From the first legal sportsbooks offering odds on the Premier Lacrosse League in 2020 to now more than eight different sportsbooks offering odds on several different variations of the sport, the availability of sports betting on lacrosse continues to rapidly grow.
Currently, game lines, future odds and player props are being offered on the PLL, men’s college lacrosse and the National Lacrosse League (NLL), while odds for Athletes Unlimited women’s lacrosse, women’s college lacrosse and international lacrosse have also been available sporadically.
So, whether you’re an experienced bettor looking to learn more about lacrosse or a lacrosse fan looking to learn more about betting, here are five tips to prepare you for navigating the different variations of lacrosse and help you become a profitable lacrosse bettor.
Know the Differences Between Each Version of Lacrosse
For those new to lacrosse, it may be surprising to know that there are three distinct variations of men’s lacrosse: field lacrosse (outdoor), box lacrosse (indoor) and Sixes (an Olympic variation with elements of both field and box. Field lacrosse is played outside (often on football fields) with 11 players (including a goaltender) on the field for each team. Box lacrosse is played inside in arenas with six players (including a goaltender) on the floor for each team. Even the dimensions of the goal itself are different with field lacrosse using a 6′ (high) x 6′ (wide) cage and box lacrosse using a 4′ (high) x 4’9″ (wide) cage.
The NLL is currently North America’s top professional box lacrosse league and the PLL is the top professional field lacrosse league, with betting available on both. Meanwhile, Sixes is a variation that borrows elements of both versions of the sport and will be played at the 2028 Summer Olympics. While there has yet to be any betting offered on the Olympic Sixes variation, there have been odds offered on the PLL’s annual Championship Series, which features a Sixes style gameplay with a few modifications (13-yard two-point arc, more physical contact allowed, etc.)
Furthermore, while professional field lacrosse and men’s collegiate field lacrosse are the same sport at their core, there are some key differences between each, such as a shorter shot clock and game length, slightly smaller field dimensions and the addition of a two-point arc in professional field lacrosse.
Women’s lacrosse features many differences from men’s, such as a vastly different rule set, different field dimensions and different equipment just to name a few. Some of the different variations include women’s college lacrosse, Athletes Unlimited professional women’s lacrosse—which switches teams each week—and the Women’s Lacrosse League (WLL)—a recently launched proefssional league that features modified Sixes rules.
It is important to know the differences between each variation when betting. While the flow of a lacrosse game is similar across disciplines, it is important to only use data from the specific variation of lacrosse you plan to bet on. For this article, we’re going to focus on the three forms of lacrosse that feature the most betting options: NLL, PLL and men’s college lacrosse.
