How To Make Accurate NHL Predictions 2024? Expert Advice & Analysis

The National Hockey League began life in Canada in November 1917, at the Windsor Hotel in Montreal. Following a series of mergers with other leagues and other competitions, such as the National Hockey Association, folding, the NHL was established as the prime ice hockey competition in the USA and Canada by 1926.

At the beginning, the NHL had just four teams in total, all of them from Canada. These were Montreal. Canadiens, Montreal Wanderers, Ottawa Senators, and Toronto Arenas. Those Canadian teams were joined by the Boston Bruins from the United States in 1924, and were soon joined by the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Rangers by 1926.

Although the league expanded in the 1930s, the Great Depression and World War Two would take their toll on the NHL, and it was reduced to six teams in 1942-43. These ‘Original Six’ would remain constant for the next 25 years. The Original Six were: the Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs.

Further Expansion Makes NHL Predictions More Tricky

By the mid-1960s, things were changing again for the NHL. In the 1967/68 season, the league doubled in size, with the Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota North Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, California Seals and St. Louis Blues all being added to the competition. Canadian fans were unhappy that all those new teams were based in the USA, although they were appeased somewhat when the Vancouver Canucks joined in 1970.
Further teams would be added throughout the 1970s, while big stars like Wayne Gretzky would grace the competition in the 1980s. A further round of expansion kicked in during the 1990s, with teams like San Jose Sharks, Tampa Bay Lightning, Ottawa Senators, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and the Florida Panthers being added to the competition.

The NHL today

The NHL today consists of 31 teams in total, with 24 of those teams being based in the United States and seven in Canada. These 31 teams are divided into two conferences, the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. Each of these conferences is split into two divisions. The Eastern Conference has two divisions of eight teams, while the Western has 15 teams, with seven teams in its Central Division and eight in its Pacific Division. The most recent expansion took place in 2017, when the Vegas Golden Knights were added to the league. They were the first addition the ranks of teams for 17 years.

According to Forbes, in 2017, the most valuable NHL teams were all Original Six teams. These teams were the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Chicago Blackhawks and Montreal Canadiens. The Rangers, the most valuable, were valued at approximately $1.5billion.

Betting on the NHL

When it comes to betting on the NHL, the range of markets and types of bet that are available are not dissimilar to soccer. The simplest form of betting when it comes to ice hockey is the outright market. This is where you bet on the overall winner of a competition. It is a very easy type of bet to understand, you simply choose which of the 31 teams you think will win the Stanley Cup.

Match betting is also quite simple, though there are variations that can make it more complex. This is where you place a bet on which of the two teams is going to win a match. This works in almost exactly the same way as match betting on football works. Variations of this type of betting include betting on the puck line, which is a form of handicap betting. You can also bet on the winning margin, if you are confident about your NHL betting predictions.

Live betting is also available for NHL and other ice hockey competitions. Live, in-play betting is where you place bets on events that are taking place within the game. These can be events like how many goals will be scored in the next period, who will score the next goal, or how many shots there will be in a period. You really need to be watching a live stream of the game to enjoy this form of betting properly.

You can find plenty of NHL betting tips here at Betastic, if you are looking for the kind of advice that can help you place more winning bets on ice hockey. Our tips equip you for betting success in a number of ways. If you’re looking to make accurate NHL predictions today, then Betastic can help in a number of ways.

Recent form helps you make accurate NHL predictions

First, and perhaps most importantly, our betting tips articles always take a close look at the recent form of the two teams who are playing. Form is the most important factor to consider when betting on any team sport, and this is no different when it comes to making accurate NHL predictions. If you are trying to make NHL week four predictions, you always need to look at what happened in week three and week two.

A team’s form is its results, and the scoreboard rarely lies when it comes to assessing the quality of a team. Of course, sometimes a team plays well consistently but just can’t win a game. It is worth noting this, as sometimes bets on individual players can work well even if a team is struggling to find victories. In general, though, a team’s win/loss record will give you the best idea about whether they are worth backing with a bet or two.

Additional factors we consider

As well as form, there are a number of other important factors which can play a part in determining how a game of ice hockey turns out. One of these is the head-to-head record of the two teams facing each other. This is a particularly important factor when it comes to playoff games. When you are trying to make NHL playoffs round one predictions, you should always check out the head-to-head record of the two teams. Sometimes, teams have a particular problem when it comes to playing against a certain team. It is well worth being aware of such statistical quirks when betting on the NHL.

It is also important to take the venue into account when trying to make NHL predictions. When it comes to making accurate NHL predictions, players’ preferences about venues can play a significant part in shaping results. Some teams play well away from home, whereas others find it tough to perform when they are away from home comforts.

Examining stats like a team’s head-to-head record, or its record on the road against certain opponents, can prove extremely useful when looking to make NHL playoff predictions. Playoff games can sometimes not fit the pattern that you might expect from simply looking at recent form. Other factors, such as the amount of playoff experience in a team, often come into play.

Extra nuggets of information can play a crucial part

In addition to examining the form of teams and individual players, and looking at other factors like a team’s away record or the coaches’ head-to-head records, we also look to provide you with extra useful nuggets of information. Injuries are a massive part of sport, especially physical contact sports like ice hockey. If you’re looking for NHL predictions for playoffs or other important games, then knowing which players are injured can be vital. Our betting tips articles will look to keep you up-to-date with which players are carrying injures or are out of action completely.

Where possible, we’ll also include details about reports of dressing room unrest, or of fans putting pressure on the team’s owners. Any kind of situation around a team can affect form, and it is important to be as aware as possible of any kind of news if you want to be a successful NHL bettor.

When placing an NHL bet, there are a number of things that you need to take into account. Making your NHL week three predictions, for example, is never simply a process of checking out the fixtures and trusting your gut instinct. You should never rely on chance alone in any form of sports betting. Here, we’ll take a closer look at some of the factors to consider before you place an actual NHL bet. Different matches require different betting strategies. It is therefore important to always consider the type and size of bet that you are placing when making NHL predictions. You need to always remember that betting is supposed to be fun, and will not solve any financial problems that you might be experiencing. At all costs, you must avoid placing bets you can’t afford, and then trying to chase losses with every increasing bets.

Choose the right type of bet

If you’re looking to cash in on your NHL betting predictions tonight, and place some winning wagers, you need to think about the type of bet you are going to place. There are a number of different types of bet that you can place on an ice hockey game, but the simplest is the 60-minute betting, sometimes called the 1X2 market. This is where you place a simple bet on which team will win, or whether there will be a tie. A variant of this bet is the draw no bet, where you simply pick which of the two teams you think will win in 60 minutes, with the bet being void in the event of a tie.

As well as simply placing a simple bet on the result of the game, you can also choose to bet on the puck line. This is a form of handicap betting, where you can successfully back a team to ‘win’ even if they lose. A team’s puck line might be -2.5, which means that they can lose by two goals and your bet will still win. It is a good way of betting on weaker teams when you feel that they have a chance of putting in a strong performance against one of the better teams in the league.

You can also place bets on the performance of individual players. You can bet on players to score goals, for example. Other bookies offer you the chance to bet on the total number of goals that will be scored in a game. This is a good bet to use when you suspect that the teams are well-matched.

Pick the right size stake

When you are looking to make profitable use of NHL betting tips, then it is important that you choose the right size stake. Never opt for a huge stake that you can’t afford to lose, even if you think the odds are tempting. Betting more than you can afford to lose will lead to you chasing losses with ever bigger bets. This will lead to you losing money, and can cause all kinds of other issues in your life.

When making NHL predictions, playoffs can be tough to predict. In the Western Conference first round in 2014, Los Angeles Kings were leading San Jose Shark 3-0 after the first three games. San Jose fought back, though, to win the series 4-3.

Follow the form curves of teams

Before you place any NHL bets on individual matches, you need to be well aware of the recent form of the two teams. No other stat is of more use to you. Checking the form curve of the two teams allows you to quickly compare their recent performances and results. In professional sport, both inning and losing become habits that are often surprisingly hard to break.

Remember that injuries and suspensions can be important

In the NHL today, predictions about results and performances can often revolve around injuries or suspensions. You should never underestimate the importance of key players to successful teams. For example, Boston Bruins netminder Tim Thomas won the Vezina Trophy and the Conn Smythe Trophy, and set NHL records with his performance in the Stanley Cup final. If Thomas had got injured during that season, the Bruins’ chances of glory would have been seriously reduced.

Always check the head-to-head record

Another important factor to consider when you are trying to place successful NHL bets is the head-to-head record of the two teams. It is one of the quirks of team sports that some successful teams can have poor records against certain other teams. Even teams who are near the top of the NHL table and challenging for honours can have blind spots against certain teams, against whom they never perform well.

Never ignore important stats

Another important thing to consider when it comes to placing successful bets on the NHL is statistics. Team stats and individual player stats can all help you to shape your betting strategies. When it comes to your NHL playoffs prediction, bracket games can be hard to call. If you are familiar with key stats, your chances of placing successful bets are boosted. Drilling down into stats allows you to more clearly see the differences between the teams.

So you think that your NHL round 12 predictions are going to be accurate, and you want to place some bets, where should you start? Here, we take a closer look at the process of placing a winning bet, and break it down into three simple stages for you.

Step 1: Check the news and visit Betastic

Before you decide on your bet type and size of stake, you need to gather in as much information as possible. If you are placing a bet on the result of a match, you need to check the form of each team, and also the news relating to them. News about player injuries or suspensions, for example, is very important. You should make sure that you check as many sources of NHL news as possible before you finalise your betting strategy for the weekend. Make sure you check independent ice hockey blogs and websites as well as the mainstream sports news, and the official NHL and club websites. You never know where you might find the key nugget that brings in a winning bet.

You should also make a point of checking out the betting tips at Betastic. Our articles will highlight the key details that you need to know, including the relative form of the two teams, and whether there are any injuries, suspensions or other statistical quirks that you should note before you place your bet.

Step 2: Choose a bookmaker

Once you have checked out all the news and expert tips for the weekend’s games, you should choose a bookmaker. Sensible punters usually have accounts with two or three bookies, so that they can take advantage of any bonus promotions or offers that are available. You should make sure that you have chosen a bookie with a good range of NHL markets. If there are any bonus bets or odds boosts on offer for NHL games anywhere, make sure you have taken advantage of those offers. Betastic is a good source of further information about the types of promotional offers that are out there.

Step 3: Place your bet

The third step in the process is, obviously, to go online and place the actual bet. When placing an online bet, you need to click on the market you have chosen on the bookie’s website. Your bet will then be added to your bet slip, which is usually located in the top right corner of the page. After the bet has been added to your slip, you need to choose your stake. Always remember that you should never place bets with bigger stakes than you can afford to lose.

Next, you can tweak your bet selection, adding other bets to your slip to make it a multiple, for example. Once you have fixed your bet selection and stake, and feel that you do not need to add anything else to it, you can click on the place bet button. After that, it is a case of watching the match and waiting to see if your NHL week 12 predictions are as a good as you think they are!

Every sport has its own terminology and jargon, most of which can only be properly understood by aficionados of the sport. Ice hockey is no different. Here, we’ll look at four terms which are commonly used when talking about betting on the NHL.

• Bracket: In the NHL, the term ‘bracket’ is often used to refer to the playoffs. All this team really means is ‘section’. If you read it used in a betting context, it refers to bets placed on the likely winner of playoff rounds and sections.
• The Puck Line: The term ‘the puck line’ in ice hockey betting refers to a type of handicap betting. The favourite to win an NHL game will usually be awarded a negative handicap, such as -1.5, and the weaker of the two sides a positive handicap, such as +1.5. This means that when you bet on the stronger side, it must win by more than 1.5 goals for your bet to be successful. Similarly, for your bet on the weaker side to be successful, they must lose by less than 1.5 goals.
• Correct score: If you think your NHL game 12 predictions are going to be accurate, you might want to try some correct score betting. This simple form of ice hockey betting is where you attempt to predict the exact final score in a game. Although easy to understand, it is hard to win this type of bet.
• Goal totals, over/under: This is a type of bet where you attempt to guess how many goals will be score in a match in total. For example, if Boston Bruins are playing the Pittsburgh Penguins and you expect there to be at least six goals in the game, you can back the +5.5 market. Alternatively, you can back -5.5 if you think there will be five goals or fewer scored in the game.