NHL Fantasy – What To Look For In Your Draft

NHL fans everywhere like to get in on some betting action, but fantasy sports has grown quickly and is hot on the heels of wagering when it comes to getting the attention of the people. Draft day is always a fun time if you’re in a fantasy pool, and here is what you should look for.

It’s a no brainer that you should look to take a center or a right wing with your first couple of picks; they score the most points and there are a lot of good players at each position (this is like telling a Superbowl betting player to look for quarterbacks and running backs in their fantasy drafts). Left wing doesn’t have the talent pool that the other forward positions have. Try and find a solid left wing early in the draft if you can because there aren’t many and you’ll have a chance to find another center or right wing later on.

When it comes to defensemen, it all depends on how your league is scored. Do points count for more? How about hits or plus/minus? Even penalty minutes should be a factor if those count (this goes for forwards as well), and there are a lot of good defensemen out there. Lean towards the offensive blueliners, but check your scoring first.

Finally, goaltending is always important, and you should try and take one within your first few picks. Of course, you should look for a goalie that plays a lot, which is getting more difficult as teams are trying to run with a two-goalie system to boost their odds at online betting sites.

NHL Fantasy – Is There A Need For Enforcers?

One of the biggest NHL debates right now is whether teams need enforcers anymore, and with the rise in concussions, there is an even bigger spotlight on fighting in the game of hockey. That is an argument for another day, but strictly speaking from a fantasy point of view, do you need to pick up fighters?

Enforcers are really only worth something in leagues that count penalty minutes (these will be denoted by PIMs), because they don’t offer much else for the most part and they don’t get that much ice time. A lot of teams don’t even carry enforcers anymore because officials are watching fighting more closely, and those that use price per head solutions will tell you that they really don’t affect a team’s chances to win at all.

But there is value in players that can play a power style of hockey, such as Philadelphia’s Scott Hartnell Edmonton’s Ryan Smyth and Boston’s Brad Marchand, players that can find their way to the scoresheet, but they’re not afraid to get their hands dirty and they will make their way to the penalty box. These guys aren’t what you would call enforcers at all, and in Marchand’s case, he wouldn’t even be a power forward; he is simply an agitator, but he winds up getting penalty minutes and that can help.

Enforcers probably aren’t needed in leagues that don’t count PIMs, but even in leagues that do, look for the players that can play both ways; these are also important players to a team’s sports betting chances.

NHL Betting – How To Bet On Hockey

Toronto Maple Leafs fans won’t be betting on their team’s chances to win the Stanley Cup anytime soon, but they probably still like to wager and betting on hockey has a few more options than you may expect. Here are different methods of wagering on the NHL.

Money Lines

You can use money lines, which is easier to break down if you think of it in terms of $100 bets. For the most part, sportsbooks (as well as price per head companies that help set lines) will use the 20-cent rule, which is the difference in odds between the favorite (which is shown by a minus sign) and underdog (a plus sign). You would be able to wager on Edmonton at -150, or Calgary at +130, and this means you would wager $150 to win $100 for the Oilers, or you would wager $100 to win $130 on the Flames.

Puck Lines

Puck lines are a twist on money lines in that you have to bet on the amount of goals a team wins by. Using the above example, it would look like Edmonton +1.5 (-150) or Calgary -1.5 (+130). That means you win on the Oilers if they win or lose by only one, while the Flames have to win by two or more.

Totals

Totals are exactly as they sound: you wager on the total amount of goals in a game, betting on the over or under.

Grand Salami

This is similar to totals in that you are betting on the total amount of goals for that particular night in the NHL. This is definitely a way to make your online wagering more interesting.

NHL Odds – Pacific Rivals Go Head-To-Head In Los Angeles

Those watching NHL scores on Saturday night will be treated to an intriguing game from the Pacific Division, where Los Angeles will host Dallas in a clash of two teams trying to keep pace in a crowded division.

Stars Kings Odds – Saturday, 10:30 PM ET

This will be the second game of a five-game road trip for the Stars, who will be in San Jose on Thursday. Those who use a price per head service have backed off Dallas a little bit since their hot start as they’ve battled injuries, and they’re now without defenseman Mark Fistric, who was suspended for three games on Wednesday for a hit on Saturday.

The Kings have dropped two in a row, both by one goal and they still have to play Minnesota on Thursday night, and Los Angeles has been all over the place this season so it’s difficult to predict how they’re going to play on a nightly basis. Between injuries and inconsistency, you can’t get a read on the Kings, who are struggling to put the puck in the net and that is the last thing that Kings’ fans figured their team had to worry about.

Los Angeles should be the favorite at home in their fourth meeting with Dallas, who have dropped two of those games and they were blanked 1-0 at the Staples Center in October. As of Thursday, the Stars were 6-6-0 on the road, and Los Angeles is 8-7-1 at home, so there isn’t much between the two. The Stars are banged up, and that’s why we’re taking Los Angeles with our sports bet on Saturday.

NHL Odds – Crosby, Penguins Head To Montreal

NHL fans of teams outside of Pittsburgh should be worried, as the Penguins have captain Sidney Crosby back in the lineup and that doesn’t bode well for their chances. The Penguins will be in Montreal on Saturday, and the childhood Canadiens fan always shows up to play in La Bella Province.

Penguins Canadiens Odds – Saturday, 7:00 PM ET

Pittsburgh’s odds in your pay per head sportsbook were solid to begin with, but they may jump to the front of the line with Crosby back in the lineup after his four-point performance in his return against the New York Islanders. The Penguins led the Eastern Conference without the best player in hockey: Crosby is the type of player that makes others better, so the Penguins are in prime position, as long as they stay healthy. They’ll host St. Louis on Wednesday and then Ottawa on Friday.

The Canadiens will be in Carolina on Wednesday before travelling to Philadelphia on Friday and returning home on Saturday, and Montreal has fallen to the bottom of the Northeast, although they’re only five points behind first-place Toronto. A lack of goals is going to be tough for Montreal to overcome this season.

Montreal may be the favorites at home, where they’ve won three of their last five with the Penguins, but the line won’t be large and with Crosby in the lineup, it wouldn’t be a surprise at all if the Penguins were favored. Crosby has 26 points in 19 games against the Canadiens, and it’ll be interesting to see how he handles games on back-to-back nights, but he has also be off for almost a year. We’re taking Pittsburgh for the win in your online wagering picks.

NHL Odds – Kings Host Canucks In Western Conference Clash

Those following NHL scores should check out a matchup in Los Angeles on Thursday night, when the Kings will host Vancouver in a meeting of two teams that are looking to represent the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup finals. The Canucks fell just short in the Cup finals last season, and the Kings are one of the teams out to replace them.

Canucks Kings Odds – Thursday, 10:30 PM ET

The Canucks (7-7-1) are in the midst of a road trip and on Sunday, they romped to a 6-2 win over their rivals from Chicago as they put up five goals on the power play. Pay head players know that the Canucks are tough to beat, and on Sunday, they were lethal with the man advantage. The Sedins combined for two goals and five points, while Roberto Luongo made 38 saves for the Canucks.

The Kings (7-5-3) edged Nashville 4-3 at home on Tuesday to snap a five-game skid, with Drew Doughty scoring his first goal of the season, while Mike Richards added his third goal since coming to Los Angeles. Jonathan Bernier stopped 27 shots for the Kings, who were outshot 14-4 in the third period.

Los Angeles should be the slight favorites at home, where they are 2-3 SU in their last five meetings with Vancouver, and three of those games went over the posted total. Kings starter Jonathan Quick and Luongo has squared off in four of those games, and Vancouver has won three of them. Take the Canucks in your online sports book.

NHL Odds – Capitals Look To Challenge Canucks

NHL fans will get a huge matchup on Saturday night in Vancouver, where the Stanley Cup finalists will host Washington, who is off to a torrid start to the season. A win over the Canucks would be a feather in their cap, but Vancouver won’t roll over for Washington.

Capitals Canucks Odds – Saturday, 10:00 PM ET

The Capitals have won their first seven games of the season ahead of a game in Edmonton on Thursday, but even if they lose that game, a 7-1 win at home over Detroit last Saturday may have swayed some price per head sports fans. While the Capitals have gone back to their freewheeling ways, the addition of Tomas Vokoun in goal may be the piece to put them over the hump.

The Canucks fell 3-2 in Edmonton on Tuesday and host St. Louis on Wednesday, and some in Vancouver are wondering what is going on with Roberto Luongo, who is off to a rough start. He was pulled against the Oilers and Cory Schneider will start on Wednesday, but Luongo needs a big performance on Saturday to quiet some of the critics.

The NHL odds for this game will be close, but the Canucks should be slight favorites at home, where they are 4-1 SU in their last five meetings with the Capitals since 1999 with two games falling under the total. Look for Vancouver to put up an inspired effort, especially if the Capitals are still unbeaten, so place your wager on the Canucks on Saturday night at your favorite sportsbooks.

NHL Odds – Preview And Picks For The Weekend

NHL fans should be gearing up for a busy Saturday night, which is generally the time on the weekend when hockey heats up, and here are a couple of games you should keep your eye on.

Kings Flyers Odds – Saturday, 7:00 PM ET

Philadelphia should be the home favorites according to price per head odds, but this game has its own storyline as Mike Richards was traded out west from the Flyers, and some say the former captain fostered a locker room that was known for being big partiers. The Kings are 1-4 SU in their last five trips to Philadelphia, but look for Richards to play with a chip on his shoulder and lead his new team to a win over the club where he grew up.

Bruins Blackhawks Odds – 8:30 PM ET

The Blackhawks should also be favored at home in this meeting of the last two Stanley Cup winners, but the Bruins are 2-2-1 SU in their last five games in the Windy City. It’s going to be a battle of Boston’s defense against Chicago’s willingness to play a wide-open game, but the Blackhawks have an underrated goalie in Corey Crawford that has the ability to break out this season. If the Blackhawks’ defense gets it together, they could find themselves in the hunt for another Cup, and they’ll look at this game as a litmus test as to where they stand. Chicago is the play when you bet on sports on Saturday.

NHL Betting – Early Trade Rumors Often Nothing More Than Speculation

With the NHL regular season finally here, it seems as though sports betting fans cannot get enough action already, and that has led to the talent on the ice carrying over in to talk around the water cooler, and the presumption of some early season trades. As is often the case in this situation, there truly is no reason to fall for some of these early rumors, especially considering how early on in the year it is. Most general managers around the league would have had a strong idea of the outlook for their team during the preseason, and if they desired to make a move, the likely would have.

Of course, the one sports betting exception to this rule is in situations where general managers are addressing injuries. With the loss of Travis Zajac in New Jersey, the Devils signed veteran Petr Sykora to take his spot in the lineup as a top-six forward. But while GM’s will make necessary moves such as that one, a blockbuster trade is very unlikely to go down this early. The rumors in Toronto earlier this week were that the Ottawa Senators might trade Jason Spezza to the Maple Leafs for a wealth of young talent, but that certainly isn’t the case as neither franchise has confirmed any desire to entertain that idea. The same can be said about the Montreal Canadiens with Andrei Kostitsyn. Although the young winger has yet to prove himself as a consistent top-six forward, the Canadiens have decided to give him every opportunity once again, and have him slated on the top pay per head line beside Tomas Plekanec and Mike Cammalleri.

NHL Betting – Lightning, Hurricanes Among Teams That Missed Out In Free Agency

While some teams made a splash in NHL free agency, there were others that didn’t do enough. The concept of building through the draft is still an important aspect of becoming a contender, but for several teams that are on the bubble missing out on some of the stars out there on the open market simply wasn’t the right way to go. When looking at the team’s that didn’t do enough in free agency, it isn’t just about focusing on those that didn’t go out and land players from other sports betting teams, as there were a handful that actually gave up on some of their own.

One of the biggest losers this offseason was the Tampa Bay Lightning, which kept Steven Stamkos in the fold but lost a couple of key sports betting bonus pieces. The Lightning benefited from the play of both Domenic Moore and Dana Tyrell in the postseason, but they could have used some added depth to help them out on another potential run. If Roloson cannot be the player he was last year at 41-years old, Tampa Bay could be in trouble. Staying in the Southeast division, the Carolina Hurricanes are another team that could have taken a step forward, but may instead take a step back with Erik Cole leaving for the Montreal Canadiens. The Hurricanes were unwilling to sign Cole to the money that the Canadiens did, and that could hurt them as they lose 26 goals. The Hurricanes and Lightning have both gambled by missing out in free agency, and it will be interesting to see if they can go fishing to overcome it.