How to Bet NHL Underdogs

 

One of the best reasons for betting on NHL hockey is the market. It’s a softer market compared to the NFL, college football, and the NBA.

Not as many people bet on the NHL making the market less efficient than other sports. While that doesn’t mean betting on hockey is easy, it does mean there is plenty of room for opportunity.

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Underdogs Straight Up

For the most part, hockey is a moneyline sport. Games are low-scoring and it’s often easier to simply pick a winner. That is what a moneyline bet is. You wager on a team to win. For example:

            Islanders         +118

            Rangers          -107

The Rangers are favored - as indicated by the -107 - to beat the Islanders. The odds (-107) will tell you how much you would win based on a $100 bet. In this case, a winning bet on the Rangers would payout $100 on a $107 wager. A $100 winning bet on the Islanders would payout $118 at America’s Bookie.

In any given NHL season, underdogs typically have a losing record. Favorites usually win 60 percent or more of the games in the NHL.

Underdogs Against the Spread

When betting NHL underdogs, it makes the most sense to do so against the spread. Because of the limited scoring in hockey, bettors can bet on the puck line. The puck line - or point spread - is typically set at 1.5.

That means when a bettor backs a favorite the favorite must win by at least two goals. A winning bet on an NHL underdog occurs when the dog loses by one or wins outright. Historically, this happens quite often in the NHL.

In an average NHL season, underdogs win more often on the puck line - against the spread - than they lose. It is no surprise when NHL underdogs win against the spread 55 to 60 percent of the time.

Keep learning to become a smarter sports bettor. Here’s an article on Betting NFL totals.

When to Bet NHL Underdogs

One would think that a team has a slight advantage against an opponent when they are playing at home. That may or may not be true, but the betting public typically believes it.

It might make sense then to bet on the NHL underdog that is playing at home. Again, history is on the side of the NHL home underdog. It is not uncommon for NHL teams playing at home as an underdog to win 55 to 60 percent of the time.

If you’re an NHL bettor looking for true value, you will find the road underdog actually is your best bet. Road underdogs win against the spread at roughly the same pace that favorites win games outright in the NHL.

Getting sharp betting lines is key to win more bets. Take a look at three big mistakes when picking a sportsbook. Believe it or not, your sportsbook should help you win. In a perfect world, 50% of bettors will win on a given night.

In an average NHL season, road underdogs will record ATS wins upwards of 60 percent of the time. For an NHL bettor it pays to look at situations that are advantageous involving road underdogs.

After carefully analyzing the data, making sound betting decisions on road underdogs can help bettors improve their winning percentage and their bottom line.