PLL Week 10 Preview: Redwoods, Chaos Continue Playoff Push

California and Carolina will both play back-to-back games and start the weekend with a game against each other in Columbus, Ohio. A win on Friday would greatly increase each team’s chances of making the postseason.

Meanwhile, the Archers and Waterdogs can both clinch a playoff berth with a win this weekend and increase their chances of securing a first-round bye. Both the Whipsnakes and Outlaws will be rooting for Utah and Philadelphia to lose, and Maryland and Denver’s game against each other could vault the winner back into contention for the top seed in their respective conferences.

Let's dig into the storylines, betting lines and more in our Premier Lacrosse League Week 10 preview.

CALIFORNIA REDWOODS (4-4) VS. CAROLINA CHAOS (4-5)

Friday 6 p.m. EST | Watch: ESPN+ | Betting Lines: Redwoods -1.5 vs. Chaos, O/U 24.5

Key storylines: California enters the weekend with a 70% chance to make the playoffs based on the PLL’s playoff simulator, while Carolina sits at 50% following a win over Boston last weekend. A loss on Friday would drop the Redwoods to at best 57% or Carolina to at best 27%.

Going 2-0 paired with a Denver loss would increase each team’s probability of making the playoffs to above 90%. Losing both games would likely drop either team to last place in the West and make a playoff push that much more difficult.

When these teams last faced, they needed overtime to decide the game. Will we see another thrilling finish in the rematch?

Players to watch: Carolina’s Justin Inacio left last weekend’s game with an injury, and the Chaos have opted to dress five short-stick defensive midfielders this weekend instead of signing another faceoff specialist. With Christian Scarpello, Ray Dearth and Ty English likely rotating to take draws, expect California’s leading faceoff man TD Ierlan to thrive.

While success at the stripe doesn’t always equate to wins, the Redwoods have been excellent in 32-second shot clock situations and should be able to generate plenty of scoring chances. Sam English had his first career hat trick against Carolina the last time they played and could have another productive game coming off the wing.

Can Blaze Riorden deliver another strong performance with another likely high shot volume coming his way on Friday? The Chaos certainly hope so as the veteran netminder looks to build on his 20-save performance last week. Riorden had 15 saves when these teams last faced and was a big reason why Carolina was able to mount a comeback and force overtime when these teams last faced.

Another player to watch is 40-year-old Kyle Hartzell, who will make his third appearance of the season and likely be tasked with defending Owen Hiltz again. Hartzell delivered a vintage stat line in his first game back from retirement, collecting three ground balls, causing three turnovers and holding Hiltz to 1-for-6 shooting. California will be hoping he can replicate that production again on Friday.

Bold prediction: Riorden and Dillon Ward combine for around 30 saves again in another close finish.

Best bet: Blaze Riorden 12+ Saves (-128 on FanDuel)

UTAH ARCHERS (6-4) VS. BOSTON CANNONS (4-5)

Friday 8:30 p.m. EST | Watch: ESPN+ | Betting Lines: Archers -1.5 vs. Cannons, O/U 23.5

Key storylines: This weekend, we’re treated to a matchup between the PLL’s best defense and best offense. Utah has held every team except Boston to single digits this season and will be seeking to make the Cannons the seventh different team to fail to score more than nine against them. However, Boston has scored at least 10 points in every single game this year, so something will have to break when these teams square off on Friday night.

A win sends the Archers to the playoffs and all but locks up the top seed in the West, while a Cannons’ win could greatly increase their chances of making it back to the postseason, particularly if New York loses their seventh game on Sunday.

Players to watch: The league’s two best faceoff specialists this season square off on Friday night as Boston’s Andrew McMeekin takes on Utah’s Mike Sisselberger. Both are facing off at above 60 percent and have helped their teams’ transition game as well.

Another player to watch will be Utah’s Brett Dobson, who will likely win his first PLL goaltender of the year award and could finish back-to-back seasons with the highest save percentage. However, that’s not the only award on the line for Dobson.

While CJ Kirst remains the odds-on favorite to win MVP, Dobson has the second-best odds and a compelling case for the award as well. Remember, Dobson is the only goalie to hold Kirst to just one goal so far this season. At +700 on BetRivers or +650 on FanDuel, I think Dobson is worth a small bet to win MVP if you have already bet Kirst earlier in the year at odds of +300 or better.

Can Dobson become the first player to win PLL and NLL MVPs within a year since John Grant Jr. did it in 2007? He’ll have a strong case with another dominant performance this weekend.

Bold prediction: Utah’s defense proves to be too much for Boston’s offense to handle, and the Archers secure their seventh win of the year and fifth straight by multiple goals.

Best bets: Utah Archers -1.5 (+100 on BetMGM or FanDuel), 1st Half Under 12.5 (+115 on BetMGM)

MARYLAND WHIPSNAKES (5-4) VS. DENVER OUTLAWS (4-5)

Saturday 12:30 p.m. EST | Watch: ABC | Betting Lines: Whipsnakes -1.5 vs. Outlaws, O/U 21.5 or 22.5

Key storylines: Maryland and Denver had the lengthiest injury reports on Thursday. The Whipsnakes will be without midfielder Matt Brandau and faceoff specialist Petey LaSalla, while the Outlaws will be without two of their biggest offensive threats in Pat Kavanagh and Jared Bernhardt. Furthermore, Maryland’s Aidan Carroll is questionable and Denver’s Brennan O’Neill and JT Giles-Harris are also game-day decisions.

A Whipsnakes win and Atlas loss would clinch a playoff spot for Maryland and keep them in the running for the top seed in the East. Denver’s playoff hopes are much more dire, with a win moving the team’s playoff probability to more than 80 percent heading into Sunday and a loss potentially dropping them to last place in the West.

Players to watch: Dalton Young will get the start on attack in Kavanagh’s absence. Young played attack at Richmond, so he should be more than comfortable, but the bigger question is whether he can match Kavanagh’s play-making ability. Kavanagh had a season-high four goals when these teams last met. Can Young have a similar stat line in Kavanagh’s absence?

Another player to watch will be Denver goalie Logan McNaney. McNaney posted his worst save percentages in consecutive games, failing to stop more than 35 percent in both games last weekend. He stopped a career-high 68.2 percent of shots when the Outlaws last played the Whipsnakes, so which McNaney shows up on Saturday afternoon will be fascinating to watch.

Bold prediction: The Outlaws hang around for three quarters, but eventually run out of gas as a late Whipsnakes run gives Maryland a multi-goal victory.

Best bet: Maryland Whipsnakes -1.5 (+105 on Caesars or TheScore Bet)

PHILADELPHIA WATERDOGS (6-3) VS. CAROLINA CHAOS (4-5)

Saturday 3 p.m. EST | Watch: ESPN+ | Betting Lines: Waterdogs -1.5 vs. Chaos, O/U 24.5

Key storylines: The Waterdogs can clinch a playoff spot with a win and also secure their first victory over Carolina since June 29, 2024. History is also on the line as CJ Kirst sits one goal away from tying Marcus Holman’s single-season goals record. Another multi-goal performance would give Kirst sole possession of the record and he’d become the only player in PLL history to score more than 30 goals in a season.

Carolina could be fighting for their playoff lives depending on what happens in their game on Friday and Denver’s game earlier on Saturday. The Chaos enter the weekend with the worst score differential in the West at minus-14. Carolina will not only need to win at least on of its games this weekend, but hope to chip away at that negative score differential in the process.

Players to watch: The Carolina midfield should play a key role in this game. Philadelphia’s Achilles heel has been its short-stick defensive midfielders and the Chaos have the stable of offensive weapons to attack them. Expect Carolina to hunt those short-stick matchups with Shane Knobloch, Chad Palumbo and Teddy Malone. We could also see former Waterdog Christian Scarpello stay and play a bit on offense and Carolina’s ability to score in transition with him or Ty English could be a key to victory for the team.

On the Philadelphia side, expect rookies Silas Richmond and Matt Collison to attack this defense. Carolina plays strong defense in close, so Collison’s ability to stretch the field and Richmond’s dodging prowess could be the X-factor in a potential Waterdogs win.

Bold prediction: Carolina upsets Philadelphia thanks to another strong performance from Blaze Riorden and Jarrod Neumann holding Kirst to under four goals.

Best bets: Carolina Chaos ML (+130 on BetMGM), CJ Kirst Under 3.5 Goals (-140 on BetMGM or DraftKings)

CALIFORNIA REDWOODS (4-4) VS. NEW YORK ATLAS (3-6)

Sunday 3 p.m. EST | Watch: ABC | Betting Lines: Redwoods -1.5 vs. Atlas, O/U 25.5

Key storylines: New York’s playoff hopes have been in jeopardy for a while now, but they’re truly in must-win territory. A Boston win and New York loss this weekend all but eliminates the Atlas, dropping their playoff probability to less than 0.1 percent given the score differential disparity.

California is also hungry for a win after losing two straight, including their worst loss of the season, ahead of this weekend. The Redwoods could find themselves in last place of their conference depending on how Friday and Saturday shakes out.

California outlasted a late comeback attempt from New York when these teams last played. Can the Redwoods defeat the defending champs for a second time this season or will Atlas pull off the upset?

Players to watch: Cole Kastner was activated off the PUP list this week and placed on the protected roster ahead of this weekend. There’s a strong chance he lands on the 19-man roster and plays on Sunday, which would be his first appearance since opening weekend.

New York’s Bryan Costabile is another player to watch. Costabile has put together a midfielder of the year campaign this season and currently leads the league in two-point goals with six. Costabile and Matt Traynor were both absent in the first meeting between these teams and Costabile’s deep threat ability in particular could turn the tide against California.

Bold prediction: The Atlas snap their three-game losing streak and keep their playoff hopes alive with a close win over California.

Best bet: New York Atlas ML (+110 on BetMGM or BetRivers)