Top 10 Free NHL Betting Tips
Betting on the NHL is a lot of fun and can be very profitable, too. But, if you're looking to win consistently and beat the sportsbooks, you should have a good strategy in mind.
These 10 free NHL betting tips that you can use to tilt those NHL odds in your favour!
If you’re new to sports betting we recommend you to check out our NHL betting guide first.
NHL Betting Tip #1: Manage the Bankroll
Whenever you're betting on the NHL, you should have a solid grasp on your bankroll, which includes a defined plan for how you're going to wager. The base of this is coming up with a stable bet amount, known as your "unit." Every one-unit bet will equal this bet amount -- and it should be a relatively small percentage of your total bankroll.
For example, if your bankroll is $1,000, then you might make your unit be $25. This means every one-unit bet will equal $25. This will help keep you on track and not lose your money too fast, allowing you to pile up wins over time.
NHL Betting Tip #2: Know the Lineup
The NHL season is a long one, 82 games in total. Because of this, player injuries can add up over the season. A huge mistake would not be checking the daily injury report before placing a bet. Having a star player out of a game could dramatically alter the outcome of the game, and the bet as a result.
NHL Betting Tip #3: Check Who's in Goal
Even the best NHL goaltenders don't play every game. In fact, most NHL goaltenders play about two-thirds to three-fourths of their team's games. This means there are at least 20 games in a season in which the backup goaltender will be minding the net.
Before you place your bets on individual games, check to see which goalie is going to be in net. That can really help determine the predicted outcome of a game.
NHL Betting Tip #4: Check Matchups
The NHL is a sport that’s full of emotion. Because so many games are played against common opponents, too, there's a lot of strategy that goes into every game. You should pay attention to past performance against each team to see how your bet may fare. The best team in the league may just have a lot of trouble with the worst team. So, even if they are huge favorites in this hypothetical game, the matchup may not work in their favor.
NHL Betting Tip #5: Parlay Big Favorites on the Moneyline
One of the frustrating parts about betting on the NHL is that some favorites can have very long odds on the moneyline. Heavy favorites can typically have odds of greater than -200, which makes it hard to bet on.
However, you could parlay three or more heavy favorites in a night together, to get you a nice payout. This is a more advanced tip, but one that you could take advantage of to even out the odds in your favor.
If you want to know more parlays in the NHL, check out our NHL parlay betting guide!
NHL Betting Tip #6: Play Heavy Favorites Live
Another option if you want to wager on a heavy favorite on the moneyline is to wait until the puck has dropped and participate in live betting. The idea here is to hope the favorite falls behind in the game. If they do, the sportsbook will adjust the moneyline odds down from the original pre-game line.
Then, you can pounce on the heavy favorite at the lower odds, and hope they just come back and win. Being down one goal early is not that hard for heavy favorites to overcome.
NHL Betting Tip #7: Follow the Line Movements
NHL lines will move pre-game based on a number of factors. Take a look at pre-game odds early in the day, and then track how they move before placing your bet if you're unsure.
Lines can move for a number of reasons. This could include an injury sustained by a player, some other news regarding the game or because a lot of money is coming in on one side.
You won't always be able to glean information that you can use from line movements. However, a large line movement should raise at least some alarm that maybe you're missing something.
NHL Betting Tip #8: Look at the Refs
If you want to get a little more granular with your analysis, you could handicap the referees for a game. Each ref has his own tendencies in terms of penalty calls. Those refs who let the game play out more will give advantages to stronger, bigger teams.
Those teams who rely more on finesse and speed will get more of an advantage from refs who don't allow a lot of contact. Teams that have great power-play units can also benefit from this type of referee.
You can also use the tendencies of refs in over/under bets. More penalties result in more power plays, which can result in more goals.
NHL Betting Tip #9: Look at Recent Results
There are so many games on the NHL schedule each week that teams often run hot and cold throughout the year. You can take advantage of this when you're betting on the NHL.
One of the best NHL betting tips is to follow the in-season trends for each team. Even bad teams get hot at times, and this can allow you to take advantage of betting on them on the moneyline as sometimes big underdogs.
NHL Betting Tip #10: Take Season-Long Performance with a Grain of Salt
Along the same lines, you shouldn't ignore season-long performance, but you shouldn't overvalue it at the same time. For example, the top-performing teams will go on cold streaks at times. So, this means they won't just automatically win against even the worst teams in the league, especially if their cold streak coincides with the other team's hot streak.
The NHL is a long season with a lot of games, so focus your attention more on what's happening recently rather than only on what's happened over the long season.
If you liked our free NHL betting tips, check out our five NHL betting strategies!