Cannons vs. Chrome PLL Picks: Upset Brewing in Salt Lake City

PLL playoffs don’t officially start for another three weeks, but for the Cannons, it’s been playoff mode for the last couple of games. A win this week would keep them in the race for the seventh playoff spot going into the final week of the regular season. The Chrome on the other hand have already clinched their playoff spot as of last weekend. We have highlighted the odds and best picks for Saturday’s must-win for the Cannons in Salt Lake City with our Cannons-Chrome PLL picks.  

It’s another do-or-die game for the Cannons. After a tough loss to the Redwoods last weekend, the Cannons’ season and playoff hopes boil down to Saturday afternoon's contest against the Chrome.

The last time these two teams met, we saw the Cannons offense led by Lyle Thompson and rookie Asher Nolting dominate over the Chrome for the first three quarters. They entered the final quarter up 9-5. Suddenly, that all slipped away as a five-goal unanswered run by the Chrome late in the fourth frame led to overtime.

Ultimately it was the feed from top Rookie of the Year candidate Brendan Nichtern to Mike Messenger that won it for the Chrome in OT in a heartbreaker for the Cannons. To say Sean Quirk’s team has a chip on their shoulder going into this one could be the understatement of the year. 

Here are my Cannons-Chrome PLL picks and predictions for Friday’s game (odds via BetMGM and DraftKings Sportsbook).

Cannons vs. Chrome Game Info

Date/Time: Saturday, Aug. 13, 2:30 p.m. ETLocation: Zions Bank Stadium, Salt Lake City, UTWeather: 84 degrees, 40% chance of precipitation, 7-mph wind

Cannons vs. Chrome Odds Analysis

The Chrome are the moneyline favorites in this matchup, ranging from -230 at DraftKings to -250 at BetMGM. The Cannons are favored on the +2.5-goal spread at -140.

Both sportsbooks set the total for 23.5, with the Over at -125 at DraftKings and -120 at BetMGM.

Cannons vs. Chrome Picks

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Cannons vs. Chrome ML Pick

Cannons (+185)

Their record may not reflect it, but the Cannons have proven time and time again this season they can hang with the best of them. The Cannons’ loss to the Chrome in Week 4 was not a result of the Chrome outplaying the Cannons, but rather the Cannons not playing a complete four quarters and letting the lead slip away.

Though the Cannons offense looks a bit different than it did last time around, it has improved since Week 4. We’ll still see the two-man game from Lyle and Nolting, but now the Cannons also have rookie Jonathan Donville on attack; he has quickly assimilated into his role and made an impact. They’ve been running Ryan Drenner out of the box, and he's always good for the quietest two-to-four-goal game every weekend. The Cannons also added the Aslanian brothers as well as Mark Cockerton to their offense, and Stephen Rehfuss has looked a lot more like himself as of late. 

The fact of the matter is, this game doesn’t mean much to the Chrome but means everything to the Cannons. The Chrome have secured their playoff spot and at this point aren’t in the race for the top seed so their top priority should be to stay healthy and ready for playoffs. Once again, we’re going to see the Cannons gripping their sticks a little harder and running a little faster as they try to keep their season alive. 

While Connor Farrell won the faceoff battle versus Stephen Kelly last time, going 64% at the stripe, the Cannons still were able to control the game for the first three quarters. In terms of goaltending, Nick Marrocco and Sean Sconone are both playing around the same level right now. There’s no major advantage for the Chrome in their special teams. 

Do not let the Cannons’ record fool you: they have the talent, they have the weapons, it all just boils down to a complete 48 minutes of execution.

Cannons vs. Chrome ATS Pick

Cannons +2.5 (-140)

We haven’t seen many games this season with a 2.5-goal spread in the PLL and for good reason. More often than not, these are almost always close games given the amount of talent on each roster. While the Cannons have had more games with losses by two or more goals than any other team in the league, again, they can hang with any team in the PLL and we know for certain they can hang with the Chrome.

While I think the Cannons win this, if they do lose, it’s going to be another tight one. Again, their season is on the line. The Chrome have no obvious advantage over the Cannons for this to be some huge blowout victory, especially given the fact they’re not fighting for a playoff spot like the Cannons are.

Cannons vs. Chrome O/U Pick

Over 23.5 (-125)

I’m taking the Over in this one if for no other reason than the Cannons have hit the Over six times this season already. 

The Cannons love to just fire away (pun intended) with their shots, and when you’re fighting like they are, AND with Lyle Thompson on their side? This has the makings of a high-scoring contest led by Quirk’s squad.

Where to bet on Cannons-Chrome Picks

Here are our top-rated sportsbooks:

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Cannons-Chrome picks from 8/12/2022 at 1:51 p.m. ET