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The NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship is nearing its conclusion, and we are now down to the eight remaining sides trying to win the 2023 title. The defending champions are now out, and the three favorites to win are Duke, Virginia, and Notre Dame. We’ve reassessed our positions now the Terrapins are gone, and below we name our updated Lacrosse picks in our latest look at the futures market.
- What: 2023 NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship
- Who; TBC
- Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
- When: Monday, May 29, 2023
The season began back on February 4th, and we’re now at the quarter-finals stage. The teams are fighting for the right to replace the Maryland Terrapins as the champions, and all eight will be determined to be lining up at the Lincoln Financial Field on Monday week.
EVERYONE stepped up and we left Maryland with a win.#GoArmy | #FamilyToughnessTradition | #KeepTheChange pic.twitter.com/ftpHiTrTWj
— Army Men's Lacrosse (@ArmyWP_MLax) May 16, 2023
Last weekend we saw a huge shock when the Army Black Knights defeated the Maryland Terrapins. The defeat for Maryland means we will have a different winner this season. Leading the way in the betting is Duke, but still in the competition is 2019 and 2021 winners Virginia. Let’s take a closer look at what the bookmakers think about both their chances.
Betting to win the 2023 NCAA Lacrosse Championship
So far only Maryland has folded out of the top four seeds, and we’re still on course for a showdown between the Fighting Irish and Virginia in one semi-final, with the winners likely to be facing Duke in the final.
But even before their defeat, Maryland weren’t the favorites. The defending champions had been behind Virginia for most of the season, and also Notre Dame.
As we can see from the odds on our betting table, the best online sportsbooks are struggling to separate the leading three contenders to win the championship. Both Duke and Virginia are priced up at +250, with Notre Dame close behind on +280.
And with Virginia and Notre Dame set to meet in the semi-finals – if they win their quarter-finals this weekend, it shows that the bookmakers really can’t make up their minds about who they think will win this competition. But what this does suggest, is that whoever prevails from their potential showdown should enter the final as the favorites.
Behind the leading ACC trio is Penn State (+700). The No.5 seeds are taking on the Black Knights in their quarter-final, with the Nittany Lions only giving away two points on the handicap.
After Penn State in the betting, comes the four outsiders. Johns Hopkins are +1200, with both Georgetown and Michigan at +1400. Finally, the eighth side in the betting is the Black Knights, who are +2500 to pull off a shock and win the whole thing.
| 2023 Men's NCAA Lacrosse Championship |  |  |  |
| Duke | +250 | +250 | +250 |
| Virginia | +250 | +250 | +250 |
| Notre Dame | +280 | +280 | +280 |
| Penn State | +700 | +700 | +700 |
| Johns Hopkins | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Georgetown | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 |
| Michigan | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 |
| Army West Point | +2500 | +2500 | +2500 |
Our odds table is made up with odds taken from the best rated online bookmakers. For more information on the offers they have available for new customers, check out our page dedicated to the best sportsbook sign-up bonuses.
Quarter-Finals round up
The first quarter-final sees Virginia taking on Georgetown in the opening match of the weekend. Virginia is -400 on the moneyline, with Georgetown at +350. On the handicap spread, Virginia is giving away 3.5 points.
Also playing on Saturday is Michigan and Duke. The Blue Devils are -350 on the moneyline, with Michigan at +265. The spread on this match sees Duke giving up 3 points with BetOnline.
The match between Penn State and the Army Black Knights is closer on the moneyline than the other three fixtures. Penn State are -210, with the Black Knights at +170. On the handicap spread, the Black Knights are getting just the 2 points.
And finally, the Fighting Irish are the shortest price of the four favorites at -500. Their opponents, Johns Hopkins, are +360. The Blue Jays are also receiving 4.5 points on the handicap spread.
Our Futures Pick
It’s hard to see any of the Blue Devils, the Cavaliers, or the Fighting Irish losing this weekend. And if they all win, that sets up some clash between Notre Dame and Virginia on May 27th.
The winner of that semi-final is likely to be the winner of the Championship. In our betting picks we have been fans of the Virginia Cavaliers for some time now. They won the title in 2019 and 2021. And the chances are they would have won it again in 2020, had the global pandemic not led to the competition being canceled.
They would have been disappointed to go out at the quarter-finals stage 12 months ago, and coach Lars Tiffany will want to put that wrong, right. So taking all that into consideration, we’re sticking with the Virginia Cavaliers to win, and land their third championship in four years.
