For bettors, the NHL is perhaps the most unpredictable of any major sport. In fact, outcomes are so hard to forecast, many professional bettors don't even go near the 'Coolest Game on Earth'.
I have been doing Hockey wagering for quite a few years and have found some things that work for me. Let me state these are things that work for me; other things may work for other people. I am not here trying to tell anyone that what I do is right, and what they do is wrong. Just wanted to tell you how I approach Hockey wagering.
Upsets happen so frequently, you'd be hard-pressed to actually call them upsets. In light of that, what exactly should you look for when betting hockey?
I have been doing Hockey wagering for quite a few years and have found some things that work for me. Let me state these are things that work for me; other things may work for other people. I am not here trying to tell anyone that what I do is right, and what they do is wrong. Just wanted to tell you how I approach Hockey wagering.
Upsets happen so frequently, you'd be hard-pressed to actually call them upsets. In light of that, what exactly should you look for when betting hockey?
- Value -- Like other sports, you don't want to pick top teams all the time because it costs a lot to win a little. BET DOGS ON THE MONEY LINE !! ( SAY GOOD- BYE TO THE FAVS !! )
This is the most important thing I have learned in betting Hockey. It is hard for many people to leave the favs alone. They look so easy to play. How could the Detroit Red Wings lose to these bums. Well , check it out....It happens every night, in many sports league. There are numerous UPSETS every night. It is our job to find them if you want to make some good cash return. I am not talking about betting Dogs just for the hell of it. You must find Dogs that are in a good spot. Maybe a poor team is starting to play well and catch a top team that is tired or banged up. This is your oppotunity to cash in. When you bet teams that are on the plus side, like +160 , you don't even have to be 50% right to make good money. You can't say that if you bet -200 favs. I rarely bet a team to win by 2 goals (-1.5) It is hard enough to win by 1 goal. Betting -1.5 sounds easy sometimes, but it is just not worth it. I can guarantee betting on the plus side of a game will make you good money, if you pick your spots and pounce on them.
- I do bet Totals. First off the odds on totals sometimes really suck so use caution. You are usually betting -115 to -130, or +105 to +115, depending on which way you go. There is a minimal return for your investment with totals, unless you are extremely good at them on a consistent basis. I am average, so I have learned to pick my spots. Many, many times, I have been burnt by empty netters, bad bounces, hot goalies, or by trends that reverse themselves.
- Don't over analyze a game !! Don't flood your brain with all kinds of statistical garbage. You can make stats and numbers mean anything you want to if you want. I absolutely hate reading all kinds of trends,,,,,,especially like" this team has not won here in the past 10 meetings" This sets off an alarm to me many times, that this team is ready to reverse this trend. Too much statistical jargon can be detrimental in making a rational decision IMO.
- Keep it Simple,,,,, Read the local Newspapers and look for other info from other members. Base your opinions about teams on their recent play, not stuff that happened 20 games ago. Once you get a feel for a teams current state, you are in a position to make a decent play. Don't forget a teams scheduling, plays heavily into their current state. Sometimes the schedule will favour a team and other times, it will put a team in a bad spot.
- Goaltenders -- Goalies have probably the biggest impact on a game's outcome. Check to see how the expected starter has performed lately. Does he play better on the road or at home?
Also, does the goalie play better when his team is favored, or when they are an underdog? Check the keeper's save percentage, as it is a better indicator of a goalie?s performance than his win/loss record or goals against average. It can be difficult at times to determine who will start, so check local newspapers and team Web sites for updates.
- Special teams -- How a team performs on the power play and penalty kill is often the difference in a game. Check the team's overall league ranking in these categories, but also examine how they've done lately. If a team with a hot power play is playing a team that takes a lot of penalties, chances are good the team that has its extra-man unit clicking will win. How a team performs lately is far more important than its overall success.
- If you look at some or all of the above numbers, and still have no idea who to pick, move on. One of the attractive features of betting hockey is the NHL has a full schedule and there are usually several games each night to choose from.
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Well that is sure enough rambling for me for a bit. If anyone would like to add or subtract from anything I said, feel free to do so. I hope we all can make some good decisions in this season. Thanks to all that provide information daily.
I do post most my plays, but I don't include a lot of great stats and info like many others do in my posts. I like to keep it really simple when I post my plays I feel that some others think you haven't done much capping, since you don't have a zillion trends and stats in your posts.
I hope to post some good plays in the future this season.
