Carolina with a 9-7 victory in Week 3. They are fresh off a bye week, and before that, they won in Week 7 against the Redwoods convincingly, the team who beat Carolina just last week. They are looking to stretch their lead in the Western Conference as they chase the conference championship.
This one is pretty simple: the Archers won the last time the teams played. They also just stomped the team who beat the Chaos and they are coming off their bye nice and rested. Utah is my favorite play on the board and “best bet” for the weekend.
Pick: Archers -1.5 (-135)
