2023 Premier Lacrosse League Picks; Whipsnakes and Archers look best value

Dean Etheridge
By , Updated on: May 30, 2023 08:00 PM
2023 Premier Lacrosse League Picks; Whipsnakes and Archers look best value

This weekend sees the start of the 2023 Premier Lacrosse League. The defending champions are the Waterdogs, but they’re not the betting favorites to go back-to-back. Here we look ahead to this year’s competition and tell you who we think will win in our latest Lacrosse betting picks.

  • What; 2023 Premier Lacrosse League
  • Where; 14 cities across America
  • When; June 3rd, 2023 - September 24th, 2023

It’s almost time for the fifth edition of the Premier Lacrosse League, and with the 2023 season starting this Saturday, we’re taking a look ahead to the competition.

Eight teams will fight it out across an 11 week schedule, with the playoffs starting on September 4th, and the final taking place on September 24th. There is a break on Week 6 of the season, this is when the PLL All-Star match takes place.

The defending champions are the Waterdogs. They defeated the Chaos 11-9 in the PLL Championship final match, winning their first ever title in the process.

But as you’re about to find out in our Lacrosse betting round up, this hasn’t resulted in the best online betting sites for North American sports making Andy Copelan’s team the favorites to repeat their win again this year.

Betting to win the 2023 Premier Lacrosse League

Yes, this year’s favorites to win the 2023 Premier Lacrosse League are the Whipsnakes at +450. There isn’t too much between the teams in the betting though. Following the Whipsnakes is Atlas at +475, and then last year’s champions, the Waterdogs at +500.

Showing how open the Premier Lacrosse League is, the joint-fourth favorites are the Archers and Chaos, both at +550. Chrome is next at +650. With the outsiders being the Redwoods and the Cannons, both of whom are +1000.

For more details about the bookmakers we have used on our Lacrosse odds table, please visit our sportsbook reviews page. If you’re a new customer looking to open an account, then also visit our betting bonuses and promotions page, here you will find the best sign-up offers currently available to new players.

Odds to Win 2023 Premier Lacrosse LeagueBetOnlineBovadaMyBookie
Whipsnakes+450+450+450
Atlas+475+475+475
Waterdogs+500+500+500
Archers+550+550+550
Chaos+550+550+550
Chrome+650+650+650
Redwoods+1000+1000+1000
Cannons+1000+1000+1000

Now, let’s take a look at the teams we think have the best chance of winning this season’s Premier Lacrosse League.

Whipsnakes

The Whipsnakes are the most successful side in the brief history of the Premier Lacrosse League. To date, they have two wins from the four editions. But the 2022 final was the first not to involve the Whipsnakes, and they have now not won the title since 2020.

Last season they were favorites to add to their titles haul, but they unexpectedly lost 11-10 to the Waterdogs at the semi-finals stage.

Jim Stagnitta’s team did top the regular-season table with nine wins from their ten matches though. This success was largely built on their strong defense, where they were the only side not to concede more than 100 points throughout the season.

Their performance in the league last year underlined their status as the top Championship team in the PLL. And their 9-1 record was two wins better than second placed Chrome, who finished the regular-season at 7-3.

The Whipsnakes would have been disappointed with the loss to the Waterdogs though. And after two years without a title, they will be more determined than ever to put the record straight this time around.

Archers

Last season the Archers finished third in the table as the joint top offensive team with 130 points scored. Offensive play was the team’s strength, and we would expect Chris Bates to continue with this formula in the 2023 season.

Their attacking policy was enough to see off the Redwoods 13-8 in their quarter-finals. But it came up short in the semis, where they lost 9-7 to Chaos.

With players like Connor Fields and Marcus Holman on their roster, we can see the Archers challenging for the title. At odds of +550, we would be happy to back them.

Waterdogs

Last season’s champions are +550 to repeat their success this season, but we’re thinking they may be a bit short at that price. In the regular-season, Andy Copelan’s team only finished fifth in the table with a 5-5 record.

The Waterdogs were one of the stronger teams offensively, scoring 130 points across the season. They also conceded 133 times, in what was one of the poorest defensive records in the division.

In the playoffs, their offensive style of play served them well though. They defeated No.4 seeds, Atlas, 19-14 in the quarter-finals. And then they outscored the betting favorites, the Whipsnakes by one point (11-10) in the semi-finals.

They continued to ride the wave in the final, where they defeated the Chaos by two points (11-9) to win their first championship.

The only real downside to their current approach, is backing them can be a bit of a lottery. Scoring plenty of points is a real positive. But they can easily be picked off defensively, as was highlighted during the regular-season.

Our Picks

The Waterdogs will obviously go into the new season full of confidence after their win in 2022. We feel they are a risky pick defensively though, and we’re looking in the direction of the Whipsnakes and the Archers.

At odds of +450 (Whipsnakes) and +550 (Archers) it is possible to hedge bets now and make a profit if either wins. The alternative is to play the long game and wait until one of them drops a match, and their odds drift.

The main danger with employing that tactic, particularly with the Whipsnakes, is if they go on a winning run early in the season, their odds will only shorten. We’re happy to pick both now.

Whipsnakes To win 2023 PLL
+450
BetOnline
Archers To win 2023 PLL
+550
BetOnline

See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:

Meet the author

Dean Etheridge

Dean Etheridge brings decades of sports knowledge and betting insights to his writing. Hailing from Coventry, England, he offers an engaging British perspective on everything from soccer to cricket. Dean has established himself as a reputable voice on English Premier L...

Online Sports Betting may receive compensation if you sign up through our links. Rest assured, we avoid biases and provide honest opinions on sportsbooks. Read more here.