What factors do you use when betting hockey games?

[alexie]

What are the main factors you guys use when betting hockey games?

I know the main one is obviously goaltending but there are lot of situational factors to betting hockey like scheduling, motivation and confidence.

What do you guys evaluate when betting on a game?

[xxx]

i keep up to date with injuries, teams special units, back to back games, ive seen teams play 5gm in 7 nights. I keep my ears open on the radio; flu bug hits a team, it's winter, traveling delays coming into the city 2am in the morning.....

[VegasVic]

Other aspects beyond what’s already been stated.

Current form
Value of number
Past recent, (and long term), history between opponents.


A couple of old time favorites that always prove to be profitable:
Always back a team playing it’s first game under a new coach.
Back the draw line, late in the season, especially games played within a division and especially from the Northwest division.
Correlated parlay…the Devils with the under when Marty Brodeur goes to Montreal.
Ditto with…Marty Turco versus Vancouver or Minnesota under any circumstance.

[PuckOff]

Some thing I watch out for are:

Ice conditions. Ice in Edmonton is fast. Best ice in the league. Ice out west (California, Phoenix etc.) is slow therefore slower game.

Who is coaching? Some coaches play the trap. Look at Minny with Lemaire coaching.

Another is Penalties. Some team play goon hockey at home therefore will take many penalties.

Goalies and their style of play. Keep an eye out for goalies who flop or play the butterfly. Team with high offensive will likely use the deke and go high often on these goalies. Jose Theodore is a butterfly goalie who always flops to his knees and gets beat high all the time.

Previous games/Travel. Look out for an overtime game the night before and then the team travels after that overtime loss. Also check out the amount of times that the team who loses and travel after the game for the amount of time they spent killing penalties.

Coach gets fired. Often times a team will play well right after a coach gets fired. Look at Washington last year. Boudreau comes in and gets the team into the playoffs.