Hockey Handicapping Articles

NHL Hockey Odds and Picks: Scouting the Week Ahead
by Alan Matthews - 10/13/2014

The most impressive team of the first week of the NHL season? Probably the Minnesota Wild. The least impressive? Perhaps the Colorado Avalanche. It just so happens that those teams first two games were against one another.

NHL Hockey Odds and Picks: Scouting the Week Ahead
by Alan Matthews - 10/6/2014

The puck drops on the 2014-15 NHL season Wednesday night, and not a minute too soon in my opinion. I'm one of those who loves daily sports action and thus have been having some withdrawal shakes since the baseball regular season ended. Plus, those two ALDS sweeps were no fun. Generally in this space I will look at any potentially big NHL games for the upcoming week as well as any injuries that might alter your betting choices. This week I will also touch on some futures odds.

2015 Stanley Cup Contenders
by George Monroy - 9/26/2014

The Los Angeles Kings ended last season’s thrilling playoffs with a five-game domination over the New York Rangers and taught NHL bettors and fans that one of the keys to making a title run is by having an elite goaltender in front of the net. The second part of that recipe includes getting hot at the right time, which was exactly what both Los Angeles and New York did midway through the first round.

2014 Boston Bruins Predictions and NHL Futures Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 9/24/2014

The Bruins won the President’s Trophy last year for having the best record in the NHL, but not a single fan of the team cares. All they care about is that the team lost in the second round of the playoffs — and to their hated rivals from Montreal. It was a brutally-disappointing end to a season that should have seen them win the East — at least.

Odds to Win 2015 Stanley Cup and NHL Futures Betting Lines with Picks and Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 6/20/2014

You can still probably find confetti on the streets of L.A. following the Stanley Cup parade, so there is a lot of time and changes to come before we see another hockey game — never mind another Stanley Cup finals. It is never too late, though, to take a look at Stanley Cup futures for interesting value — and spots to stay away from. Here’s a look at the latest numbers Bovada posted just after the Kings beat up on the Rangers:

2014 Stanley Cup Finals Series Odds and Prop Bet Predictions
by George Monroy - 6/3/2014

The Los Angeles Kings completed a thrilling come-from-behind victory during Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals to set up huge matchup between two of the league’s marquee team’s—at least market wise—when they face the New York Rangers in the Stanley Cup Finals on Wednesday night inside the Staples Center.

2014 Stanley Cup Finals Totals Betting: Value in Over or Under?
by George Monroy - 6/3/2014

The Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers have been backed by the excellent goaltending of both Jonathan Quick and Henrik Lundqvist, respectively, throughout the 2014 NHL playoffs. Both squads have allowed an average of less than three goals per game and have relied on their defense to shut teams down and win games. Handicapping such a close series might be a difficult proposition, so focusing on the totals lines may be the best opportunity to find value throughout the series.

Conn Smythe Trophy Betting Picks with Odds and NHL Award Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 5/27/2014

Every so often you come across a prop bet that is particularly interesting because the more you look at it the more complex and challenging it seems to be. This offering from Sportsbook.ag is certainly one of those. When you bet on which player is going to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as Stanley Cup MVP you are not only handicapping which player is likely to be the star of the Stanley Cup Finals, but you are also betting on which teams will be playing in the finals.

NHL Playoffs Betting: Lessons Learned in 2014
by Trevor Whenham - 5/8/2014

The NHL playoffs are heading into the brutal middle stretch. Teams are getting tired, the action is getting even more intense than it has been, and even though we are not even halfway to the hoisting of the Cup yet it seems like the regular season ended ages ago. This is a good time, then, to look back at what has happened so far to see what has stood out and what we have learned so far:

NHL Playoffs Betting: Second-Round Series Odds and Predictions
by George Monroy - 5/1/2014

The first round of the 2014 NHL playoffs ended with a bang on Wednesday night with three Game 7s on the schedule. The road team ended up winning two of those matchups when the Minnesota Wild topped the Colorado Avalanche 5-4 in overtime right before the Los Angeles Kings completed their monumental comeback against the San Jose Sharks after starting the series with three straight losses.

Sports Betting Insights: Finding the Value in NHL Stanley Cup Futures Odds
by Dave Schwab - 4/16/2014

The quest for this season’s NHL Stanley Cup title gets underway tonight with action in the Eastern and Western Conference Quarterfinal Round. Eight teams from each conference will square off against each other in a best-of-seven series format in the first step towards winning this year’s Stanley Cup.

NHL Playoffs Picks: First-Round Series Odds and Predictions
by George Monroy - 4/15/2014

The NHL has just finished up what might be one of its most competitive seasons in recent memory. Heading into the playoffs, which begin on Wednesday, there are no less than eight teams will legitimate hopes of hoisting the Stanley Cup in June, and there are a few others that have the talent to make a deep postseason run. The most intriguing part of the 2014 NHL Playoffs, however, will be how the division realignments and new playoff formant will affect each team.

NHL Playoffs Betting: Handicapping the Most Dangerous Lower Seeds
by George Monroy - 4/10/2014

The new NHL playoff format, beginning for the first time this postseason, is set to complicate things in both conferences and set up a slate of tougher matchups from the very first round of the playoffs. Teams will now play a mini tournament within their own division before moving on to the conference finals, and those squads in tougher divisions—the Atlantic or Central—will now have to face a stiffer set of opponents earlier in the playoffs than usual.

NHL Betting and Handicapping: Navigating the New Hockey Playoff Format
by Trevor Whenham - 4/9/2014

The NHL has tweaked their playoff format this season. At first glance the changes aren’t significant — there are still 16 teams, with eight coming from each conference, and the top eight records in each conference are very likely to advance. The more you think about the changes, though, the more you realize how significant they could be. Heading into these playoffs bettors should be familiar with what has changed and what those changes might mean.

NHL Handicapping: Biggest Games to Close out Regular Season
by Trevor Whenham - 4/8/2014

We are getting close to the bitter end of this NHL regular season. No team has more than four games left, and a week from now it will be all over. There are a lot of games in the closing week of a season that just don’t mean much — either because the teams are just desperate for their season to end or they have their postseason fate determined and are just waiting and trying to stay healthy. For some teams, though, nothing matters more than these last few days.

NHL Handicapping: Teams that Could Close Strong
by Trevor Whenham - 4/2/2014

Less than two weeks from now the NHL season will be over. For some teams — like the two teams, Calgary and Edmonton, that are closest to where I live — that is exceptionally good news. It’s the merciful end of months of suffering. For other teams, though, there is a lot left to determine and a lot to play for. That means pressure. Some teams thrive under pressure and elevate their game. Others feel the weight of the world on their shoulders and can’t bear it.

NHL Handicapping: Demise of the Vancouver Canucks
by Trevor Whenham - 3/11/2014

There has been no worse team to bet on in the NHL this year than the Vancouver Canucks. They have burned money at a shocking rate — especially because they are still one game above .500. It’s not surprising that bettors haven’t adjusted to the new reality of this team, though. They have been the model of consistency, winning their division five years in a row. Suddenly, though, they look old and ineffective, and they aren’t likely to make the playoffs. So, what has gone wrong? And can they turn it around?:

NHL Futures Picks: Odds and Pretenders and Contenders
by George Monroy - 2/28/2014

The NHL season resumed from the Winter Olympic hiatus with most teams ready to make a full-on sprint to the finish line. The season has a little over a month, and around 23 games, left to be played before the playoffs begin. Nearly every team in the league is still jockeying for position in the standings, but the upper-echelon squads have already been earmarked by sports bettors and NHL experts.

NHL Post-Olympics Futures Odds Update with Picks and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 2/25/2014

If you are like me, the Olympic men's hockey tournament is the most exciting hockey you will see, and that includes the Stanley Cup playoffs. Thus, it will be shame if NHL owners don't let their players compete in 2018 in South Korea, which seems rather likely. In all honesty, the NHL hasn't seen any tangible boost in popularity from allowing pros to play in the Olympics, so it makes no business sense for the owners to shut down for nearly three weeks in the middle of the season.

NHL Trade Deadline Betting Opportunities
by Trevor Whenham - 2/24/2014

The NHL trade deadline comes up on Wednesday, March 5 at 3 p.m. EST this year. This is a relatively unique year because there was a trade moratorium during the Olympic break. That means that the lead-in to the event will be more condensed and harried than usual — and it’s always chaotic. The NHL trade deadline is by far the busiest of any of the sport, and it can have significant impacts for bettors leading up to the big day. Here’s a look at five potential storylines to follow as the deadline nears: