Sports betting has been taking off in the US, doubling in value in 2021, with a $52.7 billion bet. Hockey betting has been no exception as more and more bettors are getting in on the action.
One of the most popular bets in the sport is to bet on the hockey moneyline. For those that are not familiar, this is when you bet on a team to win a game outright.
However, considering how difficult it is to make a profit in sports betting, it can be easier said than done to win on betting the NHL moneyline.
So, is there a secret to winning on these types of bets? What are the best things that you can do to improve your odds?
This is your guide on NHL moneyline bets.
Check the Goalie Matchup
One of the most important things that you can do when it comes to moneyline bets is to check who the starting goalie is going to be in any given game.
The reason for this is because at least in the regular season, it is likely that the starting goalie is not going to play every game. This is especially true if the team is playing two straight days or has three games in a four or five-day stretch.
If you check the schedule for this situation, you are likely going to run into a day where the starting goalie is going to be benched.
Another situation where the goalie might be benched is if they are dealing with an injury or if the team that they are facing is a bad match for them.
Check these matchups because they can not only affect the chances that the team has of winning the game but also the hockey odds that you will get on the moneyline. The goalie is arguably the most influential position on the ice because a hot goalie that is putting up a shutout can carry a team to victory.
Avoid Heavy Favorites
Bettors may be tempted to take a heavy favorite on a moneyline because they believe that a team is a lock to win. However, this is bad thinking for a sports bettor because it can have negative repercussions on your profits in the long run.
An example would be during the regular season if the Tampa Bay Lightning faced the Ottawa Senators. Here, you may run into a situation where the Lightning is around -200 on the moneyline.
A casual bettor may be willing to take the chance of putting up $200 to win $100 because one team has a much better record than the other. But if the Senators were to win the game, the bettor is then out $200 and they will have lost two bets at once.
Taking heavy favorites on the moneyline can be dangerous for profit chances if done consistently.
A better option would be to take either a matchup that has about even odds or even an under-the-radar underdog that you think is getting friendly odds. An example would be finding a team that has a +150 moneyline that you believe has a legitimate shot at winning the game.
Keeping an eye on the actual odds can be a great way to find real value in a bet and make sure that you get rewarded for teams that you take chances on. You can find NHL predictions today to get the best idea of where that value is.
End of Regulation Bets
Are you not sure who to bet on in certain games? Well, some sportsbooks will give you the option of betting on a game being tied after regulation.
This actually happens quite often in the NHL but yet, but you can find some real value on the moneyline in these bets. An example could be finding an end of regulation bet for about +350 odds when the moneyline bets for the two teams playing are sitting around -110 each.
Now, it is not the best idea to do this bet exclusively because not every game is going to end up going to overtime. However, once in a while you will find good value in the moneyline odds for this type of bet and if you hit this type of bet enough times, you could end up making a decent profit from it.
Avoid Your Bias
One of the most common mistakes that some sports bettors like to make is betting with their hearts. By this, it means that casual bettors like to throw a bet on their own team and hope for the best.
They will even do this sometimes if they have no confidence in the team but rather just show support for the team. On the opposite side of the spectrum, they may throw a bet on the opposing team of their rival.
For example, let’s say that you are a New Jersey Devils fan and your biggest rival is the New York Rangers. Betting this way would have been a bad idea in the regular season considering the Devils were one of the worst teams in the NHL and the Rangers had one of the best records.
Avoid betting with your heart and let your head prevail.
Win Your Hockey Moneyline Bets
These are just some of the ways that you can increase your odds on hockey moneyline bets. You have to bet with your head, keep an eye on the odds, and check specific matchups to succeed.
For more relevant information, check out our Sports section.