NHL hockey betting is an exciting way to make money watching the sport, but for those successful long term, it’s best to know also the best NHL hockey betting trends that lead to profits and which ones contribute to losses. One of the best methods to do that is by using one of the sports betting value strategies. In this piece, we address what sports betting value is, why it’s crucial for your success as a sports bettor in NHL hockey, and how you apply the methods used by professional gamblers to spot and act on opportunities where some extra money can be made. We will also reference past Super Bowls from history to show that finding value is the key to making winning bets.
What is Sports Betting Value?
Value in sports betting means taking every opportunity when the odds from a bookie are higher than the real probability. In other words, it’s finding a situation where the odds are not correctly reflected in the bookmakers, and therefore they are working for you, not against you at the sportsbook.
Imagine, for instance, that a team has a 60 percent chance of winning a game. The probability for that team should be -150 or so (1.67). If a sportsbook lists that team at +200, what you have is a value bet because the actual probability of them winning is greater than the odds suggest.
In NHL hockey betting trends, value betting is more about finding out when the odds are mispriced. Whether you’re betting on a favorite or an underdog, identifying value in the odds enables you to make the most of your bets and earn long-term profits.
Why People Pay Attention to NHL Hockey Betting Trends for Long-Term Profits
NHL hockey betting trends are the key to wagering on sports and increasing your value. Even occasional betting will have you losing many bets unless value is found. Your guide to the best Las Vegas sports betting is on VSiN and included in our dedicated bet subscription packages that offer public betting percentage.
There are trends in hockey that we see throughout the season. These can range from the home-ice advantage to dynamics of back-to-back games, a team’s record against specific opponents, or even injuries players have that affect the odds. Recognizing NHL hockey betting trends—whether it be teams that are regularly dominating a specific foe or excelling under certain circumstances—can result in odds that do not properly price a squad’s real chances of winning.
The NHL hockey betting trends can also expose the favorites that are overvalued or underdogs that are undervalued, both allowing bettors to find good value. And bettors who become good at spotting those mispriced odds can make a consistent profit, even if they do not always back the most likely outcomes.
How Sharps Find Value in NHL Hockey Betting Trends
Professional bettors do not depend on luck or intuition to make their bets. However, it’s that same data-based methodology they use to pinpoint NHL hockey betting trends and take advantage of high-value bets. Here’s how they do it:
1. Analyzing Team and Player Data
Successful bettors will spend hours analyzing team and player stats. For example, if a team is very successful playing at home but terrible on the road, an advanced bettor may adjust his home-road ratio based on the odds.
2. Following Hockey Betting Trends
Every year has its share of NHL hockey betting trends, be it for a specific team’s results vs division opponents or their play in the second leg of a back to back. Sharps monitor these trends, and when the opportunity arises to exploit a soft line based on this historical data, they jump all over it.
3. Tracking the Market Moves
Books will change their odds based on how much money is bet. When the public supports a team, that can also cause the odds to shift, and professional bettors line up around changes. They search for instances where the public bias has caused the betting line to move opposite of the team’s actual likelihood, offering value on the underdog.
4. Staying Away From the Crowd Mentality
People bet with hype, especially in popular sports such as hockey. NHL hockey betting trends also point out that the odds spreads tend to expand for favorites, and it narrows down if you are placing your bet on an underdog. Sharps are betting on the other side of these trends — finding value in dogs that nobody else is looking at.
Examples from the Super Bowl: Finding Value on Action
Although this piece is geared towards NHL betting trends/comparing trends, previous Super Bowls also serve to show the importance of value in sports betting. These instances illustrate how professional bettors can sniff out value even when the public is most likely to fall for it, as with massive events like the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl LI (2017) New England Patriots v. Atlanta Falcons
The New England Patriots were 25 points behind the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI. The Patriots may have provided value at some of the favorable odds. The Patriots had been dismissed by many casual bettors, but the pros knew that with the experience of the Pats and Tom Brady under center, they’d have a legitimate chance to come back. Those who bet the Pats during the game exploited that misprice, profiting when perhaps the greatest comeback in NFL history was complete.
Super Bowl XLII (2008): New York Giants vs. New England Patriots
In Super Bowl XLII, the New York Giants were huge underdogs against the undefeated New England Patriots. Despite the fact that the Patriots were unstoppable, professional bettors knew that the Giants stood an actual chance of stopping them, with one of the top-ranked defenses in football against their high-powered offense. In siding with the Giants, they embraced the value on offer from mispriced odds, because the public was betting in droves on the Patriots. One of the greatest upsets in SB history, and the Giants were victorious because sharp bettors understood value bets when public perception created value for smart sports bettors.
Conclusion – How to Use NHL Hockey Betting Trends for the Long Run
To have a successful NHL hockey betting trends run, you need to concentrate on value betting as well. Learning to recognize value in the odds, regardless of if you’re betting on an underdog or a favorite, will help you make better decisions and thus be profitable long term.
If you decode and use NHL hockey sports betting trends, team information, and player statistics, along with betting against the public, you can turn into a winner in both the long and short term. Whether it be through matchups, home-ice advantage, player form, or simply how people are pricing odds incorrectly, finding lines where you have an edge is key to making money betting on sports.
These 10 historical Super Bowl examples illustrate that betting against the crowd can sometimes pay off. And by simply applying these exact same principles to NHL hockey betting trends, you will be able to spot potential sources of value in the match-up that will create winning opportunities and keep you ahead of the sportsbooks.
