The National Hockey League playoffs start this week, which means one thing: we’re going to be seeing a lot of hockey games over the next month. That also means there will be a lot of betting opportunities, especially if you follow sports betting or hockey betting, so let’s take a look at how to read and use betting lines in NHL games.
The Basics Of Betting Lines
The odds are always a good indicator of how much value there is in a specific sports bet. If you’re familiar with traditional odds, you’ll understand what kind of odds are used in NHL betting. The lines reflect the odds of winning, so a +125 line on a hockey game means you’ll need to wager $125 to win $100 on that game. The lines may be displayed as either win or lose, so keep that in mind when placing your bets.
The amount of volatility in the NHL betting lines is a good indicator of how confident the bookmakers are in their predictions. The lower the volatility, the more confident the bookmaker is in their prediction. The lines with the highest volatility are generally the most competitive games, especially in the later rounds of the playoffs. Keep that in mind when placing your bets!
How To Use Betting Lines
The great thing about betting lines is they give you a good indicator of how competitive a game is going to be without you even having to watch the game. Simply by looking at the lines, you know whether or not you should back your favorite team. If you’re unfamiliar, a -125 line in a hockey game means the favorite is losing, and a +125 line means the favorite is going to win. If you’re a fan of the Minnesota Wild, for example, you might want to avoid betting on them, as their odds are 22.2 to 1 against them winning the Stanley Cup this season.
It’s important to keep in mind that the lines move around a lot, and they can change dramatically over the course of a game. That makes them difficult to use, as you need to keep checking back to make sure the line is updated. Remember: the lower the volatility, the more confident the bookie is in their prediction, so you’re better off avoiding lines with high volatility altogether. That being said, if you’re ever in doubt, it’s usually best to go with the favorite, as it’s usually the safe bet, especially in the later rounds of the playoffs.
The Psychology Behind The Lines
There is a lot of psychology behind why the lines move the way they do. The first factor is greed. Since there are seven teams battling for the Stanley Cup, there are obviously going to be a lot of people wagering on the series winner. The second factor is fear. As the postseason approaches, the regular season games begin to seem more like exhibitions, as the motivation to win shifts from playing for pride to trying to prevent the other team from winning. The last factor is uncertainty. As the playoff series progress and the games draw closer, the uncertainty of the games shifts from pure sports gambling to whether or not you’ll actually like the teams you’re rooting for. It’s a dangerous time for sports bettors and hockey fans, as the motivations behind the scenes begin to creep in, and you find yourself rooting for a team just because it’s yours, not because you like their style of play.