The NHL is by far the most popular hockey league in the world and most people that bet on hockey will stick to the NHL. If you want to move into other leagues then you’re going to need to look at some of the professional leagues in Europe and Russia. There are some great quality pro hockey leagues in other parts of the world, but if you don’t know much about them then there is no point betting on them.
The NHL is split up into two conferences and each conference has a total of four divisions. Generally certain divisions are won by the same team every year, but for the most part the league is very competitive. The worst team in the league will always have a shot at beating the best team in the league and this isn’t always a good thing for cappers. Since you can’t rely on just picking the favourites to win every night you will actually need to make sure you do some research.
Most NHL teams don’t get that much rest during the NHL season so it’s important that you follow all of the team’s schedules. By knowing when teams are rested and when they aren’t you’re going to be giving yourself a huge advantage over the typical hockey betting capper. A lot of cappers only pick the best teams to win and they will often pay whatever juice is involved. If you get into the habit of doing this you can kiss your entire sports betting bankroll goodbye.
When betting on hockey you want to make sure you avoid huge favourites like the plague. If you don’t then you’re going to find out quickly why they can hurt your bankroll. If you’re dead set on betting a favourite then you should make sure you bet on the spread for the game. Most bookies offer certain spreads for hockey games including -1, -1.5 and -2. If you bet on a team to win by -1 and they only win by 1 then the bet is a push. So if you think that a heavy favourite is going to smoke the other team then betting on the -1 spread is much smarter then betting the game straight. If the team loses you’d have lost anyway and if they only win by 1 then you break even. The benefits of this bet for outweigh the benefits of the straight wager.
Lots of people also bet on sports when it comes time for the World Junior Championships and the Winter Olympics. Hockey is one of the most popular sports at the Winter Olympics and there is tons of money exchanging hands during this time. I have found betting on the Olympics a lot easier then betting on the NHL, the only problem is that the hockey odds are all messed up because the Winter Olympics only happen once every four years. If you’re anything like me then you’ll need a lot more action then a few games every four years so make sure you start getting ready for the upcoming NHL season as early as possible.
The NBA playoffs have offered up a heck of a lot of excitement so far. An historic 7-game basketball betting series, some controversial comments from one wacky owner and some bumping and bruising as only the NBA Playoffs can. So why has Lebron James not been a bigger story yet?
The answer is obvious, the Cavs are cruised through to the Eastern Conference Finals. I wouldn’t say “under the radar,” since James is never under the radar, but they haven’t exactly grabbed the headlines. Don’t let that deter you from believing the Cavs will win the title this year. You should’ve been betting on it a few months ago, and you still should be betting on it now. It’s early still, but let’s look at the possible lines for each step of the way for them before they cross the finish line.
Cavs vs. Celtics: Yes, I’m calling the Celtics, as much as I want the Magic to cover the NBA odds and to drop the team that finished off my Bulls, Orlando had their chance and couldn’t keep the champs down. So now the edge lies with Boston to move on to face the Cleveland LeBrons. I think the home team will be favored all the way through. As impressive as the Cavs have been so far, they’ve largely been untested, so it waits to be seen how LeBron can handle a really hostile road situation – as the favorite. Cavs will be 5 or 6 point favorites at home. Celts will be 3 or 4 point favorites at home. I’d peg Game 4 as the upset game. With the Cavs going back to Cleveland up 3-1 in the series.
NBA Finals: Cavs vs. Denver/Lakers. That West coast finals series is going to be tougher to call with regards to NBA Betting, especially with how exciting Denver is playing these days. I think the Lakers will finally brush aside Houston and we’ll see a #1, #2 seed match up in both conferences. If the Cavs get the Lakers (the match up everyone is drooling over), the home team will be more heavily favored in each game, probably by 7 points – at least in the early games. I still lean toward the Lakers’ firepower and depth over Cleveland, but the Cavs have proven so far they have everything they need to win the title. Still, if the line is that large, I’d bet the road teams for games 4-6, by then both teams will be traveled and worn down a little, and I think we’ll be in for some close ones. If, by chance, the Cavs face the Nuggets, I think the Cavs will be favored the whole way through. The games might be closer than you think, though, so I’d be hesitant to jump on the Cavs bandwagon for gambling if the line is like 8-9 points at home. That’d be generous, maybe a little too much so. If the Nuggets somehow make it past LA, they’ll have earned their spot, as well.
Inter league play finishes this weekend, and we’re back to regular old boring league play this Tuesday (note the sarcasm). Let’s look at some of the more intriguing (and possibly profitable) match ups.
St. Louis at Milwaukee. Didn’t seem so long ago the Cardinals had a good hold on the NL Central, and any and all competitors were going to be looking up at them the majority of the season. Well that changed quickly, and now the Brew crew is perched atop the still-competitive division while the Cards are in a dogfight for second place with the pesky Cubs. Neither Wainwright nor Suppan (the starting pitchers) have amazing numbers this year, but both have sub-4 ERA’s and can get the job done. In this regard, the MLB betting pitching game on paper is an even match. The Brewers, despite their recent momentum are still only 10th in the NL in batting average and a horrible 15th in stolen bases. The Cards fare a little better in both categories, but neither team is known for its offensive power nor it’s incredible speed. So where will this game be won? Probably depends on whether Pujols is in the lineup. Pick ‘em line: -110 for each team. I’ll take the Brewers because they’re playing better right now, but if the over/under is 8 or less, I’d take the over as a safer bet than the line.
Florida at Philadelphia. Speaking of not so long ago…once upon a 2009, the Marlins were 11-1. Boy did that turn around quick. The fish are lingering in sub-.500 category and seem to have completely lost their early-season spark. The Phillies have returned to first-place form, and are building momentum each week. Of the two World Series teams from a year ago, the Phillies are looking like the one that deserved to be there right now according to sportsbook.com. Joe Blanton and his 6.8 ERA stumble to the mound for the world champs, who will face a currently undecided pitcher (the Marlins rotation is in such disorder, though, this might not be a bad thing, especially since they’re not exactly matching up against an ace from the opponent). These are also teams headed in different directions, not only sporting different records. Florida can’t buy a win, and the Phillies are above .500 in their last dozen games. That’ll probably take care of the Marlins, but Philly will have to improve on their 15th in the NL ERA if they’re going to make anyone scared the rest of the season and beyond. The line will make it a tough pick, though, as I expect the Phillies to be a sizable favorite going in despite Blanton on the mound. Phillies -185, Marlins +155. Depending on who Florida actually throws, I might be inclined to give the newcomer a chance and take the Marlins in an upset.