Ice hockey is big business in the world of sports betting. Which is why it’s surprising that most NHL bettors aren’t all that clued up on even the basic rules of the sport – let alone how to wager a successful bet. Surveys have shown that it can take a sports betting rookie as long as an entire season just to figure out, for example, the off-sides rule.
It is crucially important to become familiar with some of those critical areas every potential NHL bettor really should be well aware of before betting actual money on any sort of outcome. Herewith then an introduction to some of those areas.
The Advantage Of Home Ice
The home advantage, or home edge, is an important bit of information that really should at all times be factored into the sports betting decision – and NHL home ice is no exception. Ice hockey clubs playing at home are often seen benefiting from the familiarity of “home conditions”.
The reasons home conditions can be so advantageous are too many too mention. One of the most prominent of these is the actual playing surface. Anyone who has ever played professional ice hockey will be quick to point out that every rink has its “quirks”. Some rinks make the pucks to zoom off the boards at lightning speeds, while others are known to slow the disk down. Also, so-called “lucky bounces” are a thing.
Goaltending
Since the goaltender is the last line of defense in any hockey game – whether played outside or on the ice – goaltending is our second critical NHL sports betting area.
They key here is consistency. And consistency is most noticeable when keeping proper track of the averages. The goalie consistently winning games for the team is the goalie that year in and year out allow an average of fewer than 2.60 goals per match. These are the guys who typically end up making it all the way to the top. They play a consistent game, perform steadily most nights of the season, and typically aren’t considered three-game wonders.
Scheduling
Any fan of the NHL knows that it isn’t at all strange for team to play a game in Montreal one night and another in New York to evenings later. And it’s unfortunately a grind that somewhere along the line always ends up taking its toll on everyone from the players to the support team to the coaching staff.
The work-around for this is to check the schedules a few weeks in advance. It’s not enough to know where a team happens to be playing on any given day. Knowing also where clubs are headed next can make or break an NHL bet.
This information can obviously be used to the advantage of the bettor in more ways than one. For example, instead of withholding a bet because of a tight travel lineup or schedule, try betting against the club playing a third game on any given road trip or travel itinerary.
Be sure to also look out for fights and arguments on the ice. Fights are physically exhausting – especially after 3 or 4 evenings of constant bickering.