2023 NLL Finals Betting Odds & Picks: Buffalo Bandits vs. Colorado Mammoth Game 2 Best Bet

When the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship finishes, there will still be a lacrosse game to bet on.

Game 2 of the National Lacrosse League Finals airs at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN2 as the Buffalo Bandits are looking to capture their first NLL championship since 2008.

If you’re an avid bettor who’s new to lacrosse or a lacrosse fan who’s new to betting, check outmy guide on how to bet on lacrosse for some tips to use when placing a lacrosse bet.

Colorado Mammoth vs. Buffalo Bandits (-1.5)

Odds via bet365.

The Buffalo Bandits enter Game 2 of the three-game series as 1.5-point favorites following their 13-12 victory on Saturday.

The total is 22.5 at most sportsbooks, with bet365 being the only sportsbook with a 23.5 available.

The Bandits are just one win away from their fourth title in franchise history, but find themselves in a similar situation as last year, needing just one more win against the defending champion Colorado Mammoth.

Last NLL Finals, the Mammoth lost by a goal in Game 1 before winning two straight to capture their second NLL title. Colorado held the Bandits to just eight goals in each of those wins last season and ironically held Buffalo to the same amount in their lone regular season meeting.

I’m not so sure that Colorado will be able to have the same type of comeback as last season, and their price on the moneyline and spread is now too short for me to recommend backing them. But I do think Mammoth goalie Dillon Ward and the Colorado defense will play better in Game 2.

In both Game 2 and Game 3 of the 2022 NLL Finals — which featured these two teams — the total fell below 23.5 (19 and 18 total goals respectively).

Colorado has also followed up two 13-12 games (against the Seals and Roughnecks) this postseason with games totaling 15 and 16 goals.

NLL history, in general, has also shown that the second game of consecutive matchups has seen fewer goals than in the first contest, with totals being an average of 3.5 goals lower than in the initial matchup this season.

Taking history out of the equation, this series also features two of the top goaltenders in the league in Colorado’s Ward and Buffalo’s Matt Vinc.

The NLL injury report also confirmed that Buffalo’s second-leading scorer Josh Byrne will be out once again. And while the Bandits’ offense is deep enough to make up for his absence, it's still something to consider when targeting this total.

Ultimately, I think all the signs point towards a lower-scoring second game.

Bet Game 2 to stay under 23.5 goals (-120 on bet365).

Pick: Under 23.5