Hockey Trade Rumors

What do you really need in order to be successful betting the NHL? That’s a good question, because beating any kind of sport is so difficult to begin with. Hockey is a game that is not unlike that of baseball, because of the way the basic proposition itself is laid out. That is to say, there is a price on each team to win the game itself, along with a total goals proposition, and a “puck line,” in which one team lays a goal and a half, with the other taking a goal and a half. So there are a few ways the hockey enthusiast can go when they are looking to bet on hockey.

When you take a look at a hockey line, it can take the character of either the “ten-cent” or “dime” line, or the “20-cent” or “Western” line. This is the basis upon which you are going to place a wager on the favorite or the underdog. You might see a game where the favorite is priced at -135, with the underdog at +125. That would be the dime line. In a case where the favorite is -140 and the underdog is +120, that is an example of the 20-cent line, which may even be identified as the “wide” line.

A common “over-under” for totals might be 5.5 goals. But those numbers used to be higher. The NHL used to be a much more wide-open affair, when you had someone like Wayne Gretzky scoring 92 goals in one season. At that time, you would see a lot more in the way of scoring, and the hockey betting odds reflected that.

We don’t profess to know what the 2015 NHL final odds will be, but once you are armed with some of this basic information, what are some of the things you can look out for to make your NHL betting experience more pleasurable?

Well, for one thing, you can track goalies. Some teams rotate a couple of goalies, while other teams use one goaltender predominantly. Usually one of those goalies has a much lower goals-against average than the other, and it makes sense to find out who is playing in net on any given evening. It also makes all the sense in the world to track who the “hot” goalie is, because goaltenders can most definitely get hot.

Another thing you can do is take a long, hard look at teams that are playing the second end of back-to-back games. Even though hockey teams play with lines and defensive backlines that operate in shifts, it is still very difficult to put forth that strong all-out effort for two nights in a row. Which team is fresher on any given night? Is there possible value in betting on that team? These are questions that are well worth asking. Remember, it is a long season, and sometimes travel (especially if there are rough weather conditions involved) can take its toll.

When you perceive what could be a mismatch in a game, a good idea might be to go with the puck line, in which you can grab a price in cases where you lay a goal and a half. This is not a bad idea when the underdog in the game has questionable defense, or a second-string goalie, but can be used in other cases as well. Remember that in many cases, when a team that is able to lead the game late, the other team might pull the goaltender in an effort to get another skater on the ice. This presents an opportunity for you to cover that goal-and-a-half spread. When you can get a price with the better team, that is a golden opportunity waiting for a shrewd hockey bettor to take advantage of it.

Make sure that you are aware of a team’s “situational” statistics. One of those involves what some people refer to as “special teams.” These are the power play and penalty killing units, and they are on the ice when one of the teams has a man-advantage. Penalties are going to happen, and those teams that are ready to take advantage of those situations are usually going to have an edge against those who don’t. Also, you want to take a long look at how teams do at home as opposed to on the road, within their own division, etc. An interesting example in the 2014-15 season is the Winnipeg Jets, who have proven to be a better team when traveling, as evidenced by a 12-5-5 record as the road team, while holding a 9-9-3 mark as the host as of January 12. And there are other clubs, like the last-place Edmonton Oilers, who can’t seem to buy a win on the road (only two road wins in their first 19 attempts). Will a team like this give up when they are down a couple of goals as the visitor? If so, you may have value on the puck line!

Want more info? We figured you did. Well, check out Grizzly Gambling’s all-Canadian Gambling Guide and they will fix you up with NHL information throughout the season.