2026 NLL Championship Longshot to bet now
Given the odds, the only real “longshots” on the board are two of last year’s worst teams: the Philadelphia Wings and Las Vegas Desert Dogs.
One of these teams is clearly attempting to go all in on a massive turnaround based on their major moves this offseason, and it’s poetic that it’s the Vegas team. The Las Vegas Desert Dogs at +4500 (Caesars) are my favorite longshot. (They’re also +4000 on DraftKings if you don’t have Caesars).
No team has made more moves to improve its roster than the Las Vegas Desert Dogs this offseason. They’ve been a perennial bottom-feeder since entering the league in 2023, but they were competitive in their last four games to end the season, and owner Joe Tsai clearly gave Coach/GM Shawn Williams the green light to spend this offseason.
Las Vegas signed notable free agents Chase Fraser, Chris Cloutier, Mitch Jones, and Tony Malcolm this offseason, with Fraser and Cloutier fresh off their third straight NLL title with Buffalo. However, Mitch Jones is the biggest piece to this puzzle, giving Las Vegas a superstar who can distribute and score. However, the most underrated move is the addition of Malcom, who bolsters this defense and gives the Desert Dogs another reliable transition threat. These additions, along with returning stars like Jonathan Donville, Jack Hannah and Adam Poitras, round out a solid roster that’s only major weakness appears to be in net.
Goaltending is still a massive question mark for this team, but there’s been some buzz around rookie netminder Caleb Khan and the team also brought in veteran Alex Buque to compete with Landon Kells for the starting role. Despite not playing the last two seasons, Buque could be a slight upgrade over Kells if he wins the starting job, and I wouldn’t rule out a possible trade down the line if that continues to be an area of weakness. This offense should be good enough to keep their playoff hopes afloat in the meantime, and odds of +4500 are too long for any team in this league to start the season.
Pick: Las Vegas Desert Dogs to win the 2026 NLL Championship (+4500)
Stay tuned for my NLL playoff predictions (and hopefully win total bets) when odds are offered on U.S. sportsbooks and come back for my NLL Week 1 and Week 2 game previews next week.
