The official “Week 1” of college lacrosse is here, with even more games this weekend and a plethora of teams taking the field for the first time this season. In addition to betting Cleveland State +12.5 against Ohio State earlier in the week, I have four more best bets for this weekend’s slate of games.
Note: The odds presented below are those at the time when Hutton sends his picks out to DubClub subscribers and are subject to change. 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. Picks are sent out at least 20 minutes in advance of articles published on Bet On Lacrosse.
Michigan at North Carolina
 Michigan Moneyline/Spread | +172 / +2.5 |
 North Carolina Moneyline/Spread | -215 / -2.5 |
| Total | 24.5 |
| Time | Saturday · 12 p.m. ET |
| TV | ACCNX |
Odds via FanDuel
North Carolina opens the season with Michigan and I’m expecting a tough defensive battle. Both offenses certainly have a ton of firepower, but these defenses are underrated. The Wolverines just held Marquette to a single goal last week and while it’d be foolish to expect a similar outcome against the Tar Heels, this defense looks to be in mid-season form.
On the other end, UNC’s defense is coming off a 2024 season where they ranked fourth in defensive efficiency when excluding garbage time, allowing goals on just 25% of possessions. Additionally, Princeton transfer Michael Gianforcaro takes over in net for North Carolina and should be a suitable replacement for Collin Krieg.
The faceoff battle should be tight, so I don’t expect a ton of fast break chances off the draw and anticipate both teams valuing their possessions and playing slower than we’re accustomed to seeing from each squad. Bet this game to stay Under 24.5 at -105 on FanDuel.
Pick: Under 24.5
Maryland at Loyola (Md)
 Maryland Moneyline/Spread | -1800 / -6.5 |
 Loyola (Md) Moneyline/Spread | +900 / +6.5 |
| Total | 22.5 |
| Time | Saturday · 1 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
Odds via bet365
The Terps face their local rivals in Loyola on Saturday. Maryland is between a 6.5 and 7.5-point favorite depending on the sportsbook, but I expect them to cover both spreads.Maryland saw a good amount of talent graduate last Spring, but they’ve effectively filled those holes via the transfer portal. They played a really good Richmond defense last week and still managed to have success, winning 12-7.
The Greyhounds defense isn’t nearly as good as Richmond’s and while Max Watkinson looked decent in net, he’s still a downgrade from last year’s starter Luke Staudt (more on him later…) Loyola only scored six goals last week against a comparable Hoyas defense and only half of those goals were on settled six-on-six.
The Terps should be able to build and maintain a healthy lead en route to a win by more than seven goals. Bet Maryland -6.5 at -125 on bet365. If you don’t have access to bet365, I’d still bet Maryland -7.5 at +100 on FanDuel as well.
Pick: Maryland -6.5
Georgetown at Johns Hopkins
 Georgetown Moneyline/Spread | +140 / +1.5 |
 Johns Hopkins Moneyline/Spread | -165 / -1.5 |
| Total | 22.5 |
| Time | Saturday · 1 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
Odds via BetMGM
Georgetown travels to Baltimore to take on Johns Hopkins following the Hoyas’ 13-6 win over Loyola. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays have recorded back-to-back wins of their own over Denver and Towson.
While both offenses have had success so far, I’m expecting a low-scoring game between these two teams. Both defenses ranked in the top 20 in adjusted defensive efficiency last season, with Hopkins finishing sixth overall and Georgetown ranking 18th. Both defenses have once again looked the part this season, with the Hoyas holding Loyola to six goals and Hopkins holding both Denver and Towson to 10 points.
Both offenses also play at an incredibly slow pace. Last year, Georgetown and Hopkins played at the third and fourth-slowest paces respectively. I expect this slow tempo to factor into this total staying low. Bet this game to stay Under 22.5 at -110 at most sportsbooks.
Pick: Under 22.5
Detroit Mercy at Marquette
 Detroit Mercy Moneyline/Spread | +1500 / +7.5 |
 Marquette Moneyline/Spread | -5000 / -7.5 |
| Total | 23.5 |
| Time | Saturday · 3:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | Flo Sports |
Odds via BetMGM
Our final bet comes in the Detroit Mercy-Marquette game, which wraps up the busy Saturday slate. The total is as low as 23.5 and that’s way too low for a game that will be played in a dome. Marquette is one of a few Division I teams that has to play in a temporary dome during the early months of the season and that environment often makes it difficult for goaltenders to see the ball.
Last year, these same two teams combined for 30 goals in the dome and I expect a similar outcome this weekend. Marquette could only muster one goal against Michigan last week, but this offense should fare much better against Detroit Mercy. The Titans should also be able to do their part in getting this total to easily go Over 23.5 (-110 on bet365 or BetMGM).
Pick: Over 23.5
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!
