It has already been another emphatic season for lovers of the National Hockey League with plenty of memorable moments. We’ve watched huge upsets, impressive wins, and more than one notable breakthrough. There were fears over how the NHL would bounce back following the crushing impact of the pandemic. This season proves the sport of professional hockey in the United States and Canada will be just fine.
Nico Sturm (7) tries to screen Bruins goalie Linus Ullmark during a Sharks second period power play – Photo by Jack Lima
As the season and divisions pass that all-important 40-game mark, we thought it was worth checking up on the betting. Traders working at the top apps offering NHL bets had their say before the campaign’s opening game, but some teams’ form forced them into a re-think. There has been much change across the board, with bookies scrambling to alter their odds in the betting for each division and the Stanley Cup winner list. Which teams and players have caught your eye?
As any experienced online gambler who has made a profit from NHL betting will testify, it pays to take advantage of any indecision in the markets. If bookies are frantically shifting their odds, it shows they have little trust in their first call. That means gamblers have a short window of opportunity to work with before the betting calms down. They must strike while the iron is hot.
We compare the current NHL betting odds with the form of the top teams this season, looking for an angle. Should you trust the market and back the favorite, or is there a dark horse worth saddling?
Bruins teammates mob Jake DeBrusk after he scored the go-ahead goal late in the third period – Photo by Jack Lima
Stanley Cup winner
Bookies sometimes get it right and have made famous past errors that cost them dear. But it’s always worth checking what the Vegas traders make of a season and where they think it could go next. To be fair to them, the gambling industry is right more often than it’s wrong, so they are worth listening to, but don’t let the odds put you off backing a team. If you think they will do well, but the bookies have big odds attached to their chances, we’d always advise trusting your instincts.
The current Stanley Cup betting market has the Boston Bruins picked as the team to beat. Boston is the current favorite, and that’s quite a change of heart from bookmakers who spent most of last year supporting the Colorado Avalanche. Until recently, the betting odds suggest Colorado need only turn up to win the season. That’s proving way off the mark, but traders have reacted slowly. Boston has been so impressive recently that they left bookies with no choice but to jump ship.
Trawling through the results and league standings this season, we note that Boston stands at the top of the Atlantic League after winning 32 of their first 40 games. A four-game winning streak has transformed Boston’s season, with the players finding their best form at precisely the right time. Are they could enough to continue that run of victories? The team is showing no signs of taking its foot off the gas and slowing down, that’s for sure.
Not only have the Bruins been winning, but they’ve been doing it in style. Some of their more impressive recent results include a 7-1 win over the Ducks, a 4-2 victory against the Sharks, and a stunning 5-2 versus the Kings. They are scoring for fun, and fans hope this purple patch follows them into the latter stages of the campaign.
Jake DeBrusk (74) shoots a rebound past Penguins goalie Casey DeSmith (1) for the Bruins first goal – Photo by Jack Lima
Contenders
After watching Colorado dominate the betting for months, all of a sudden, supporters can back them at a decent price. But why have the traders eased the odds of Avalanche? Their form this season explains a lot, with Colorado down in sixth place in the Central division, having won 20 of 39 games. They show no signs of pulling themselves free of this drop in form.
Suppose you prefer to take on the market leaders, looking past Boston and Colorado; which side is worth considering? The underdog to keep an eye on for us is the Toronto Maple Leafs, who enjoy a great run of form and are jostling for position with the Bruins in the Atlantic League.
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