2025 NLL Finals Dark Horse Candidates to Bet Now
This next tier features some teams that now have the pieces to contend with the four touched on above. The Georgia Swarm is an obvious one, with veterans on both offense and defense and arguably the hottest goaltender on the planet right now in Brett Dobson. Yet, even more so than Buffalo, Georgia has a brutal five-game stretch to start the season, facing Toronto and San Diego twice before playing improved teams in Colorado and Rochester (more on both of them soon).
The aforementioned Rochester Knighthawks are another team that I expect to make a big jump. Their offense, which was one of the best in the league last year, was bogged down by one of the worst defenses in the league that was notably missing starter Rylan Hartley for most of the season. We saw glimpses of how impactful Hartley is to this team and GM Dan Carey went out and got him help with a handful of big-name defensive acquisitions. While their odds to make the playoffs aren’t long enough for me, I do recommend betting a championship future on them at +1600 on ESPN Bet.
I rank Rochester seventh in my preseason power rankings, but due to their favorable schedule, I have them projected to finish as high as fourth in the final standings.
Another team that I expect to drastically improve is the Colorado Mammoth. Forward Ryan Lee, who was an MVP candidate before knee injuries derailed his career, is finally back with the team and should immediately elevate this offense, assuming he can stay healthy. I also expect 2022 NLL Finals MVP and starting netminder Dillon Ward to bounce back from a disappointing 2023-24 season. While Joey Cupido’s move to Georgia is a notable loss, this defense has the pieces for a strong season and the addition of forward Will Malcolm should provide another boost on offense.
As of right now, I think their playoff odds at +106 on FanDuel isn’t long enough to bet, but a worst-to-first championship turnaround is certainly a possibility for a team that, before last season, snuck into the playoffs and made back-to-back NLL Finals runs. So, I’d rather swing for the fences and bet a 0.25 unit on their championship odds at +2500 now, especially considering their schedule doesn’t get too difficult until January.
My biggest sleeper pick is the Saskatchewan Rush.
Saskatchewan narrowly missed the playoffs last season at 8-10, despite a positive goal differential of +7. This offseason, they added rookies Broc Haley and Levi Anderson, signed free agent Austin Shanks, and re-acquired defender Matt Hossack in the Panther City dispersal draft. Starting goalie Frank Scigliano also played better than many likely realized last season and should keep this team competitive throughout the season.
I’m expecting big things from this team and their balance on offense and defense makes them a sneaky pick to make the playoffs and potentially even go on an NLL Finals run similar to the Albany FireWolves last year. I currently have the Rush ranked sixth in my preseason power rankings and recommend betting them to make the playoffs at +190 on FanDuel and a 0.25 unit on their championship odds at +3000 as well.
