NHL Betting Trends – Things You Need To Know To Bet Hockey!
1. The Puckline Still Sucks
The favorites have been getting demolished by the spread in hockey, also known as the puckline. In 305 games this season, the favorites have only covered 99 times, which leads us to 206 spread losses on the season. That means that if you’re going to bet on the puckline, road dogs are your best bet percentage wise. On the road, the underdogs have brought home the profit 64.44% of the time (154-85 ATS).
2. Vancouver Is No Longer A Bad Road Bet
Everyone who has been reading me for the past few years knows how strongly opposed to the Canucks franchise I have been. Last season, the lines were skewed because they had Roberto Luongo in net, who is by and large the best goalie in the league. The problem was that they surrounded him with some terrible talent that couldn’t defend him well enough, or give him a buffer on the scoreboard.
Now the Canucks are sitting at a 14-6-2 SU record with a 7-4-1 SU record on the road this season. As long as the Sedin twins keep the good times rolling on offense, it seems as though there’s a new breed of hockey brewing in Vancouver – and they might finally outpace the Wild and Flames this season.
3. The Home Teams Are Winning (So Are The Favorites)
More than half the time, the home teams and favorites are winning. Home teams have gone 163-98-18-26 SU on the season thus far, while favorites are dominating the win column as well on the moneyline. Favorites have gone 181-75-20-23 this season. What does that mean for you?
Simply put, the underdogs are not coming through with wins. Good teams are winning, bad teams are losing. It’s usually that simple in the NHL. Why else do I encourage so many bets on favorites? The trends lean that way. That’s why.
4. Banner Games Are Bad Karma
The Wings hoisted their Stanley Cup banner and lost to the Leafs. The Canadiens raised Patrick Roy’s name in to the rafters and lost to the Boston Bruins. The Leafs lifted Wendel Clark’s name in to the roof and lost to the Blackhawks. If your team is celebrating something – bet against them!
5. The Rangers Are the New Beast From The East
The Rangers have gone 10-4-1 SU at home and 5-3-1 SU on the road, leading the Eastern Conference with 32 points and completely making the Jaromir Jagr era forgettable. Nikolai Zherdev and Markus Naslund, who were the team’s key additions of the summer in an effort to replace Jagr, have combined for 37 points thus far this season, while becoming key to the power-play. The Rangers have unseated both Pittsburgh and Montreal as the resident power-that-be in the Eastern Conference, and with Henrik Lundqvist boasting a solid 0.926 save percentage, the Rangers don’t look like they’re giving up the crown anytime soon.
6. The Senators Aren’t the Only Great Team to Fall In To the Abyss
The Ottawa Senators have stumbled to the bottom of their division with a horrible 7-9-4 SU start to the season. So much for that devilish top-line of Alfredsson-Heatley-Spezza carrying their team. The problem for the NHL sports betting community is that the Senators aren’t the only team of famed esteem falling to Earth.
The Colorado Avalanche are easily the worst team in the heated Northwest Division, going just 9-11 SU in their first quarter of scheduled hockey betting action. Joe Sakic or not, this team is going nowhere with Peter Budaj in net.
The Dallas Stars, a team predicated on team defense, with one of the best net minder’s in net are an inexplicable 6-10-4 SU on the season, and are playing horrifically right now. Riding a three-game losing skid doesn’t help instill any betting faith but with San Jose and Anaheim repeatedly on the schedule this season, the Stars are imploding in a supernova of futility.
7. Alexander Ovechkin Is the Best Player in the NHL
Not Sidney Crosby.
Not Roberto Luongo.
Not Evgeni Malkin.
Not Vincent Lecavlier.
Not Joe Thornton.
If you’re going to build your team around anyone in the NHL, Ovechkin would be your best bet. Ovechkin, while being tied for sixth overall with 25 points actually has made his teammates better which was the sole knock against him for the most part. With 19 helpers, and the emergence of Alexander Semin, the pressure is off Ovechkin to produce lamp lighters. However, when it comes to gunning down Evgeni Malkin and the rest of the league in points, you can be assured that Ovechkin will tear it up soon. If you need a reason to watch NHL hockey, then just watch a Capitals game and look for No.8. You won’t be disappointed.
