NHL betting - how to bet on hockey
Posted on 10/29/2008 2:16:23 PM
By Don Melrose
NHL betting: Plenty of nightly value in NHL betting
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Bet divisional games
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Know who’s in net
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Who’s fresher?
After another wild offseason in the salary cap era, NHL betting is back on the board. When Commissioner Gary Bettman instituted the financial restrictions to level the playing field, most sportsbook customers began shying away from hockey betting. However, if anything, the cap has increased the value for bettors in every game and made NHL betting lines tighter and tighter.
With some careful research, the world of hockey can be a very profitable one from a gambling perspective. Here are three key tips to ensure that your NHL betting season is a profitable one:
Stick within divisions. This isn’t NCAA basketball betting, where out-of-conference games are creampuff contests for larger schools. In an 82-game NHL season, it’s common to see teams favored heavily on NHL lines lose to teams they’re unfamiliar with.
As bettors, we want stats and trends to back up our decisions. There are noticeable trends in divisional matchups, simply because they play each other so often. For example, the Chicago Blackhawks have dominated the Detroit Red Wings over the past three seasons. This is a proven trend that can bring forth great value, as the ’Hawks are frequently underdogs on NHL odds to the defending Stanley Cup champions. There aren’t any flukes in divisional play!
Chase the backups. Starting goaltenders are announced hours prior to the opening faceoff, and often times the hockey odds don’t reflect any changes. If you’re looking at NHL betting lines on your sportsbook and you feel like betting an underdog against the Penguins—wouldn’t you rather do so against back-up goalie Dany Sabourin instead of Marc-Andre Fleury?
Bettors can often take advantage of these lazy lines, and particularly NHL spreads, if they keep up-to-the minute with starting lineups.
Fresh is better. Watch the schedules; see who’s been on the road for a long time. Believe it or not, hockey players do get tired. Say the San Jose Sharks played at home last night and have to travel across the country to Minnesota for a road game the following day—the Wild will still be underdogs on hockey lines. Well-rested teams are fantastic NHL picks, especially if they’re playing at home.
By analyzing schedules and rosters, you’ll be able to have a winning and profitable NHL betting season.
If you love to bet on hockey, check out BetOnline.com for nightly NHL odds and NHL lines, as well as Stanley Cup futures and NHL props.
Who better to offer great sports betting and hockey
tips than a native Canadian? Like any good Canuck, Don Melrose eats, sleeps,
breathes and bets hockey, making him the perfect NHL handicapper. Thoughts or questions? Email Comments@BetOnline.com.
