The NHL Is Watched And Wagered On Around The World

It wasn’t that long ago that the NFL was pretty much a North America only phenomenon. Now it is enjoyed across the World and NBA betting is now happening on every continent. Europe is especially hooked on the game. The fast pace and brutal nature is very appealing to European’s used to the ever softening game of football.
The internet now gives us live feeds of the major games and with the explosion of online sports bookies having a wager on this crazy game is now becoming very popular indeed. If you are a regular sports bettor getting your head round the terminology and different markets available will be easy. For the novice gambler it can be a bit confusing.
There are a few simple things to remember. As with all sports betting is wise to have a number of accounts with reputable bookies as you will get different odds offer all over the place. Secondly pick bookies that can change the pricing format. If you don’t understand how the Americans price their odds it can be very confusing.
So pick decimal or fractional which ever you prefer. You can then compare prices at your different accounts and get the best deals.

Tipsters Are Great But No Substitution For Research

NHL tips are everywhere across the internet some sites are really very good. Others know nothing and should be avoided like the plague. How can you tell the difference? Well it’s best to avoid them altogether when you first start betting on the NHL. When you know about more about the sport then you will have some insight and will be able to spot the idiots. You will never beat good old stats.
Yes you can get swamped in numbers but if you take it steady and start with some basics you will pick it up in no time. There are some excellent resources online for NHL stats free to all and updated by true fans. The official website is a good source of information in its own right. Stats like goal averages, first, second, and third periods are the starting point. Leading scorers, penalty plays, goals against, saves shoot outs there are a host of stats covering all aspects of the game. Understanding a team’s current form is the basics of any sports betting strategy. A novice bettor on the NHL needs to pick their markets wisely. Some look fantastic but are smoke screens there to trap the unwary. If you take your sports betting hobby a bit more seriously then there are markets that should be avoided most of the time.
Sometimes though the form and price offered can make even the craziest markets worth a go.

The Most Popular Markets Are Not Always The Best

NHL betting has exploded in popularity across the world but especially in Europe. All of the top bookies offer several markets for the NHL some are better than others. The simplest and most obvious market is the money line. As there is no draw in NHL games the choice is simple which team scores the most goals by the end of the game.
The NHL is a hard fought championship and money line odds on most games reflect that of course there are a couple of mismatched games that you can get better odds on but most of the time the odds are short. The next take on the money line is the period money lines. These are a little different because you can have a tied score line. So for each period you can get a price on who’s winning or a draw.
These markets are where a lot of serious sports bettors put their money. This is where stats come into their own. If a team plays badly or really well first period this can be a good market for your money. Then you have the 1st period result and both teams to score. This gets a lot of attention. You can get much better odds with this market. These are all very popular markets and generally are good bets. However the most popular markets tend to be the sillier ones. Big odds for very specific bets. 60 minute correct score bets get so much attention.
Very knowledgeable fans really think they can pick the score. Odds up in the 60/1 range blind a lot of people into think they are a good bet. If you want to bet on a score line the totals bets are far better. Over/under totals have some very reasonable odds and are much broader in outcome. Even winning margin bets are better than correct score.

The Crazy Fans Bets

Now we get to the really bad bets great odds but not good for your bankroll. Unless of course there is some inside info. We are of talking about the goal scorer bets. It has to be said not all are crazy the score anytime can be very lucrative if you can get a good price. But the score first and score last are pure punts. Then score two or more they could be a good bet if there is some particular form on a player but it’s rare. If you are just having a punt on your favourite go for it. If you are a sensible sports bettor that takes their hobby seriously think long and hard before chasing the goal scorer markets.
There’s a reason the prices are so good. Depending on the bookies you can find all kinds of ‘specials bets’ these can be number of penalty minutes. Number of goals scored in penalties. Avoid them.

The NHL Has So Many Clever Markets

Using your stats knowledge there can be any number of markets that work for any particular match. 1st period result and 2 or more goals if it’s a very strong team that come out of the blocks firing this can be an excellent bet. Puck line handicaps can be a smart bet to get some better odds on a favorite. But in the NHL this one can backfire badly. The 60 min double chance is a great way to hedge you can choose two of the three possible outcomes and get a price that is reasonable.
The bottom line is there are a ton of markets that might work well in a game depending on current form. Generally if you want the best odds avoid Las Vegas books. You will get terrible prices. The European facing bookies tend to give much better odds. It depends where you are betting from. If you are living in the UK you will get some fantastic odds but most of the books will be offering the same prices on the main markets. You will get some fluctuations on the lesser markets. Betting on the NHL is all about stats and keeping yourself informed of current developments.
The more you study ice hockey the more you will get hooked. Brutal yet beautiful. Fast but tactical, it is warfare on ice. Betting on the game just enhances the pleasure. Remember to only bet what you can afford and keep it fun. Good Luck.