Week 2 in the National Lacrosse League features another five-game slate, with four teams making their 2024-25 season debut. We started the NLL season off strong, going 3-1 for +1.675 units last week. Let’s take a look at my four best bets for this weekend.
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.
Colorado Mammoth at Las Vegas Desert Dogs
 Colorado Moneyline/Spread | -135 / -1.5 |
 Las Vegas Moneyline/Spread | +105 / +1.5 |
| Total | 22.5 |
| Time | Friday · 10:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+/TSN+ |
Odds via Caesars Sportsbook
The Desert Dogs host a Colorado Mammoth team that is 0-2 against Las Vegas. Yet, Colorado is still favored in this game at odds as short as -185. Fortunately, Caesars is offering better odds on an improved Colorado team that I expect to win by margin on Friday night.
The Mammoth got off to a slow start in Week 1, trailing Vancouver 6-1 at halftime. Yet, the offense came to life thanks in large part to Connor Kelly, Eli McLaughlin and Will Malcolm. Colorado would erase the five-goal deficit and win 11-7, holding the Warriors to just one goal in the second half. Colorado did give up two short-handed goals and struggled to defend Vancouver in transition—an area Las Vegas found success in Week 1—but I don’t think their first-half struggles are indicative of how well this defense can perform and I expect a much better 60-minute showing on Friday night. Las Vegas’ defense is weaker than Vancouver’s and their offense shouldn’t have the same type of success against Dillon Ward.
Expect the Mammoth to be able to build and maintain a decent lead and bet Colorado -1.5 at +110 on Caesars.
Pick: Colorado Mammoth -1.5
Calgary Roughnecks at Halifax Thunderbirds
 Calgary Moneyline/Spread | +145 / +1.5 |
 Halifax Moneyline/Spread | -175 / -1.5 |
| Total | 22.5 |
| Time | Saturday · 5 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+/TSN |
Odds via Caesars Sportsbook
Both Calgary and Halifax are playing in their first game of the season this weekend, yet with notably different rosters than last season. While I think Calgary has some value as an underdog, I want to wait to see how new starting goalie Cam McLeod performs and how the Roughnecks’ transition game fares without last year’s starter Christian Del Bianco and transition threats Zach Currier and Shane Simpson on the roster. Instead, I’m targeting the total of 22.5.
Halifax has lost some firepower on the offensive end, but their defense is also without David Brock and Luc Magnan this year and has been prone to giving up transition goals. As for Calgary, the absence of Del Bianco, Currier and Jeff Cornwall left some holes on defense, but their offense got better with the return of Curtis Dickson and Dane Dobbie. Last year, Calgary hit its highest goal total last season against Halifax, scoring 17 on the Thunderbirds in a convincing win. While the Roughnecks will be without players like Tyler Pace, Josh Currier and Dan Taylor this time around, future hall-of-famers Dickson and Dobbie should be able to easily make up for that loss of production.
Expect a high-scoring affair again this season and bet Over 22.5 at -115 on Caesars.
Pick: Over 22.5
Albany FireWolves at Toronto Rock
 Albany Moneyline/Spread | +140 / +1.5 |
 Toronto Moneyline/Spread | -170 / -1.5 |
| Total | 21.5 |
| Time | Saturday · 7 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+/TSN+ |
Odds via Caesars Sportsbook
The Toronto Rock’s season couldn’t be off to a worse start. Brad Kri, Challen Rogers and TD Ierlan all missed their season opener and the result was a 5-11 loss to the Ottawa Black Bears. Now, they’ll be without Tom Schreiber and Latrell Harris in addition to Kri, Rogers and Ierlan for their second game of the season. Their opponent in Albany would have already been a tough out even at full strength, but these absences make the FireWolves a no-brainer bet at their current odds.
While the Nick Rose-led Toronto defense should still fare ok, the loss of Rogers and Harris in particular will hinder the Rock’s transition defense and ability to convert defensive stops into fast break opportunities for their offense. TD Ierlan’s absence will also allow Albany’s Joe Nardella to dominate the faceoff and earn a potentially significant amount of extra possessions for the FireWolves. Yet, the loss of Tom Schreiber may be the biggest and leaves the Rock without one of their main initiators on offense. While Toronto is deep enough to still keep it close, these losses shift the win probability in the FireWolves favor and Doug Jamieson and co. should be able to stifle Toronto on offense enough to leave with an outright win.
Bet a full unit on both Albany +1.5 (-105 on Caesars) and Albany moneyline (+140 on bet365 and Caesars).
Picks: Albany FireWolves +1.5 & ML
Rochester Knighthawks at Buffalo Bandits
 Rochester Moneyline/Spread | +130 / +1.5 |
 Buffalo Moneyline/Spread | -160 / -1.5 |
| Total | 22.5 |
| Time | Saturday · 7 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+/TSN+ |
Odds via bet365
Our early NLL Week 2 best bet of Over 22.5 is still on the board at bet365 despite almost every other sportsbook hanging a 24.5 and FanDuel even posting a 25.5! If you haven’t bet it already, here’s why you still should.
While I expect both defenses to be better than last year, both are going to have their hands full against these opposing offenses. Last year, Buffalo led the league in goals per game with 13.2 and Rochester wasn’t too far behind in fifth with 11.9.
I’m also severely downgrading Rochester’s defense after projected starter Rylan Hartley was placed on the IR just hours before the Knighthawks’ first game. His replacement, Riley Hutchcraft, started the majority of last season and the result was the worst adjusted goals against average among starters (13.52 GAAa via LaxMetrics). Hutchcraft also just gave up 12 goals to Las Vegas in Week 1 and I expect him to get peppered by an even better offense in Buffalo.
Every meeting between these teams since 2023 has gone over this mark (29, 28, 28, 23, 27) with the average total sitting at 27 goals. I expect another high-scoring game in upstate New York and recommend betting Over 22.5 at -130 on bet365.
Pick: Over 22.5
