If you are a fan of the exciting world of hockey, then you probably already know what the Moneyline is. The Moneyline is an abbrv title used when referring to the money line in hockey betting. It is generally accepted that the Moneyline was first used in reference to horse racing where the money line is the line used to determine the winner. For example, if a horse named Apple wins a race with a cash register sound value of $100, the bettor would win $100 (plus his original wager). The money in that example would be on the horse. If the same race were to be replayed and a horse named Orange wins with a cash register value of $150, the net gain or loss for the bettor would be $50 since he would win $100 and the original wager, plus $50 for his lucky Orange horse.
The moneyline in hockey is frequently used when referring to betting on NHL hockey games. For example, an NHL hockey game might be listed as NY Islanders at +160 moneyline odds, which means that the betting public is willing to wager $160 on the Islanders to win the game. Or, on the other hand, the Rangers might be listed as -210 moneyline odds, which means that the betting public is not eager to wager $210 on the Rangers to win the game. For clarity, the money line in hockey can also be referred to as the game’s over/under or total. The hockey money line is an important concept to grasp since it determines the winning side as well as the amount of money that can be made or lost on a particular game. It is also important to keep in mind that the line moves around the board depending on the betting venue and that there are various ways to exploit the line’s movement for profit or loss.
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NHL Hockey Versus College Hoops
The most basic distinction between hockey and hoops is that the former is a ‘contact’ sport while the latter is a ‘non-contact’ one. While there is definitely contact in hockey (and it is usually hard-fought and physical), there is no contact in basketball. The fact that there is no physical contact in the sport makes it extremely suitable for college campuses, where violence and injuries are not tolerated.
This is not meant to suggest that college hoops is a ‘safe’ or ‘gentleman’s’ sport. On the contrary, college basketball is one of the most exciting competitions in America with high school players going at it across the country in March Madness.
The Bettor’s Edge
As mentioned above, the moneyline in hockey gives the bettor the chance to choose whether he or she wants to wager on the home team or the away team. This is just one example of how the moneyline gives the bettor the ‘hedge’ or ‘booster’ effect that most sportsbooks were aiming for.
To further illustrate the importance of the moneyline in hockey, consider the following: Say you are a Florida Panthers fan, which team do you want to back? You could wager on the home team or the away team or place a wager on the total amount of goals to be scored in the game (that is, OVER or UNDER 2.5 goals). You could then place another wager on the total shots on goal (that is, OVER or UNDER 40). Or, you could choose to wager on the total amount of penalties in the game (that is, OVER or UNDER 10). Whatever the choice, the odds will be printed next to each wager for your convenience.
These are just some of the examples of how one can place wagers on hockey. Like most forms of entertainment, the more you know about something, the more you can wager on it successfully. For instance, you might know that the Edmonton Oilers are quite a good team that usually underperforms their expected stats, which makes them suitable for betting. You can then place a wager on the number of goals that the Boston Bruins will score in the game. Or, if you are aware that the Philadelphia Flyers are quite slow starters, you can bet on the OVER 2.5 goals in the game for the Flyers.
Hockey’s Popularity On The Rise
One of the biggest takeaways from the 2018 hockey season is the sport’s popularity on the rise. Not only does it seem that people are becoming more familiar with the sport but also, more importantly, they are more willing to bet on it. The following table illustrates this point.
The popularity of hockey does not seem to be waning, which was quite the opposite during the winter months when other sports were more appealing.
The average number of bets placed per week on NHL hockey increased by +16% from 765,000 in 2016 to 962,000 in 2018. Not only did this represent a 17% growth rate, but it was also the highest average weekly wagers per week since 2014.
This should come as no great surprise since the betting public is always looking for a way to put more money on the games they love. In addition, more and more people are realizing the importance of picking winners before, during, and after games. They are learning to utilize the power of analysis tools to find games that are most likely to end in a win. This is important for gamblers because it means they don’t spend as much money as expected on games that are not likely to end in a victory. For instance, if you bet $100 on a team that you think is 3-0, but the game ends in a 0-0 tie, you’ll only win $100 back (if you were on the right side of the bet, of course). Analyzing sports data and making educated wagers is something that will help you win more often than not.
Thanks to the above, it should come as no great surprise that the majority of bets in 2018 were on the over/under or total. These types of bets allow for some of the most exciting betting opportunities in all of sports. This is because fans and bettors alike know that these two statistics are frequently linked together. When one is bet on the other, it is commonly referred to as a ‘coin toss.’ This is a perfect example of how analyzing stats and relying on ones intuition can lead you to profitable wagers.
Wagering On Individual Stats In Hockey
Individual statistics in hockey have become increasingly important since the dawn of the stat era. Much like in other sports, fans and bookmakers alike are valuing these stats as a way to determine a player’s effectiveness and contribution to a team. As a hockey fan yourself, you might be wondering why this is important and how to wager on these stats successfully.
Here are a few tips on how to make the most of individual stats in hockey:
- Find an established team that you think will exceed their expected stats based on past performance.
- Choose a player whose stat you think is most likely to change from week to week. This way, you will be able to track their progress over time and make an educated guess as to whether they will perform better or worse than expected.
- Watch for players who have a history of producing outstanding individual numbers and seeing those numbers reflected on the stat sheet. Those who have such a track record usually have a significant impact on a game’s outcome, even when they are not necessarily involved in the scoring. This is why they are often selected as ‘performers’ or ‘showcases’ for other players to follow.
- Look for players who are statistically effective in creating scoring chances for themselves and others. A good example of this are goalies who regularly face shots from all over the ice, some of which are bound to go in. As the above example illustrates, these types of goalsies normally end up winning games since their teammates usually score the needed goals to make it 2-1 or 3-1 (in this case) in favor of the goalie’s team.
Betting On Teams With High Scoring Chances
Since scoring in hockey is most frequently measured in the form of goals, it is only natural that most bets are placed on the OVER or UNDER 2.5 or 3.0 goals. The general public is not very knowledgeable when it comes to predicting the amount of goals that will be scored in a game, especially in the NHL where teams frequently go through scoring slumps. Making high-scoring chances predictions is something that will help you win more often than not since teams with high scoring chances are usually in a position to score more goals than expected. Even in the 2017/2018 season, when much of the league was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, high-scoring teams still managed to rack up a combined total of 1,957 goals, more than any other season in the past 15 years. The table below illustrates how frequently this sort of bet is placed and won.