The 2026 Premier Lacrosse League season culminates with a battle between the Denver Outlaws and Philadelphia Waterdogs. You can read my USA Lacrosse Magazine preview for an extensive breakdown of the keys to victory for each team, matchups and players to watch and a few predictions for the title game. However, if you’re looking for all of my favorite bets for the season finale, keep reading…
Note: The odds presented below are those at the time when Hutton sends his picks out on the Action App and are subject to change.
Philadelphia Waterdogs vs. Denver Outlaws
 Philadelphia Moneyline/Spread | -130 / -1.5 |
 Denver Moneyline/Spread | +100 / +1.5 |
| Total | 22.5 |
| Time | Sunday · 12:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | ABC |
Odds via Caesars
The 2026 PLL championship is almost here, and I’m expecting a fun one between the Philadelphia Waterdogs and Denver Outlaws. The last meeting featured a blowout win for the Waterdogs, but there are several differences between that game and this upcoming rematch.
For starters, Denver rested Brennan O’Neill, JT Giles-Harris was sidelined later in the game, and Jared Bernhardt exited with a hamstring injury. Even more notable, goaltender Logan McNaney left halfway through the game, and it was later revealed that he was dealing with an undisclosed medical issue. Pat Kavanagh was also not fully healthy and he and Bernhardt ended up missing the remainder of the regular season. Even considering all of this, Philly beat Denver convincingly by a score of 18-8.
However, one key absence for the Waterdogs entering the rematch is Jack Hannah, who scored a pair of goals in the last meeting. He’s out with a foot injury, and faceoff specialist Alec Stathakis is questionable ahead of the title game. I’m expecting a much closer game and think the Outlaws can pull off the upset.
Denver can hang with his Philadelphia offense in settled situations. The Outlaws were burned by a few failed clears, two of which led to a couple of Kirst’s four goals. I think they’ll clean up the clearing mistakes this time around, and their transition offense is actually one of their biggest strengths. Denver’s short-stick defender duo of Ryan Terefenko and Zach Geddes are excellent on-ball defenders, but also great at generating offense off defensive stops. McNaney is playing like his normal self and should be able to turn clean saves into transition chances the other way.
Furthermore, Sean Byrne has been incredible in net for Philly, but his play has masked the Waterdogs’ struggles to defend the interior of their defense. While there’s a good chance he could make some more doorstep robberies, I think former Waterdog Jake Taylor could be a key factor in breaking this Philadelphia defense.
All this is to say I’m betting Denver Outlaws moneyline at +100 on Caesars. I expect the Outlaws to pull off the outright win and win their fourth title in team history. While I’m not betting a full unit on the total of 22.5, I think that Denver is more likely to win in a lower-scoring game than a shootout. Caesars is offering a special boosted parlay of the Denver Outlaws moneyline and Under 22.5 at +295. I suggest betting a half unit on this parlay.
As for props, I’m betting Brennan O’Neill’s goals and points props. I expect O’Neill to be the difference-maker in this game and like his odds of scoring a couple of goals and finishing with three or more points. O’Neill has three or more points in nine of 13 games this season and should be one of the main initiators for Denver. While he’s only scored multiple goals in five of those games, he’s had a hat trick in his last two games, and his shot volume has risen with Kavanagh back in the lineup. Bet Brennan O’Neill Over 2.5 Points at -125 (gave out at -118 on USA Lacrosse) and Brennan O’Neill Over 1.5 Goals at -145 (gave out at -138 on USA Lacrosse) on BetMGM.
I also expect Jared Bernhardt to have a couple of goals. Bernhardt’s speed makes him a valuable asset, and while he’ll likely draw a pole, I expect Denver to work to get him switched onto Philly’s short-stick defenders for some quality scoring chances. He’s had multiple goals in seven of 10 games this year, and I expect him to score at least twice again on Sunday. Bet Jared Bernhardt Over 1.5 Goals at -125 on BetMGM or DraftKings.
I also like the aforementioned Jake Taylor and Dalton Young to find their way on the stat sheet. I expect Taylor to score at least once and like his odds to do so. Bet Jake Taylor Over 0.5 Goal at -138 on FanDuel. Young could make an impact via a couple of goals and/or assists. He’s had multiple points in nine of 14 games this season, so I suggest betting Dalton Young Over 1.5 Points at +164 and a 0.2 unit on 1st Quarter Goal at +380 on FanDuel.
As for Philadelphia, I’m fading Kieran McArdle for the second game in a row. The veteran can certainly still play, but he’s seen a reduced amount of touches since splitting time on attack with Silas Richmond. With so many mouths to feed for Philly and considering Denver’s defense, I expect McArdle to be left mostly off the stat sheet if not entirely on Sunday. Bet a half unit on Kieran McArdle Under 1.5 Points at +140 on DraftKings and 0.25 unit on Under 0.5 Goal at +200 on Caesars.
Picks: Denver Outlaws ML, Parlay of Denver Outlaws ML & Under 22.5 (0.5 unit), Brennan O’Neill Over 2.5 Points & Over 1.5 Goals, Jared Bernhardt Over 1.5 Goals, Jake Taylor Over 0.5 Goal, Dalton Young Over 1.5 Points & 1Q Goal (0.2 unit), Kieran McArdle Under 1.5 Points (0.5 unit) & Under 0.5 Goal (0.25 unit)
2026 PLL Season Best Bets: 163-167 for +32.491 (+11.81% ROI)
All bets are to win 1 unit or more (i.e. 1.2 units at -120, 1 unit at +120) unless otherwise specified.
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