Ice hockey is one of the most exciting sports in the world - fast, exciting, dynamic and occasionally brutal. It's a great playground for sports betting enthusiasts, with dozens of international league games and tournaments taking place across Europe and North America. With an excellent provider like betting on sites not part of GamStop you will find a gigantic variety of ice hockey bets. It is essential to have your own strategy for betting on ice hockey. Below we give you some practical tips.
Follow the NHL Schedule Closely
The NHL is the most popular ice hockey league in the world. Anyone who wants to become something as an ice hockey player will sooner or later go to the NHL. If you want to place a bet on these top games, you should first take a look at the league schedule. Ice hockey is a merciless and very tough sport. The calendar in the NHL is packed. Look for teams that need to play consecutive away games. Or those who conjure up three or four games within five or six days. In such cases, many players are unable to perform at their best over an entire season or are rested by the coach and used for a shorter period of time.
With so many games this season, players and teams are simply not able to always deliver top performances. However, games against direct rivals and teams in the same division are extremely important. This is about the playoff places and prestige in the region. Fans can forgive a worse season if they beat their long-term rivals. Always keep an eye out for the fixture list to see whether teams will look outplayed towards the end of the season or will be mobilizing their last reserves in neighborhood derbies. Incorporate such insights into your betting strategy.
Goalkeepers Decide Games
Without a doubt, goalkeeper is the most important position in ice hockey. The best goalkeepers are essentially irreplaceable. And there are sometimes big differences in quality between the first, second and third goalkeepers of a team. However, the first goalie cannot always be used. Take the time to study the strengths and weaknesses of each goalkeeper. Before placing a bet, find out which goalkeeper will be used and take this information into account when making your bets.
Value Is Everything
The key to successful sports betting is finding bets with good value. If you regularly discover bets where the odds are larger or smaller than you think they should be, then you will be successful in the long run. That's easier said than done. In practice, it means researching thoroughly and persistently – and reacting quickly once you have identified a bet with good value.
You won't just find good value when betting on the winner of ice hockey games. On the contrary, you can even find good value more easily with non GamStop bookmakers on less popular ice hockey bets: for example in over/under bets, handicap bets or bets on the exact result. But you should first familiarize yourself with the individual betting offers and their chances and form your own opinion on the value of these offers - no matter which betting market you choose.
Remember: a higher odds for a team means a lower chance of winning. If an odds differ from your own assessment, it is a bet with good value. Of course, only as long as you have done your homework and are correct in your assessment.
An example. If you think the Boston Bruins have a 40 percent chance of beating the San Jose Sharks, that's 2.5 odds, or 3/2 if you prefer that notation. If the odds of the Boston Bruins winning are greater than your own estimate, then you may have found a bet with good value. It takes some practice to develop your own odds in this way. But if you want to be successful in a market in the long term, this way of working is mandatory and you should definitely master it.
Goals, Goals, & Goals!
Betting on goals in ice hockey is dynamic and varied. For experienced hockey veterans, these betting markets offer many opportunities to make a profit. At non GamStop betting sites, you have a range of different number of goals bets to choose from: the total number of goals in the match, whether both teams will score and how many each.
Total Goals is a good betting market for beginners because these bets involve less risk. The number of goals scored and conceded remains relatively constant for most teams in the best leagues. With the necessary research into current form curves and results, you can find some attractive bets with good value. Betting on whether both teams will score is particularly interesting if you think one team will not score. Betting on exact results offers excellent odds. But be prepared to often be wrong on these bets.
As you can see, the goal betting market offers something for everyone. Experienced players will find many ways to make better use of their chances. Newbies will find a good way to slowly get to grips with very special ice hockey bets.