Ice Hockey Predictions

All you need to know about ice hockey predictions

The number of fans which follow the sport of hockey continues to grow. There are more and more countries in which you can follow the action on TV, particularly the NHL, the most important hockey league worldwide. The fact that many bookmakers also offer an extensive selection of hockey related betting markets and sometimes even live streaming of certain leagues, is an excellent way to attract new fans to this exciting sport. In this article we will explore the keys to betting on hockey and how to make the most of your bets.

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Why are comebacks and late goals so common?

The rules of ice hockey make it an exciting and unpredictable sport. First off, it is one of the sports where “home field advantage” is less of an influential factor. You only have to look at the standings to see that it is not an uncommon occurrence to have teams actually perform better away from home. 

Secondly, because during the course of a game a number of penalties can occur that will leave one of the teams with numerical advantage for a period of two minutes (referred to as a power play). Being efficient in these situations can often be decisive but counter-attacks are the order of the day. A team can be pinned back and in a matter of seconds be away on a break with an excellent opportunity to net a goal.

Finally, the fact that many teams will opt to pull their goalie to have him join in on the attack in the final few minutes if trailing on the scoreboard can have a huge impact on the final score. This leads to the attacking team having an increased chance of scoring due to their numerical advantage but also sees the other team’s chances of scoring greatly increase as well due to the empty net on the other end of the ice. 

Tips on how to make more reliable ice hockey predictions 

In this section, our experts will break down some tips that will help you to get the best out of your bets, so be sure to take notes!

Tip number 1: Promotions available for American betting markets and live streaming

We recommend that you choose the right bookmaker to place your hockey bets with, with the understanding that many of them will focus primarily on the NHL. For this reason, it’s important that you keep in mind two important aspects: on the one hand, you should take advantage of the promotions offered by various bookmakers; some of which will even offer a bonus percentage on your bets for leagues such as the NHL, NBA and MLB. On the other hand, independently of bonuses, some bookmakers offer odds on the NHL in their enhanced or boosted odds section. 

In addition, having the ability to follow games through live streaming provides an excellent way to gain first-hand knowledge for our in-play bets. There are many bookmakers out there that offer their users live games completely free of charge! By taking advantage of the offers and watching the games live, you will greatly improve your chances of being a profitable and successful bettor. 

Tip number 2: Select your bet with or without overtime

Be careful! Keep in mind that because in leagues such as the NHL, NBA and MLB where there is no possibility for the match to end in a tie, bookmakers may offer bets on the winner of the game in two different ways. Pay attention, because if bets are offered in 1X2 format, they refer only to regulation time, not including the possible overtime period. In other words, you bet on the result at the end of the third period, following the conclusion of the 60 minute game. The second option would be bets that only have the option to select Team 1 or Team 2 which will include overtime and potential shootouts.

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Tip number 3: Take advantage of handicaps thanks to empty-net goals

Handicap spreads can be very popular whether you place your bets pre-match or live. If you are looking for a surprise before the game starts and you see that odds of the ‘inferior’ team has sky-high odds, it could present a potentially profitable situation. The favorite will likely push the action, especially if it finds itself trailing on the scoreboard late on in the game. This could lead to an empty-net situation which, as discussed earlier, can impact the result, spread and total of a matchup. 

The same scenario can play out in live betting. Even if the teams are tied in the final and third period, do not rule out the possibility of victory by two or more goals for one of the teams. This is because, in the event of one of the teams taking the lead, the trailing team is likely to throw everyone forward in the final minutes, exposing their goal for an empty-net possibility. 

Tip number 4: Analyze the standings and the recent form of the teams.

Remember that in the NHL, similar to other American leagues such as the MLB, NBA and NFL, there is no relegation for the weaker teams to worry about. Therefore, a team that no longer has a chance at reaching the postseason will sometimes opt for significant changes in either tactics or personnel. This could manifest itself in the head coach giving minutes to the young players, or the general manager opting to trade key players with the draft in mind. Knowing which teams have a lot at stake as well as which teams have nothing to play for is fundamental.

Knowing the dynamics and morale of a team in regards to a winning or losing streak as well as knowing if a team is suffering from an injury crisis can often prove to be decisive to determining whether a team is the favorite or the underdog. Going to the official NHL website and reading the injury report along with the individual news for each team can be very useful.

Why will you benefit from our experts’ predictions?

Sports are not an exact science. But what is clear is that the more tools we have at our disposal to analyze each and every factor of a match that we are going to bet on, the easier it will be to get it right.

The previews and predictions that users can find on SportyTrader will allow them to save time studying the match. Why? Because our experts have done part of the work for them and in their preview will include the ranking of the teams, their recent results and the chance that they have in the upcoming matchup. Not to mention that all of this is for free! It’s then up to the reader to decide whether or not they agree with the prediction, which will always be backed up with reasoning and statistics. The goal of our previews is always to provide the reader with more information. When it comes to sports betting especially, information is power. 

Want more information on ice hockey and the NHL?

If you are interested in learning more about hockey and consequently the NHL, the most important league in this sport, you will always find a season analysis on SportyTrader to get an overview on the competition. Every time there is a game on, you’ll also be able to easily compare the differing bookmakers’ odds at just a glance.

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