The last 2 years, teams that win Game 1 in their first round playoff series are 7-9 so sometimes waiting to bet a series price can offer better value
Western Conference teams who lost Game 1 were 4-0 for the series in 2011 while they were 0-4 in 2010. The East hasn?t quite been the same wild ride as last year the loser of Game 1 went 1-3 compared to 2-2 in 2010.
Road Warriors
When searching for live dogs, take a look at teams playing on the highway to offer solid value. The normal home/road adjustment is between .50 to .60 cents despite road teams compiling a winning record over the last 2 years.
2010: Road teams were 27-22 (13-11 in the Eastern Conference and 14-11 in the Western Conference)
2011: Road teams were 24-25 (12-14 in the Eastern Conference and 12-11 in the Western Conference)
One Goal Decisions
Those looking to take the ?juicy? puckline odds on favorites need to keep in mind that 1 goal outcomes abound so there?s a reason teams laying 1.5 are often +200 and dogs carry tags of -200 or more.
2010: 22 of 49 (45%) 1st round games were decided by exactly 1 goal (14 in the Eastern Conference and 8 in the Western Conference)
2011: 25 of 49 (51%) 1st round games were decided by exactly 1 goal ( 15 in the Eastern Conference and 10 in the Western Conference)