How To Handicap NHL Stanley Cup Finalists?

With one series remaining in the second round of the NHL sports betting playoffs, fans, handicappers and bloggers alike are all looking towards the Stanley Cup finals as only five teams remain. As we break down the Western Conference finals and potentially the Eastern Conference, we can’t help but notice, that every remaining team is extremely good defensively. In other words, the old adage, defense wins championships couldn’t be more true. Here is a guide on why defense is the best strategy to employ when wagering on the remaining teams.

If it were up to us, the New York Rangers would win game seven against the Washington Capitals Saturday to move on to play the New Jersey Devils in the Eastern Conference finals. Meanwhile, the LA Kings and Phoenix Coyotes are already in the midst of preparing to face each other in a sportsbook Western Conference final. With the winner of New York New Jersey facing LA or Phoenix, bettors can guarantee that all of the games go under the total on the betting line. All four teams live and die by the play of their star goalies and strong team defensive concepts.

As a result, teams such as Phoenix and New Jersey, literally need everyone to buy in to the strategy the coaches have developed, or risk being eliminated from the NHL playoffs. Meanwhile, the New York Rangers and LA Kings also play strong defense, but have plenty of game changers on their teams as well. In other words, if Phoenix and New Jersey battle for the Stanley Cup, the games may stay under the total. Yet, if LA and New York face each other, despite having good goalies, the totals could go over because both offenses are due to break out.

How To Bet On NHL Teams In Playoffs?

The NHL playoffs are underway, and Bodog handicappers in search of a new sport to wager upon, have quickly hopped aboard. Tonight marks the conclusion of the first round of the playoffs, as what started out as a 16-team tournament, has dwindled to eight teams. On paper, turning a profit during the playoffs is a much easier predicament then in the regular season. Due to fewer teams remaining for a chance at Lord Stanley’s mug, the odds of picking a winner increase dramatically.

For all intents and purposes, as the playoffs progress to the Stanley Cup finals in June, we won’t see as many goals as we witnessed in several series in the first round. For example, the nearly 50 goals scored in the Philadelphia v Pittsburgh series, likely will not be duplicated. In the Western Conference in particular, the four remaining teams, St. Louis, Phoenix, Nashville and Los Angeles, were all incredibly defensive savvy. Goaltending was an important factor to each team’s success in advancing past their opponents. St. Louis Blues goalie Brian Elliott led the playoffs similar to the regular season with a 1.99 GAA and 970 save percentage. Conversely, Pekka Rinne has the highest GAA and lowest save percentage of any remaining goalie in the Western Conference, at 2.25 GAA and 940 save percentage. What this indicates to NHL handicappers, is that they should take the under on the total for each game in the two Western Conference semi finals matchups.

In the Eastern Conference, you can also expect the goals to be at a minimum, as the potentially four remaining goalies heading into round two haven’t given up very many goals. Ilya Bryzgalov should see his numbers improve in the second round, as he becomes more comfortable carrying the Flyers. Bryzgalov along with the eliminated Marc-Andre Fleury saw both their save percentages and goals against average enter terrifying levels. Nevertheless, when the Flyers finally eliminated Pittsburgh, it was thanks to Bryzgalov who only gave up one goal, while stopping nearly 40 shots.

How To Handicap MLB Doubleheaders

The MLB returned to action late last week, and already Bodog customers are looking for a way to make a profit. Due to inclement weather throughout the season, all 30 teams go through doubleheaders. While some teams only play one or two doubleheaders a season, others play as many as five a year. As hardcore handicappers, we are always interested in making a profit in one or another. For this reason, the odds of turning a profit in a doubleheader are greater then playing four games in four days against the same team. Here is a guide looking at why doubleheaders are great to wager upon.

There’s been much debate surrounding doubleheaders, as players, managers and umpires all hate playing doubleheaders. At the same time, handicappers and oddsmakers love doubleheaders because it allows them to make an interesting profit. For example, sharp bettors will often use a chase system, which acts a double down. If you aren’t familiar with the double down system, basically you wager twice as much on one game after losing the first game. The chase system, works on the premise that you put down $10 on the first game of a doubleheader, and if you win you get back $20. However, if you lose, then you risk $20 on the second game, and if you win the second game you get back $40, making up for the loss in the first game.

Some bettors, such as ourselves, use the MLB doubleheader in an effort to win a cheap parlay. Essentially, our parlay consists of taking the same team to win both games in the doubleheader. If the team wins both then we can make just as much money as if we were betting on two games involving two separate winners. Conversely, if we lose, then we only risked money on one team.

How To Handicap The NHL Playoffs?

There are only five games left in NHL’s regular season, which you can view here. As we edge closer to playoff time, fans from other leagues such as the NFL, NBA, and college basketball are all hoping to use strategies to make a profit. As 16 teams enter the gauntlet to be named Stanley Cup Champion, there are many things to consider. Here is a March Madness betting guide to handicapping the NHL playoffs.

With the recent rise of the Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators, it will be integral, that you avoid laying too much money on heavy favorites. What tends to happen in the first round is the NHL bookies will put the top seeds in each conference as -200 favorites. However, this number is usually dropped down by the second or third game of the series, as the bookies make adjustments to the lines. The reason we pointed out Buffalo, is because they have been the hottest team in the NHL since the end of January. Meaning to say, if they face either the Pittsburgh Penguins or New York Rangers, the Sabres should provide good value as an underdog.

Another issue to consider is the success of a team with home ice advantage. The St. Louis Blues are a team of particular interest, as they are practically unbeatable on the road, while holding an okay record on the road. In other words, taking the Blues as a home favorite is almost a for sure way to win a wager. The other issue with home ice advantage is that teams that have average records through the regular season seem to pick up intensity as the year goes on. In other words, the more meaningful the game, the better performance they contribute.

What To Consider Before Making Your World Series Bet

The NBA trade deadline has come to an end, and now sports handicappers from across North America are looking for a new sport to wager upon. For us, the MLB pulls rank this time of year, as the March Madness betting tournament, seems like a losing wager. This offseason, several teams shook up their organizations and have now increased their odds to be named World Series Champion. Here is a look at some of the best and strangest MLB odds for your consideration.

For all intents and purposes, the sharp bettors always pick middle of the pack baseball teams to make it all the way to the World Series. After all, taking the odds on favorite is never fun, as there is literally no money to be had, unless you are willing to risk an arm and a leg. With that in mind, we recommend avoiding the big powerhouse teams, such as the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox, and New York Yankees. The big three as we like to call them, always make it to the playoffs, or lose out on the last day of the season.

In our opinion, two teams to watch this year are the Toronto Blue Jays at 40 to one odds and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at eight to one. Toronto has its highest odds seemingly since the lone Canadian MLB sports betting franchise won the World Series almost 20 years ago. This year’s team hasn’t made many changes, as they only revamped the bullpen. Nevertheless, the bookies believe, that if any team should finally do something, it should be Toronto. Comparable to rivals the Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto houses a ton of good prospects and their roster players were all former high draft choices.

On the other hand, the Los Angeles Angels suddenly became the Boston Red Sox of the West Coast. That is to say, after the Texas Rangers seemingly took over the AL West the past three seasons, the Angels decided that this offseason would be the one in which they made a huge splash. The Angels took former Rangers ace CJ Wilson and made him one of the richest pitchers in baseball. Then if that wasn’t enough, the Angels shocked everyone, by landing future hall of fame first baseman Albert Pujols. If the duo can continue their strong efforts throughout their careers, then the Angels should be in excellent shape and a great bet on the futures line.

How To Handicap Struggling Teams As Tournament Begins

With the March Madness betting tournament right around the corner, all of the public eyes, are on the hottest teams in the NCAA. But for sharp handicappers, as the season winds down, this is the time of year, to look at struggling teams, and how they are doing down the stretch. The next 72 hours are the biggest of the year, as college basketball betting enthusiasts will be counting down until Sunday, to see which teams are placed where in their respective conference tournaments. Today, we’ll be looking at how to handicap struggling teams, as one week doesn’t necessarily spell the end of a season.

A common misconception in sports, especially college sports, is that if a team doesn’t win their respective conference title, then they have quit on the season. In reality, for every 25 teams that make up the elite in the Associated Press’s minds, there are 25 teams, just happy to collect five to 10 wins a season. Meaning to say, as we near closer to the conference tournaments, a school that is nine and 20 on the year, may be rebuilding, and find success. In other words, just because Duke may face North Carolina State, a team struggling to find its game, doesn’t mean NC State will roll over for them.

Instead, if a team such as NC State is in a rebuild, and has a young roster, they may get up more emotionally for the game then Duke. The Blue Devils, who are run like an NBA team in the NCAA, may overlook NC State. This then, could provide serious problems for Duke’s ACC Title run and eventual March Madness seeding, since a team that is struggling, may not struggle against them. By showing up against Duke, a team such as NC State can build off of their strong play, entering next season, and raise the bar on expectations.

Shopping For Numbers When College Basketball Betting

March Madness betting lines are set to open in the next couple of weeks, as the world’s greatest playoff tournament is set to get underway on March 13. It is during this time, that sportsbooks tighten up their game so to speak, as they attempt to narrow the gap between lines on specific conferences. In other words, throughout the regular season, sharp bettors, because of the differences in odds from shop to shop, mainly handicap college basketball betting lines. However, as the tournament closes in, the shops begin to pay more attention.

One rule of thumb, no matter what sport you wager upon, is to shop around for good value. In fact, you can make the argument, that the distinguishing factor between a profitable and non-profitable gambler, is what lines they are using to place their bets with. For instance, it might not seem like much, but looking at a slew of different sportsbooks, rather then sticking with the same one for every sport, can have an immediate impact on your bottom line. After all, you are betting on the NBA or NCAA to win a few dollars, not increase the revenue of the shop you are with. Meaning to say, if your favorite book offers the March Madness final at -110 but their rival offers the final at – 105 on the favorite, you’re better off taking the rival’s number, as you are paying less juice.

Another good thing about shopping around for good value is your ability to hold multiple accounts with a number of shops. In essence, just because you are losing at one sportsbook, doesn’t mean you can’t make that money back at another shop. What a lot of sharps like to do is hold multiple accounts, and bet the same games. For example, you can wager on Duke to pull the upset on Kansas at one shop, but then take Kansas over Duke at the other shop. As well, you could take Duke on the spread and Kansas on the moneyline.

Why Early Lines Are Important

As we edge closer to Super Bowl betting Sunday, we’ve received a ton of questions in regards to the importance of early lines on the biggest game of the NFL season. For the most part the importance of how early a line is posted depends on how serious of a bettor you are. In other words, if you base your livelihood on sports wagering, then the early lines will affect your price per head odds. Conversely, if you are a casual bettor looking to make a few bucks, then the early line may not be as important to you.

Depending on the sport you are handicapping, you can receive a better read on who is wagering when, based on the movement on the line. For instance, in baseball, many hardcore MLB handicappers will wager on the Wednesday night games, as soon as the Tuesday night games on the West Coast conclude at 11PM. The reason they do this, is because most sportsbooks will have drastically different looking lines from the night before to the actual game. In other words, the value you find is based on how early you place your wager. Here is an example

Toronto Blue Jays +160

New York Yankees -130

Tuesday at 11pm

Toronto Blue Jays +180

New York Yankees – 150

Wednesday at 6:59pm

In this example, the bettors who placed their bets on the Toronto Blue Jays v New York Yankees game at 11pm on Tuesday would find better value, then the handicappers taking the same game at 6:59pm on Wednesday. The reason for this is that the first group of NFL scores bettors would have less public action to contend with when they placed their wagers. Meanwhile the bettors taking the same game a minute before the opening pitch, had to endure the higher prices because of the increase in public action.

How To Make A Teaser Bet

In the world of sports betting, the most interesting bets like the most interesting girls tend to be exotic. A teaser bet is one such exotic bet, as like your co-worker’s hot girlfriend, the teaser bet is something that you can’t necessarily have, because the odds of the bet panning out are usually slim to none. However, the odd time you are able to talk to your co-worker’s girlfriend, just like when a teaser bet is won, the outcome is rewarding. Here is a guide on how to make a teaser bet.

A teaser bet is often confused by people new to bookie software sites, as being the same thing as a parlay bet. While the two exotic wagers share some similarities, the truth is they couldn’t be more different. On a similar note, both the parlay and the teaser allow the bettor to make one wager consisting of two or more games. In order for each wager to win, all of the teams you pick to win in each game to make up your teaser or parlay has to win otherwise your bet is considered a loss and you go home with no money.

On the other hand, where the teaser and the parlay bet differ is on the point spread. In a parlay bet, you are placing a single wager on multiple games, with the only common theme being that all of the teams you take to win have to win their games in order for the bet to win. Yet, in a teaser bet, the sportsbook you place your wager with, allows you to take a point spread and mix it up over your three-team teaser. In other words, if you take six and a half points on a three team teaser, you can shift the line so that the teams involved in your bet move one way or the other. But, in order to win the bet, not only do all three teams have to win, but they also have to cover the spread to the way you adjusted the line.

How To Bet Spreads

When it comes to sports betting on the NFL, NBA, and NCAA football and basketball, the bettor is given an incentive by using the point spread. The point spread was designed, to attract bettors to take the underdog in games, as too much action was being placed on the favorite. The point spread, is used by bookie software agents, to balance out the money being placed on games. Here is a guide to help you understand the point spread.

The point spread is the amount of points within a game, that the sportsbook believe the favorite will defeat the underdog by. In order for bettors taking the favorite to cover the spread, they have to wager, that they believe the favorite will win by one more point then the spread to cover the bet. Conversely, a bettor taking the underdog has to believe, that the underdog will either lose by less than the point spread or win the game outright to win their wager. Here is an example using the NFLpoint spread.

Cincinnati Bengals

Houston Texans – 3

Final Score: Cincinnati 17 Houston 24

In this example, the Houston Texans were able to cover the three-point spread and make bettors taking them to cover the spread winners, as they won the game by seven points. Bettors taking the Bengals would have lost because they failed to cover the spread.

Cincinnati Bengals

Houston Texans – 3

Final Score: Cincinnati 21 Houston 17

In this example, the Bengals covered the spread, as they won the game outright, thus making the Texans losers both in the game and on the point spread.

Cincinnati Bengals

Houston Texans – 3

Final Score: Cincinnati 20 Houston 23

In this example, both bettors taking the Bengals and the Texans would lose their wagers, because the point spread was a push. The reason it was a push, is because Houston won by exactly three points.

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