If you are a die-hard ice hockey fan, there is a reasonable chance that you like to have a punt on your favourite team or against their rivals. Even if you don’t live and breathe NHL, you still might dabble in a bit of betting on the action. But, do you bet with a gut-feeling? Or, do you trust the cold, hard numbers and data before you part with your cash? Below is a look at what the experts feel you should be looking at before making your selection.
Study the Schedule:
This might seem something of a no-brainer, but it is a big factor often overlooked by NHL bettors. Teams play over 80 games in the NHL regular season. While that is not as many as MLB, hockey is nevertheless more fatiguing and bruising on the body. A heavy run of fixtures can put strain on even the most talented sides, perhaps even pinpointing a game where a winning team could be toppled by a losing one.
Who is Racking Up the Miles?
Travel plays a big part too. Think how you would feel after travelling by plane from Florida to Vancouver; sportsmen are just the same. One game could be in the evening in California, followed by an afternoon game in Toronto. One set of players would have to adjust to the three-hour time difference, whereas the other would not. That could make a big difference
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Use Your Own Numbers:
Bookmakers don’t always get it right and, in sports, it is impossible to be perfect the science. In that respect, trust your own eyes by looking up the stats. If, for example, you can see that Winnipeg are averaging nearly four goals per game, and Buffalo are conceding plenty, back the Jets on the Puck Line – regardless of how high the bookmakers have priced it in. You don’t have to do all the number crunching either – checking out free daily NHL picks by hockey experts that can give you invaluable insight into the trends that matter before placing you puck bets.
Who is on the Team sheet?
Sidney Crosby, Conor McDavid and other individuals who have a big influence on the outcome of a game might be injured, or given a day’s rest. Can your selection cope without them? Goal tenders are rotated more than regular players and they are big difference makers when it comes to betting. Is your team’s first-choice goal tender playing? If not, how are the stats for his replacement?
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Realise the Trends Will Change:
What’s true in December will not necessarily be true in April and beyond. When NHL teams reach the Playoffs, the stakes get higher and the margins get tighter. Closer games are inevitable when two evenly matched teams come up against each other, which is a given when the Playoffs come around. Which teams have form coming into the Playoffs? Which players look tired after a gruelling regular season?
Above All, Be Smart
North American sports are so far ahead of the rest of the world when it comes to sports statistics. There is a veritable goldmine of information readily available out there. Use it wisely, check out expert opinions and you will be on to a winner in NHL betting.
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