Even if you regularly bet on other sports, if you are a newcomer to ice hockey, you need to carefully consider various specific factors of the game before you can start placing bets most advantageously. Here are seven hockey betting mistakes beginners commonly experience. Make sure you avoid them.
Not Knowing the Difference Between the Common Types of Bets
Whether you are betting on hockey in the United States, England, or Norway, you will have a wide variety of bet options. You need to familiarize yourself with all of the most common types of bets so that you can determine the most predictable lines that provide the greatest payouts.
Some of the most popular wagers for hockey are:
Fixating on Shots on Goal
While you may think studying teams’ recent shot differentials is a good way of assessing the performance of individual teams, it can be misleading. That is because lesser-skilled teams often shoot as many times as they can to increase their chances of scoring while highly-skilled teams save their shot attempts for clear scoring opportunities.
Not Paying Attention to Which Goalie Is Playing
If you think you can make betting decisions solely based on the forwards in a game, you need to think again. It is vital you know which goalies are playing, as the goalie is the most important member of the team to consider before placing wagers. By checking goalies’ save percentages and goals-against averages, you will be better informed to make the right betting choices.
Not Considering Home and Away Games
Seeing as travel takes a toll on almost everyone, it is only natural that on average, home teams perform better than away teams. However, it is of course not always the case that home teams win. The important thing is to weigh up home and away game considerations with other factors that determine your choice of bet.
Overreacting to Player Injuries
Unlike the NBA or NFL, where player injuries can cause a massive difference to the outcome of games, injuries are not as damaging for team performances in hockey. That is because players generally do not play more than one-third of a match. So, even when a star player suffers an injury, it will not affect the outcome of a game as much as it would in other sports.
Not Considering Overtime and Shootouts
After the 2004-2005 season, the NHL implemented new rules to remove the possibility of games tying. Now, NHL hockey games end with a shootout at the end of the overtime period. That has led to teams sometimes playing conservatively when the game is tied late on, with the hope of winning the match in overtime or shootout. If you expect a game to be close between two teams, and therefore overtime and shootouts are likely to occur, take that fact into consideration when placing puck line bets. For instance, you will gain more value by placing the +0.5 spread on the underdog.
Not Comparing Odds
One of the biggest mistakes beginners commonly make when betting on hockey is not shopping around for the best odds. Be sure to compare the odds from different sportsbooks and bookmakers to ensure you can gain the best return on investment.
