The Women’s Lacrosse League got off to a great start this week in its inaugural season with two one-goal games. It’s great to see the best women lacrosse players in the world back on the turf. While the Maryland Charm and Boston Guard will battle on Thursday night, I’m targeting the New York Charging vs. California Palms game for my best bets.
New York Charging vs. California Palms
 New York Moneyline/Spread | -130 / -1.5 |
 California Moneyline/Spread | +100 / +1.5 |
| Total | 29.5 |
| Time | Friday · 6 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
Odds via DraftKings
Both New York and California looked strong in their opening wins. The Charging was my top team going into the tournament and I felt California was underrated as well given their strong defensive pieces. Both impressed in their first games and while they each certainly have a lot of offensive firepower, I’m expecting defense to be the story of their second game.
New York goaltender Madison Doucette led a strong defensive effort that held Maryland to just 13 goals and I have just as much confidence in Molly Laliberty if the Charging opts to play her as well. Midfielder Lauren Gilbert had a great defensive game as well, causing numerous turnovers in the middle of the field.
As for California, goalie Taylor Moreno played phenomenal in net and defender Kayla Wood played solid despite drawing a tough matchup with Charlotte North for most of the night. While the Palms put up 16 goals, a lot of their scoring came in transition and they had less success in more settled sets. I think New York will be able to buckle down and limit them to less scoring chances than they had against Boston.
Ultimately, this game has the makings of a defensive battle, so I like betting Under 29.5 at -110 on DraftKings.
Additionally, now is a great time to buy the California Palms as potential winners of this tournament if you haven’t already. Their odds have dropped from +310 to now +250 on DraftKings, but there’s still value on this team that will definitely become the heavy favorite with a win on Friday. New York and even Boston—who California just beat—have shorter odds. The Palms have all the pieces: the best goaltender in the league in Moreno, an elite defense headlined by Wood and enough offensive firepower to take the title.
This team is well-rounded and will be in a great position to make a run regardless of Friday’s outcome. Bet California Palms to win the WLL Championship at +250 on DraftKings.
Subscribe to Hutton Jackson’s lacrosse picks on DubClub so you never miss out on the best odds for these picks. As soon as Hutton places a bet, you’ll immediately get a notification with both the pick and brief analysis!
