Hockey Handicapping Articles

Hockey Betting impact of NHL Lockout
by Trevor Whenham - 3/6/2013

The NHL Lockout has created a tough season to handicap. Heading into the season, we had to guess how things were going to turn out — what was going to matter and what was going to give teams an edge. We couldn’t rely on the preseason for evidence, and the circumstances of this lockout made it tough to rely on history. We just had to come up with some theories and hope they were right. Here’s a look at some of the theories that held up along with some that haven’t:

NHL Handicapping: Can Canadiens Keep Up Winning Ways?
by Trevor Whenham - 2/28/2013

The Montreal Canadiens are the biggest positive surprise in the Eastern Conference of the NHL this year. We have gotten so used to them being perfectly average in recent years. They may or may not make the playoffs most years, but they certainly aren’t a real threat to do anything once they get there. This year, though, they have the best record in the conference, and they are playing like an entirely different squad than what we are used to — or what we expected heading into the season given the team they had on paper.

NHL Handicapping: Can Washington Capitals Bounce Back?
by Trevor Whenham - 2/21/2013

Something is rotten with these Washington Capitals. This is a team that came into last season as the Stanley Cup favorite. The core is largely the same as it was back then, but the wheels have fallen off so badly since then that not only are they at the bottom of the East, but it hardly counts as a surprise. This is a classic case study of how quickly things can turn for good teams when they don’t have their chemistry right.

NHL Handicapping: Blackhawks as Top Stanley Cup Contender?
by Trevor Whenham - 2/14/2013

The Chicago Blackhawks have unquestionably gotten off to the best start in the NHL so far. Through 13 games they have yet to suffer a loss in regulation. They sit at 10-0-3, which gives them 23 points — the best in the league, and a massive seven-point lead in the Central Division. Most people expected the Blackhawks to be solid this year, but no one expected them to run away with things. Oddsmakers are buying in, though — the team is now the 13/2 favorite to win the Stanley Cup, solidly ahead of the Penguins at 8/1.

NHL Handicapping: Studs and Duds
by Trevor Whenham - 2/11/2013

It’s hard to believe, but we are already a quarter of the way through this mess of an NHL season. It has been a very difficult season to handicap so far because of the lack of a preseason, the fact that some players were playing while others weren’t, and the condensed schedule. Because it was so tough to figure out what to expect heading into the season, it is particularly important to keep track of how teams are performing for bettors so far. Here are the best and the worst teams in the league so far in terms of delivering wins for bettors:

NHL Handicapping: Teams to Back Right Out of the Gate
by Trevor Whenham - 1/17/2013

The only thing we can know for sure in this abbreviated NHL season is that we don’t know very much. We just can’t. Teams have been out of action for far too long. Many major lineup changes have been made, and several new coaches are in charge. Some players have been playing — in Europe and the AHL — while others haven’t. There is no preseason, and very little practice time before the season starts.

2013 NHL Player Props Odds and Betting Picks
by Alan Matthews - 1/16/2013

Thankfully, it appears we should have labor peace in the four major American sports leagues for the next several seasons after the NHL owners resolved their ugly lockout with the players recently. It was the third lockout among the Big 4 in about a year – amazingly, baseball appears to have the best owners-union relationship going right now – but at least it didn’t cause another lost hockey season.

NHL Handicapping: January Games to Key On
by Trevor Whenham - 1/15/2013

With no preseason and a bizarre offseason, it is going to be very tough for bettors to have an accurate sense of where teams are at heading into this short NHL season, which starts on Saturday night. That means that those bettors are going to have to watch key early games early in the season closely to learn as much as they can about where teams are at and what can be expected.

NHL Handicapping: Teams Poised for Strong Starts
by Trevor Whenham - 1/10/2013

In any year it is important for handicappers to get comfortable with what they expect from NHL teams before the season starts. Which teams will be ready to jump out of the gate fast, and which ones are destined for issues? This year, though, this will be even more important than usual. The shortened season, and the preseason that essentially doesn’t exist, means that a strong start is more important than ever. If a team isn’t ready to compete right away then they can get into a hole that can ruin its whole year. Games will come in rapid-fire succession, and each game means more than in a regular season.

NHL Handicapping: Tips for Betting on Early Games
by Trevor Whenham - 1/8/2013

The NHL finally got their heads out of their dark places and got back on the ice. That means that for the second year in a row we have a shortened season in a major sport — and all of the headaches that go with that. As we get ready to handicap the NHL when it starts in less than two weeks, here are five factors you’ll need to consider when looking for teams that could leap out of the gate and those that could start with a limp.

NHL Betting: Update on Labor Situation
by T.O. Whenham - 9/14/2012

There aren’t that many bettors who care about the NHL. There should be more, and there probably would be if the sport was better at self promotion — or at least at not looking ridiculous too often. As the sport spirals towards yet another work stoppage, though, bettors need to be paying attention.

2012 NHL Free Agency: Winners and Losers
by T.O. Whenham - 7/5/2012

There were two big free agents on the market this year — Americans Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. A lot of teams took a stab at landing one of them. Minnesota, improbably, landed both. They made a massive commitment to them — 13 years each and almost $200 million combined. It immediately makes this team very relevant, though. For a team that has never really managed to matter in their existence and which fell out of the playoffs last year after a red-hot start, this is the type of talent injection that could be considered a bargain down the road if it turns out like it could.

2012 NHL Free Agency Predictions
by T.O. Whenham - 6/30/2012

July 1 is not only Canada’s birthday, but the opening day of free agency for the country’s favorite sport. Teams can talk to free agents for the first time on that day, and action is typically intense. This year’s free agent class is an interesting one. Teams have been aggressive in securing their own players, or trading for rights of players and negotiating new deals, so there is very little depth in the class. At the top-end, though, there are some very good players that will be heavily in demand.

NHL Picks: Kings at Devils Game 5 Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 6/8/2012

I clearly should have known better than to pick the Los Angeles Kings back home in Game 4 to sweep away the New Jersey Devils and end the 2011-12 NHL season. For one thing, the Kings had lost just twice in these playoffs entering Wednesday’s game and both had come at home with the chance to complete a sweep. In addition, the Devils had never been swept in a best-of-seven playoff series in their history (this is their 43rd series).

NHL Stanley Cup Picks: Devils at Kings Game 4 Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 6/6/2012

I hate to see the NHL season end – although it does drag on forever – but it sure looks like hockey will disappear until this fall after Wednesday night’s Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals between the visiting New Jersey Devils and the red-hot Los Angeles Kings.

Stanley Cup Finals Betting Preview: Kings vs. Devils Odds and Prediction
by T.O. Whenham - 5/29/2012

There are a lot of people who will tell you that this is a disappointing or underwhelming Stanley Cup Finals pairing. Those people are just plain wrong. Sure, it doesn’t look like much when a No. 6 seed meets a No. 8 seed in the battle for the nicest trophy in sports. Neither of these teams is what you would typically expect from their seeds, though.

2012 NHL Stanley Cup Finals Betting Preview
by David Schwab - 5/28/2012

The NHL is down to its final two teams in this season’s march to the Stanley Cup title, with the surprising New Jersey Devils coming in from the Eastern Conference and the red-hot Los Angeles Kings representing the West. The best-of-seven Stanley Cup Finals gets underway this Wednesday night with the first of two games at the Prudential Center in Newark. The series shifts to the Staples Center in Los Angeles for Game 3 on Monday, June 4, and Wednesday, June 6. It will then alternate coasts for the last three games if necessary.

NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Betting Trends and Analysis
by David Schwab - 5/21/2012

The NHL Stanley Cup NHL Conference Finals enter their second week of action with Monday night’s New York vs. New Jersey’s Game 4. The following is a look at a few key facts and figures for each series along with some current NHL betting trends to help handicap the upcoming games.

NHL Odds and Picks: New York Rangers at New Jersey Devils Game 3
by Alan Matthews - 5/18/2012

The New Jersey Devils were good to us in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference Finals series against the New York Rangers on Wednesday night. The Devils went off as +110 dogs and beat New York, 3-2, to even the series at a game apiece. Really, it was an easy call, however, so I can’t take too much credit. The Devils have won every game in these playoffs after falling behind in the series in the previous game. The Rangers, meanwhile, had lost Game 2 at home in the first two rounds after winning the opener.

NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Betting Trends and Analysis
by David Schwab - 5/15/2012

The NHL Conference Finals got underway this past Sunday and Game 1 of both the Eastern Conference and Western Conference series is in the books. The following is a look at a few key facts and figures for each series along with some current betting trends to help with your NHL handicapping for the upcoming games.