The National Lacrosse League playoffs continue with the semifinal series featuring the San Diego Seals vs. Toronto Rock and Georgia Swarm vs. Halifax Thunderbirds this weekend. We went 8-1 in the quarterfinals last weekend, so let’s keep the momentum going with some more picks for Game 1 of each series.
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.
San Diego Seals at Toronto Rock
 San Diego Moneyline/Spread | +115 / +1.5 |
 Toronto Moneyline/Spread | -143 / -1.5 |
| Total | 20.5 |
| Time | Friday · 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
Odds via BetRivers
The Toronto-San Diego side of the bracket is the one I correctly predicted, with both teams pulling off upsets on their way to the semifinals. I also gave out the Toronto Rock to win the NLL Finals at +800 last week and they’re now the favorite at most sportsbooks. I still expect Toronto to advance and like them to win it all given the remaining four teams. As for Game 1 though, I’m going to pass on betting a side and instead target the total of 20.5.
When these teams last faced, the Rock secured a 7-5 victory at home. Despite only 12 combined goals, the offenses didn’t struggle as much as the final score may indicate. Five goals were disallowed for a variety of reasons (scored just after the shot clock, foot in the crease, etc.) Yet, I think we could see these offenses come alive in this rematch. Both offenses found their groove against solid defenses in the quarterfinals and I could see both teams push transition more (and cash in on those fast breaks) in this game. So, I recommend betting Over 20.5 at +100 on BetRivers or -105 on FanDuel or TheScore Bet.
I’m also betting Wes Berg’s goals prop of 1.5. Besides arguably Zach Currier, no other Seal has made a bigger impact for San Diego than Wes Berg. He’s scored two or more goals in 11 of 19 games this season and nine of his last 11, including against Toronto. He continues to take a high volume of shots on goal and will factor heavily into the Seals offense on Friday. Bet Wes Berg Over 1.5 Goals at +122 on bet365.
Picks: Over 20.5, Wes Berg Over 1.5 Goals
Halifax Thunderbirds at Georgia Swarm
 Halifax Moneyline/Spread | +135 / +1.5 |
 Georgia Moneyline/Spread | -165 / -1.5 |
| Total | 20.5 |
| Time | Saturday · 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
Odds via Caesars
The first game in the Halifax-Georgia series begins on Saturday, with the Thunderbirds seeking another road upset. When these teams faced in the regular season, Georgia won both games. The first game was ironically closer throughout, despite Georgia winning 11-7, while the second game finished 17-16 thanks to a late surge from the Thunerdbirds in the final six minutes of the game, with Swarm starter Brett Dobson already out of the game.
I think this game will end up actually close throughout, even with Dobson assumed to start the entire contest, and like the odds for Halifax to pull off the upset. Georgia took down a very strong Buffalo team last weekend, but lost defender and rookie of the year candidate Michael Grace to an ACL injury. Georgia’s roster is still very strong and the offense has pulled its weight lately, but that is a key loss for Georgia.
Meanwhile, the Thunderbirds have cleaned up one of their biggest weakness in their last several games: transition defense. While they’re still prone to a few defensive breakdowns on the fast break, I’ve been impressed by how little transition offense they’ve given up against some good transition teams like Vancouver. With the exception of Brett Dobson, it’s also hard to find another goaltender who has meant more to his team than Warren Hill. Hill blanked a very talented Vancouver offense for an entire half last weekend and I think we’ll see him continue to make key saves for Halifax. Furthermore, we’ve seen the impact of having an advantage at the faceoff dot this postseason, and Halifax will have one in this matchup. Jake Withers has been excellent facing off and against non-faceoff specialists and those extra possessions could be a difference-maker.
I’d make the Swarm only a slight favorite if I was in charge of the odds, so +135 is a great price to back the underdog on Saturday night. Bet the Halifax Thunderbirds moneyline at +135 on Caesars or DraftKings. I also like a half unit on Halifax Thunderbirds to win the series at +150 on bet365.
I’m also betting a few player props in this game. For Halifax, I like Clarke Petterson Over 1.5 Goals at +145 on bet365. Petterson has gone over this mark in 13 of 19 games this season. This includes scoring four goals in the most recent game against Georgia and two of them were on Dobson. If the Thunderbirds are going to take down the Swarm, they’ll need Petterson to have a big game.
I’m also betting two Georgia players to go over their goal props. We’re going back to the well and betting Shayne Jackson Over 1.5 Goals at +110 on bet365. He has scored a pair of goals or more in in 13 of his last 19 games, including both against Halifax. We’re alos betting rookie Nolan Byrne Over 1.5 Goals at -120 on bet365. Byrne has scored multiple goals in 11 of 19 games, including 10 of his last 12 games and four goals in each game against the Thunderbirds.
Picks: Halifax Thunderbirds ML, Clarke Petterson Over 1.5 Goals, Shayne Jackson Over 1.5 Goals, Nolan Byrne Over 1.5 Goals, Halifax Thunderbirds to Win the Series (0.5 unit)
2025-26 NLL Season Best Bets: 74-57 for +21.695 units (ROI +16.3%)
All bets are to win 1 unit or more (i.e. 1.2 units at -120, 1 unit at +120) unless otherwise specified.
