Ice hockey is one of the most exciting sports in the world and a clear favourite in Canada. It's fast-paced, exciting and sometimes violent, which makes ice hockey a great sport to play or watch. In addition, there are lots of league and international matches, which take place in both Europe and North America. With a top-quality betting site, like those found at sportsbetting24.ca, you will find a varied and enticing range of ice hockey markets. But before you start betting on ice hockey, it's important to practice your strategic skills.
Get to know the NHL schedule
The NHL is the most popular ice hockey league in the world. When devising an NHL betting strategy, the schedule is one of the first things to consider. Hockey is a tough sport, and the NHL schedule is very demanding. Therefore, it is a good idea to study the game schedules carefully. Look for teams that make long trips or play three or four games over the course of five or six days. These teams have tougher conditions and will have to fight harder.
Teams and players will inevitably drop in intensity with many games to play. Their strong performances are likely to show more often in crucial games against teams from the division or local rivals - where play-off places or pride are at stake. So, if you know the schedule inside out, you can spot these situations early and cash in on them.
Value is everything
The key to success in sports betting is finding value. If you can consistently find games where the odds are higher than they should be, you'll make profits over the long term. In practice, finding value is not so straightforward. It takes both in-depth analysis and the knowledge to react quickly when the odds reveal themselves. To succeed, you need to stay up to date on the latest ice hockey news and look at past results.
The good news is that value isn't limited to the match-winning market. In fact, finding value in other hockey markets may be easier at many Canadian betting sites. These are usually less popular markets and include over/under, handicap or correct score. Depending on which market you play, it's a good approach to discipline yourself by setting your own odds. You can then come up with a more accurate probability for a match based on your own analysis and compare it to the market's odds.
You might think that the Boston Bruins have a 40% chance of beating the San Jose Sharks, which equates to odds of 2.5. Should the match-winning odds be greater than your estimate, you may have found a value bet. Setting your own odds takes practice. At the same time, it's a good way to get used to shaping your analysis into an odds and thus finding value.
Goal, goal, goal
The goal market for ice hockey is dynamic and varied, offering the experienced sports bettor plenty of opportunities. At any good betting site in Canada, you can take advantage of a range of goal markets, including total goals, both teams scoring and accurate scores.
Total goals and over/under betting are low-risk markets that are great for beginners. If you do good research for current form and goals scored, you can find excellent bets on the market. If you think you have found a match with a high goal ratio, under/over betting might be the best option. Here you bet on whether the match will produce more or fewer goals than the line set. Goalkeepers rarely keep a clean sheet in ice hockey, and while the accurate score market is fickle - it offers a lot of high odds.
As you can see, the goal market offers something for every playing style and experience level. It can also be a perfect place to begin your search for profits in ice hockey betting.
