The 2024 NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament officially begins with a play-in game between Albany and Sacred Heart on Wednesday, May 8. The Albany Great Danes host Sacred Heart in the Pioneers’ first NCAA Tournament appearance.
Albany is between -2.5 and -3 on the spread depending on the sportsbook, and the total is as high as 24. Let’s take a look at my two best bets for the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Tournament matchup between Albany and Sacred Heart below.
Albany vs. Sacred Heart
| Albany (-3) | Moneyline (-350) |
| Sacred Heart (+3) | Moneyline (+245) |
| Total | 24 |
| Time | Wednesday · 7 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Tournament Betting Picks
I think the Great Danes squeak out a win and advance to face Notre Dame, but Sacred Heart has the ability to keep this game close. Instead of betting the spread or total, I’m targeting the player prop market.
Albany long-stick midfielder Jake Piseno enters this game after being drafted ninth overall in the 2024 PLL Draft on Tuesday night. Piseno is a very good defender, but his most valuable trait is his ability to generate offense off of caused turnovers, groundballs and even on Albany’s power-play unit. His props on both DraftKings and FanDuel are currently set at 0.5 goals and 1.5 points.
Piseno enters this game having scored in 10 of 16 games this season, including 10 of Albany’s last 14 games. He’s also recorded two points or more in six of their last 14 games. Furthermore, he’s scored goals in seven of the 10 games that Albany was favored on the spread.
Sacred Heart’s defense is fairly strong, ranking 21st in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency on Lacrosse Reference, so Albany may be inclined to try and generate offense more in transition and unsettled situations. The Pioneers defense also allows the 20th-fastest average first shot in a possession, implying that they give up transition chances at a higher percentage. I expect Piseno to make his presence felt on offense on Wednesday night.
Bet a full unit on Piseno to score a goal at -155 on DraftKings and a half unit on him to record two points at +185 on DraftKings.
Picks: Jake Piseno Over 0.5 Goals -155 (1 unit) | Jake Piseno Over 1.5 Points +185 (0.5 units)
