The sports world is jammed-packed with big-time games across multiple leagues this weekend. Add in the Preakness Stakes in horse racing, and you’ve got all sorts of potential wagers for your betting card. Given all those options, it’s hard to say the NCAA Lacrosse Quarterfinals should take center stage, but don’t discount what’s going to be a fantastic slate of games. If you haven’t bet on lacrosse before, you’re in luck — it’s a great sweat, and there are a few spots worth attacking. Let’s dive into the NCAA lacrosse betting odds for this weekend’s slate as I make my predictions and identify the best picks, including the Duke Blue Devils.
Best NCAA Lacrosse Odds & Bets: Quarterfinal Picks
NCAA Lacrosse Quarterfinal Odds
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
Virginia (-3.5) vs. Georgetown | Saturday 12 p.m. ET
The slate’s first game is the best with Virginia and Georgetown set to faceoff in Albany, N.Y. Virginia sits as a 3.5-goal favorite in a game with a healthy total of 29.5. Although Virginia’s elite attackmen are tough to spot, I’m looking the other way and will be taking the goals with Georgetown. The NCAA lacrosse betting odds have left way too much value on the Hoyas to ignore.
Let’s start with 12-3 Virginia. The Cavaliers have won four-straight games, including last week’s playoff opener. They sport an offense averaging over 17 goals per game, which is the best mark in the entire country. That type of attack is always a problem, and that’s why Virginia is considered one of the favorites to win the entire tournament. They have gaudy numbers in most metrics, but they take on a Hoyas team that can match them in several areas.
Georgetown came into this season as the third-ranked team and proceeded to drop their first three games. Their last loss came on February 25, and 13 wins later, they now have the longest win streak in the country and are 13-3 on the season. This team got past Yale in a crazy 19-17 game last week, and I believe they can stick with Virginia’s high-flying offense. Georgetown has one of the best poles in the country that will match up with Virginia’s do-it-all attackman in Connor Shellenberger. Georgetown also has experience at the faceoff position, which is a huge key to this game as Virginia usually dominates in the faceoff circle.
This game is truly strength-on-strength with Georgetown able to match most of Virginia’s abilities in forcing turnovers, getting ground balls, and most importantly, racking up goals. There are ways Virginia is simply too much for Georgetown, but the 3.5-goal spread is massive for what I expect to be a back-and-forth affair.
Best NCAA Lacrosse Bet: Georgetown +3.5 -110 at DraftKings
Duke (-3) vs. Michigan | Saturday 2:30 p.m. ET
The second game of the doubleheader is another marquee matchup between Michigan and Duke. The Blue Devils come in as the favorite and are three goals in a game with a healthy total of 28.5. Like Virginia, this Duke team is considered a serious threat to win the national title, so it would be a huge step for Michigan if they could pull the upset.
Duke sits at 14-2 on the year. They have beaten Virginia twice and sport the best record in the country. They own a balanced attack with a superstar leading the way in attackman Brennan O’Neill. That said, it’s not a one-man show — multiple big-time scorers and experience are on the backend with a fifth-year senior in goal. Duke is beyond battle-tested and actually had a scare in the round of 16 against Delaware, which they won by just one goal. They have advantages up and down the field, and Michigan must limit the transition opportunities to keep this team under wraps.
Michigan is 10-6 on the season. Like Duke, they also survived their opening-round matchup by a single goal against Cornell. They’ve played some strong teams, so they won’t be overblown by what Duke brings to the table. Another benefit is they come in solid form, as they have beaten quality opponents in Maryland, Penn State and Cornell in recent weeks.
One of the biggest concerns for Michigan is whether they can hold their own at the faceoff dot against Duke’s top-end faceoff man ranked fifth nationally in win percentage. Without that piece, it’s hard to get any momentum and even harder to stop Duke once they get rolling. As impressive as Michigan’s progress has been this year, I think this step is too big, and Duke is on a mission this year. It may be close early, but the Blue Devils pull away late and cover this number.
Best NCAA Lacrosse Bet: Duke -3 -115 at DraftKings
