Atlas vs. Whipsnakes PLL Picks: Championship Series Favorites Battle

The two top teams in the Premier Lacrosse League will battle for the second time this season when the first-place Whipsnakes and second-place Atlas meet on Friday night at Zions Bank Stadium. We have highlighted the odds and best picks for this contest between two top dogs with our Atlas-Whipsnakes picks.

A win for the Whipsnakes would clinch the No. 1 seed in the playoffs and a first-round bye in the quarterfinals. A victory for the Atlas means drama in Seattle as to who will come out with the top playoff seed next weekend.

The Atlas and Whipsnakes have been battling back and forth all season for the top spot in the standings. The Whipsnakes handed the Atlas their first loss of the year back in Week 3 in a 12-9 victory for the Whips, led by three two-pointers and an incredible performance in net by Kyle Bernlohr.

The stakes are high in the penultimate week of the regular season. For the Whipsnakes, only the Bulls stand between them and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.

In what's set to be a classic at the faceoff stripe and another goaltender duel between the pipes, lacrosse fans are in for a treat with this one.

Here are my Atlas-Whipsnakes PLL picks and predictions for Friday's game (odds via BetMGM and DraftKings Sportsbook).

Atlas vs. Whipsnakes Game Info

Date/Time: Friday, Aug. 12, 8 p.m. ETLocation: Zions Bank Stadium, Salt Lake City, UTWeather: 90 degrees, 40% chance of precipitation, 7-mph wind

Atlas vs. Whipsnakes Odds Analysis

The Whipsnakes are the moneyline favorites. BetMGM offers them at -120 and DraftKings at -125. The Atlas are -150 at BetMGM and -155 at DraftKings through the +1.5 goal line.

Both sportsbooks set the total at 23.5, with the Under paying out at -105 through DraftKings, and BetMGM offering both the Over and Under at -115.

Atlas vs. Whipsnakes Picks

Check out the latest comprehensive and most trusted Sportsbook Reviews by SBR.

Atlas vs. Whipsnakes ML Pick

Whipsnakes (-125)

Historically, the Whipsnakes have dominated this matchup, even with the heated battle at the stripe between Trevor Baptiste of the Atlas and the Whipsnakes' Joe Nardella.

Baptiste is the No. 1 FOGO in the league, but Nardella's on his tail in nearly every statistical category for faceoffs. The two are playing on an entirely different level than the rest of the league. To give some perspective, Baptiste leads the league in faceoff percentage at 70%. Nardella is second with 68%. In third? The Chrome's Connor Farrell, at 58%.

Baptiste had the edge over Nardella the last time the two met, winning 12 of 19 draws for a 63% faceoff percentage. Nardella registered his lowest mark of the season at 44%. While it earned the Atlas some extra much-needed possessions, the Bulls weren't able to capitalize.

The typically lethal Atlas offense struggles against the Whipsnakes defense and even more so against Bernlohr. Attacker Jeff Teat recorded only one point with one goal on two shots total on Long Island, his quietest game of the season by far. The best performance in blue came from rookie Chris Gray who scored three points with two goals, as he took seven shots for a 29% shooting percentage.

This Whipsnakes team is just unstoppable right now. Nardella is the only faceoff guy who has an actual chance up against Baptiste. And even when the Atlas win possessions, the Whipsnakes defense has proven it can keep them quiet.

Atlas vs. Whipsnakes ATS Pick

Atlas +1.5 (-150)

The Whipsnakes love one-goal games. They've played in five one-goal games now this season and took the win in four of them.

We've yet to see a blowout win from this Whipsnakes team and the likelihood of such a game coming against the Atlas is small. They're too good of a team.

Bernlohr has read Atlas shooters very well in the past and is playing like the best goalie in the league right now, Atlas goalie Jack Concannon has been absolutely dominant from the inside, and the Whipsnakes offense loves to shoot from the doorstep. This has the makings of another close Whipsnakes win.

https://twitter.com/PLLWhipsnakes/status/1557808677964451845?s=20&t=A_R5mGQgpRP4bTp_bK9EMA

Atlas vs. Whipsnakes O/U Pick

Under 23.5 (-115)

Concannon made 17 saves against the Whipsnakes in the last matchup, Bernlohr made 18 saves, and the Atlas attack of Teat, Gray, and Eric Law combined for four goals total. Though I don't believe the Atlas will be held to less than 10 goals again, Bernlohr's been rolling all season and read the Atlas shooters well last time around. Now, playoff implications are on the line.

The same goes for Concannon. It was the three two-pointers that got him the last time against the Whipsnakes, but regardless, he's been the best of the best from the inside. That does not bode well for Whipsnakes attacker Matt Rambo, who went off last weekend for four goals.

Shooters have to be smart and selective with the type of shots they take on these two backstops, and even so, both have two of the top defenses in the league protecting them.

Where to bet on Atlas vs. Whipsnakes Picks

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Atlas-Whipsnakes picks from 8/11/2022 at 9:35 p.m. ET