NLL future odds are here… well, at least for Canadians. Yet, Coolbet’s release of future odds for the upcoming NLL season is a clear sign that NLL betting is on its way for bettors across North America. Whether you have access to the Coolbet sportsbook app or are waiting for odds to be available on your favorite sportsbook, here are some futures bets to consider placing before the start of the 2021-22 NLL season on December 4.
For those who are new to sports betting, future odds are wagers placed on an outcome that won’t be decided in the near future and often refer to bets on the overall winner of a league. This is the case for Coolbet’s odds, which list all 14 NLL teams’ odds to win the NLL Championship. For a detailed explanation on futures bets, check out our lacrosse betting guide.
Future bets are often risky, since you are wagering on an outcome that is often many months away. In the case of the NLL Championship odds, a wager you place today would not pay out until as early as May of 2022. The other important thing to note is these odds can change and it is sometimes better to take a wait and see approach to placing a future bet, especially when you like one of the favorites since you can actually get a more valuable payout if that team has a slow start or goes through a slump.
Likewise, longshots at the start of the season can lose value as they find success throughout the season. Consider betting on future odds sort of like investing in the stock market. You want to buy the “dips” or when a team that you think will win it all has a weak stretch. Yet, keep in mind, there is no consolation for second place and ultimately you’re trying to predict the 2021-22 NLL champion. Pair that with the fact that most teams are taking the floor with vastly different rosters than when we last saw them before the 2019-20 season was cut short, and placing an NLL futures bet gets risky. Luckily, given their high risk, a small bet can still return a high reward if correct.
So with all this in mind, let’s take a look at a few future bets to place before the start of the 2021-22 NLL season.
Favorite Frontrunner: Halifax Thunderbirds +550
At +550, the Halifax Thunderbirds are tied with the Saskatchewan Rush for best odds to win the NLL title at the end of the season, which makes these two teams’ matchup in Halifax on December 4 that more intriguing. The outcome of this game will also likely shift their championship odds depending on the outcome (even if very slightly).
The reason I like the Thunderbirds is they managed to bring back the majority of their roster during their inaugural season in Halifax for this season. With the exception of veteran Ryan Benesch, who departed via Panther City’s NLL expansion draft, the Thunderbirds didn’t lose any key players from their 8-4 team and looked like a clear contender before the 2019-20 NLL season was cut short.
They also added two-time NLL champion and overtime hero Rhys Duch in free agency and traded for defenseman Tyson Bell during the 2020 NLL Draft. Bell will join the three-time reigning NLL Defender of the Year Graeme Hossack on a stout defense led by netminder Warren Hill. And while faceoffs have a lesser impact on the box game, Jake Withers, who went a league-best 0.780 at the dot last season, is sure to give this high-powered offense a ton of extra possessions.
The risk with betting a favorite at the start of the season is that their odds are more likely to worsen at some point than drastically improve, which means bettors could get more value on a bet placed during the season. Yet, I like the Thunderbirds as championship contenders so much that I would still place a bet now and possibly double down later. Barring a bad start or really rough stretch, this team will be a favorite throughout the season, meaning their +550 ticket might actually be more valuable right now. If this team is as good as I think, you could see this team creep closer to +300 odds rather quickly and stay around that mark for the entire season.
I would bet 1 unit at +550 now or as low as +450 odds before the start of the season.
Best Value: Albany FireWolves +2200
The two favorites this season, the Rush and Thunderbirds, were ranked #2 and #3 in the standings when the 2019-20 NLL season came to a halt. The only team ahead of them were the 8-3 New England Black Wolves. Yet, in the time since we last saw NLL action, the team formerly known as the Black Wolves now has a new ownership group, new home city and new name. Given the large-scale changes, the team now known as the Albany FireWolves is looking at +2200 odds to win it all, which is worse than five other East Division counterparts.
Yet, not much has changed for the Albany FireWolves when it come’s to the team’s makeup. They still have their 2020 NLL Coach of the Year finalist Glenn Clark at the helm. They still have the reigning NLL Goaltender of the Year in Doug Jamieson and boast a Brett Manney-led defense that allowed a league-low 8.82 goals per game. They still have righty veteran Joe Resetarits and 2020 Rookie of the Year finalist Andrew Kew at forward, who both averaged more than four points per game during the 2019-20 season.
Sure, losing 2019-20 league-leading scorer Callum Crawford in free agency is a big hole to fill, but the team helped fill the gap by adding righty Jacob Ruest in a trade with the Colorado Mammoth during the 2020 NLL Draft. Ruest finished second in scoring for the Mammoth during the 2019-20 season and will play a big part in an Albany offense that ranked second in goals per game with 12.27 during their final season in Connecticut.
This FireWolves team is very undervalued right now, likely due to so many off-the-floor changes, but they are still the contender that we saw at the top of the standings when the NLL was last in action.
I would bet 1 unit at +2200 now or as low as +1500 odds before the start of the season.
Likeliest Longshot: New York Riptide +10000
The New York Riptide, who will be helmed by new GM Jim Veltman and Head Coach Dan Ladoucuer this season, made a ton of offseason moves in free agency, trades and the draft. This team will be much more competitive than their 1-12 inaugural season.
While I downplayed Callum Crawford’s departure when discussing the Albany FireWolves, his addition to New York is one of the key reasons why I think it’s worth taking a shot on the Riptide this early. Along with Crawford, the team also added a generational talent in 2021 PLL Rookie of the Year Jeff Teat via the 2020 NLL Draft, who will join his fellow Brampton alum and 2020 NLL Rookie of the Year Tyson Gibson on offense. Along with offseason acquisition Connor Kearnan, Crawford and Teat should drastically improve an offense that ranked last in goals per game with 8.92 GPG when the team last hit the floor.
Goaltending is another area where New York struggled in 2019-20, so the team acquired goalies Steve Orleman and Gowah Abrams. Their additions along with defensive acquisitions Damon Edwards and Leo Stouros should hopefully help a defense that ranked second worst in goals against per game with 13.23 GAPG last season.
I think the Riptide have a chance to make the playoffs in their second season and while their odds to win the NLL Championship are less likely, they are a great low risk, high reward bet. At +10000, the Riptide have the second worst odds to win it all, which means their payout is currently the second-highest. For example, a $10 bet on the Riptide would win $1,000. A small bet could go a long way if New York wins it all.
The Riptide also have a fairly favorable start to the season with games against the Rochester Knighthawks, Philadelphia Wings and Georgia Swarm—all teams that they have been fairly competitive with in the past. If the Riptide look competitive out of the gate and are able to go 1-2 or even 2-1, their odds could start to shrink and the value for this longshot could begin to dry up. With these odds, betting the Riptide in this spot could be a lucrative gamble depending on your confidence in their chances.
I would bet a 0.5 unit at +10000 now or as low as +7500 odds before the start of the season.
Whether I convinced you to place a futures bet or not, the key with futures is to remember that they are risky and at the end of the day only one team can claim the trophy at the end of the season. If you’re not totally convinced by a team, be patient and follow the odds as they shift. You can often get tremendous value on a team up until late in the season. With every team playing 18 games, there will be plenty of ups and downs for teams’ championship odds. Follow teams during the season and once you lock in on a team you like, bet when their odds are favorable.
For more NLL betting advice, subscribe to the Bet On Lacrosse podcast and check out our lacrosse betting guide.
