The seventh-seeded Maryland men's lacrosse team has reached the NCAA semifinals for the third time in four years after a comeback victory over second-seeded Duke, winning 14-11. Maryland will now face sixth-seeded Virginia on May 25. The semifinal matchup is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia and will be televised on ESPN2.
- What? 2024 NCAA Lacrosse Semi-Final: Maryland vs. Virginia
- Where? Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
- When? May 25
You can see the odds for the match from three of the best sports betting sites.
Odds are subject to change.
Maryland (+200)
Maryland (10-5) will make its 29th Final Four appearance, tying the record held by Johns Hopkins for the most in history. The Terps have achieved double-digit wins for 21 consecutive seasons, the longest streak in the nation.
In their quarterfinal matchup, Maryland overcame a 5-1 deficit in the first quarter to defeat Duke. They outscored the Blue Devils 13-6 for the remainder of the game, thanks in large part to Luke Wierman's face-off dominance. Daniel Maltz scored the game-winning goal at 5:01 in the fourth quarter and added another goal at 3:03, his fourth of the game, to secure the victory.
Braden Erksa gave Maryland its first lead at 10:16 in the fourth quarter, capping a four-goal run by the Terps. Erksa scored again at 7:50 to reclaim the lead and finished with two goals and an assist.
This comeback from a four-goal deficit marks Maryland's largest in an NCAA Lacrosse Tournament game since the 2019 First Round, where they also rallied from four goals down to defeat Towson 14-13 in overtime.
Virginia (-275)
For the second consecutive season, the Cavaliers are heading to Championship Weekend.
Last Sunday, Virginia secured an 11-10 comeback victory over Johns Hopkins in the NCAA Lacrosse Quarterfinals at Towsonâs Johnny Unitas Stadium. Virginia attackman McCabe Millon, playing close to his hometown of Reisterstown, Maryland, led the team with six points (3 goals, 3 assists). Long-stick midfielder Ben Wayer anchored the defense, collecting a career-high 10 ground balls, adding an assist, and causing two turnovers. Short-stick defensive midfielder Chase Yager also made a significant impact with three ground balls and three caused turnovers, including two crucial ones in overtime, which set up Shellenbergerâs game-winning goal.
Kyle Morris, who made eight saves, entered the game midway through the first period and secured his first career win. His crucial saves in the first sudden death period were pivotal in keeping Virginia in the game.
The Cavaliers advance to the NCAA semifinals for the 26th time in school history and the fourth time in the last five tournaments.
Prediction
Earlier in the season, Virginia defeated the Terrapins in College Park on March 16. I am expecting a similar outcome in this semi-final. Virginia look too strong for their opponents. I am backing the -2.5 spread bet at odds of -110.
You can read our Bovada sportsbook review for much more information about this betting site.
You might be familiar with moneyline bets, where you simply pick the winner of a game and profit if you're correct. In contrast, point spread betting introduces a handicap for the favorite and a corresponding advantage for the underdog to create a more balanced betting field. This is particularly important in NCAA lacrosse, where games can often be unevenly matched.
When you bet on the favorite with a point spread, the team must win by more than the set number of points for you to win the bet. Just winning the game isn't enough. On the other hand, if you bet on the underdog, the team can lose by a certain number of points, and you can still win your bet.
Point spreads are usually presented as decimal numbers, such as 2.5, which eliminates the possibility of a tie. The bet either wins or loses. It's also worth noting that sportsbooks frequently adjust point spreads as the game approaches to balance the betting action on both sides, so the spread can change before you place your bet.
I am also backing over 24.0 at odds of -110.
See below, our list of the best online betting sites where you can place your NCAA lacrosse bets. Make sure to take advantage of the betting bonuses and promotions offered by these sites.
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