Week 16 in the National Lacrosse League continues with three more games on Saturday and another on Sunday. I have bets for the two rematches between the Ottawa Black Bears and Calgary Roughnecks and the Saskatchewan Rush and San Diego Seals. Let’s take a look at the side and total I like for Saturday.
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.
Ottawa Black Bears at Calgary Roughnecks
 Ottawa Moneyline/Spread | -134 / -1.5 |
 Calgary Moneyline/Spread | +110 / +1.5 |
| Total | 22.5 |
| Time | Saturday · 9 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
Odds via FanDuel
When these teams last faced just a little over a month ago, Ottawa outlasted Calgary in an 11-9 game. I think the Roughnecks will give the Black Bears another competitive game, but I am targeting the total in this matchup.
In the last meeting, goalies Aden Walsh and Zach Higgins played great, both saving more than 82% of the shots they faced. Walsh did so despite having a bit of bad luck on two of Ottawa’s goals. He made the initial stop on a pair of Black Bears’ shots that ended up trickling in for goals. Consider this and the Black Bears’ empty-net goal at the end of the game, and this 20-goal total could have been potentially even lower.
Both defenses have been playing much better as of late, and 14 of 24 games featuring one or both of these teams have stayed under 23 goals this season. Ottawa also acquired defender Justin Sykes from the Las Vegas Desert Dogs earlier in the week, which should bolster an already solid defense.
I expect another low-scoring game between these teams and recommend betting Under 22.5 at +100 on FanDuel or BetMGM.
Pick: Under 22.5
San Diego Seals at Saskatchewan Rush
 San Diego Moneyline/Spread | +175 / +2.5 |
 Saskatchewan Moneyline/Spread | -235 / -2.5 |
| Total | 20.5 |
| Time | Saturday · 9 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
Odds via BetRivers
San Diego and Saskatchewan meet for the second time this season, with the Rush winning 12-9 in these teams’ last matchup. The Seals outplayed the Rush for most of the game, in my opinion. San Diego was aggressive on loose balls and did a great job of generating offense in transition. While they scored on a handful of fast breaks, Saskatchewan’s starting goalie Frank Scigliano ended up bailing the Rush out multiple times.
Yet, San Diego’s lack of discipline really proved to be detrimental. The Seals committed 10 penalties, including a completely unnecessary cross-check from Ari Steenhuis that led to a five-minute major. These penalties led to six total power play goals from the Rush.
Ultimately, I expect another close game and don’t think the odds are reflecting how well San Diego matches up with Saskatchewan. Furthermore, Scigliano, Mike Messenger and Holden Garlent are also all questionable for Saskatchewan. San Diego will likely miss both Matt Wright and Zack Deaken, while Corey Small, Cam Acchione and Pat Kavanagh are also questionable, but I think the Rush’s injured personnel are more impactful.
The Seals are as high as +175 on the moneyline and 2.5-point underdogs specifically on BetRivers. I recommend betting a combination of the moneyline and spread, with a 0.75 unit on San Diego Seals +2.5 at -150 on BetRivers, 0.5 unit on San Diego Seals +1.5 at +118 on FanDuel, and 0.2 unit on San Diego Seals moneyline at +175 on BetRivers.
Picks: San Diego Seals ML, San Diego Seals +1.5, San Diego Seals +2.5
2025-26 NLL Season Best Bets: 43-36 for +10.34 units (ROI +12.98%)
All bets are to win 1 unit or more (i.e. 1.2 units at -120, 1 unit at +120) unless otherwise specified.
