Chris Boline
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- Who: The week 22 selected winners from two National Lacrosse League Matchups this weekend
- What: The final week of the NLL regular season
- When: Saturday, April 30, 2022
- Where: Gas South Arena (Home of the Swarm) & MVP Arena (Home of the FireWolves)
With the NLL regular season wrapping up this week and the playoff picture almost set, MTS is bringing you our regular season finale showcase. In our first highlighted matchup of the weekend, the Philadelphia Wings travel to Georgia for a battle with the Swarm. At the same time on Saturday, Albany welcomes its in-state rival, the New York Riptide, to MVP Arena for an Eastern Conference clash. With playoff seeding yet to be decided, there are still a handful of variables to be decided on Saturday.
As always, MTS will break down these two highlighted matchups along with our predicted winners in each contest.
| NLL Week 22 Picks | The Pick |  |  |  |
| Philadelphia vs. Georgia | Swarm -1.5 | +155 | +155 | +155 |
| New York vs. Albany | FireWolves ML | -147 | -147 | -147 |
First Matchup Spotlight: Wings vs. Swarm
What to look for from: The Philadelphia Wings
With a record of 8-9 heading into their regular season finale, the Wings have had an inconsistent season. Nonetheless, they are still in contention for the final playoff spot in the NLL Eastern Conference and will be vying for that spot against the Swarm. With a record near .500, the Wings have had an okay time on the road this year with a mark of 4-4. However, Philadelphia also maintains a -15 goal differential on the season, which has set them back on numerous occasions. For the Wings to be triumphant on Saturday, they need a big performance from their top points-scorer, Kevin Crowley (84 points on the year) and a complete game from their defense.
What to look for from: The Georgia Swarm
Opposing them will be the Swarm who currently sit in the fourth overall position in the Eastern Conference as of this writing. Coming off a victory last week against Panther City, Georgia is in prime position for the playoffs if they can close out the season with a victory at home against the Wings. A gritty crew, the Swarm have been buoyed this year by the performance of Lyle Thompson who paces the squad in points (97), goals (45) and assists (52). Though they only have put together a 4-4 record at home this year, the Swarm should be energized by their home crowd given everything that is at stake in this matchup.
Prediction: Behind what should be a blistering home crowd, the Swarm should be able to knock off the Wings and advance to the playoffs.
Second Matchup Spotlight: Riptide vs. FireWolves
What to look for from: The New York Riptide
The 2021-22 season will be one to forget for the Riptide. With a record of 6-11 heading into the season finale, New York has had a lot of heartbreakers this year. With a goal differential of just -4, the Riptide have been unable to close out some close contests even with their high scoring throughout the season and thus will miss the playoffs in frustrating fashion. Nonetheless, they will still have pride on the line this weekend when they square off with their in-state rivals from Albany. If there has been one silver lining this year for New York it has been the performance of forward Jeff Teat who is one of the league leaders in points at 103.
What to look for from: The Albany Firewolves
Heading into the matchup on Saturday with New York, the FireWolves are also in striking distance from the fourth playoff spot in the East and also the wild card eighth playoff spot. According to the NLL website, “the eighth playoff spot will be determined by the highest-seeded team between the fifth place team in the East versus the fourth place team in the West.” So with Albany currently near .500, a win on Saturday against New York at home would go a long way in securing their playoff positioning. With New York getting the better of Albany the last time the two teams met in March, the FireWolves will certainly be charged up to knock off the Riptide.
Prediction: The Riptide have allowed the second most goals in the league this year at 209, so look for Albany to exploit these defensive deficiencies again and again this weekend.
More info on placing your National Lacrosse League Wagers
In what should be another exciting edition of NLL action, MTS also has you covered when it comes to placing your wagers. In addition to coverage on the NLL, MTS has a ton of awesome exclusive sports wagering picks for all kinds of sports from the NHL to the NBA. Need more bang for your buck on your bets? Then make sure to peruse our guide on the finest sportsbook bonuses available which details ways to maximize your sign-on bonuses. Finally, make sure to check out the latest and greatest mobile wagering methods so you can always stay on top of the action.
