NHL Picks and Parlays - Making the Best NHL Picks
Though hockey is a sport that is popular across many frozen countries, the NHL is one league that reigns supreme throughout the world. The league features teams from both the United States and Canada, and has the best hockey talent in the world on display.
Betting on the NHL is a viable option on all USA sportsbooks, and also includes a large variety of games, bet types and lines. Players can use these different options to make NHL parlay bets.
What is a Parlay Bet or an NHL Parlay Bet?
A parlay bet, defined simply, is a bet that is made up of more than two (at least) individual betting lines. The parlay odds are a combination of all of the individual betting lines added to the parlay.
This is the main reason for the attraction, as the parlay odds will be much higher than any of the individual betting line odds added to the parlay. However, parlay bets do carry risks, as it only takes one individual selection to lose for the entire parlay bet to go down.
So then how do we define NHL parlay bets? Simple! An NHL parlay bet is simply a parlay bet but completely built by NHL games and betting lines.
How to Bet on NHL Picks and Parlays
Every bettor and expert has their own opinions on how certain competitions will turn out. These include game analyses, predictions and other trends or facts about upcoming NHL games. NHL picks and parlays are a great way to get different expert opinions on league games.
Many of these sites are free as well, so players can easily grab new NHL picks to add to their parlay bets. To make bets on NHL picks and parlays, players need to find an online sportsbook to use in their state.
Once registration is completed, NHL betting lines can instantly be added to create parlay bets.
Making Smarter NHL Parlay Picks
While putting NHL parlay bets together is quite simple, consistently making good parlay bets is a more difficult task. There is no way to find winning NHL parlay picks every time, however there are certain things all players can do to make smarter bets.
NHL parlays have their own specific nuances, but there are also some strategies that can be used for all parlay bets as well.
- Pay Attention to Starting Goalies - The goalies that will be between the pipes for each team have a major impact on an NHL game. A good goalie can stifle an opposing offense and set the tone for his entire team. Keep track of the goalies who will be starting and their current form, past performances and statistics.
- Stick to One Division - This is a strategy we give to parlay bets in all different leagues and sports. Sticking to one division like the Atlantic or Metropolitan for your NHL picks and parlays will help a great deal. Instead of trying to learn about 31 NHL teams, you can narrow it down to around eight teams. Doing this will allow you to better understand the teams and make smarter NHL parlays.
- Shop Around for Odds - One of the easiest things that can be done for any type of bet is to look at different online sportsbooks for the best odds for each game. For NHL parlays, this is important, because you will be betting on multiple games and lines each time. A look into our odds rating will also give you a good idea of what odds to expect from each sportsbook, but it can still help to look for individual games as well.
These can all be used to make better and smarter NHL parlay picks. A couple of them can also be used for parlay bets and just betting in general. You can always find more betting strategies, types of bets and more in the school of betting on our site.
Best NHL Betting Tips for Beginners
As with every sport, hockey stands on its own in terms of sports betting. NHL betting tips will be unique to the league and the sport. So studying the games, news and updates from the league will always be the number one piece of advice.
With that being said, let's go through some of the basic characteristics and nuances of NHL betting.
- League competitiveness - Even in other competitive leagues, there is usually a favored team in every game. In the NHL, finding favorites is noticeably more difficult. Some games will not have them at all, with high odds being placed on both teams for the win.
- Quick score changes - Hockey is a fast-paced game, and the relation between goals scored and shots on goal is unique. In soccer, there are around ten shots on goal each game. In the NHL, however, that number is around 50-60. Shots come fast and each shot has a chance to reach the back of the net.
- Compact schedule -The NHL has a compact league schedule, with multiple games being played each day. This is great news for bettors, as there will always be enough selections for their NHL picks and parlays. Our advice here is to not be afraid to include some picks from different days into one parlay.
There are plenty of other unique characteristics of the NHL including high scores compared to other hockey leagues and the higher possibilities of comebacks.
However, these NHL betting tips cover a wider range of betting options for beginners. Since there is not usually a heavy favorite in NHL games, each matchup should be carefully examined. A few things to look for would be previous matchup results between the teams, current form and both injury lists.
Quick score changes is also something that can be taken advantage of when live betting, especially on «next goal» markets. When watching the game, it should become apparent which team is more offensively inclined at the moment (more shots, better positioning, etc.).In that case, making a bet on that team to score the next goal could be played.
Free NHL Parlay Picks
Like we stated above, many of the experts offering NHL picks and parlays will offer them for free. These NHL picks and predictions will oftentimes include a synopsis of the upcoming games, past trends and other helpful hints. And of course, with the prediction or picks at the end.
There are a lot of expert NHL picks to choose from, so finding the valuable ones can be difficult. When a player is just beginning, they should examine only a few of the experts available, and keep track of how their picks perform over a period of time.
Of course, expert picks can also be used as just a basis for your own picks. Comparing your NHL parlay picks with those of experts can give you new ideas, or even reaffirm your own selections.
The Option of NHL Computer Picks
When looking at NHL predictions, picks and parlays online, you may be surprised to find that you do not necessarily need a human perspective to gain an edge. NHL computer picks are available in the same way that professional experts and handicappers are.
These can be free as well and offer daily NHL predictions for betting.
NHL computer picks are basically algorithms built for predicting the outcomes of NHL games based on a variety of different factors. These programs take into account different statistics such as goals, shots, location of game, team lineups and a lot more.
This may sound a little gimmicky, but in reality NHL computer picks are generally considered to be more accurate than experts and handicappers.
We definitely recommend giving these a try for your NHL picks and parlays, but would also apply a word of caution. While these are considered more accurate than human experts, there is no such thing as a 100% guarantee. Always take into account your own views and knowledge of a game, as even the computers can make incorrect picks.
Futures Betting Markets for NHL Predictions
The NHL is the most popular hockey league in the world. In America, the NHL enjoys a dedicated fan base, great TV markets and a good reception for both the regular season and the NHL playoffs. Due to the prestige of the league, there will often be a large variety of NHL betting lines available at online sportsbooks.
These include pre-game picks, live in-game and futures bets. The futures are long-term markets that offer bettors a chance to make NHL predictions on things like the eventual Stanley Cup Champions, individual NHL awards and more.
Here are some of the most intense and rewarding long-term futures bets for the NHL.
Making NHL Playoff Predictions
While the regular season in the NHL enjoys a steady interest, the NHL Playoffs take it to the next level. The excitement for the league booms during the playoffs, as the best teams in the NHL face off in a seven-game series.
NHL playoffs predictions can be made on each playoff matchup, or on futures markets as well. Bets offered for the playoffs include which teams will make the playoffs and on the outright division winners.
The NHL is a competitive league to begin with, and the playoffs are the epitome of that. Making bets on regular markets like moneyline and totals can be difficult due to this. However, NHL playoff predictions on the futures markets can be safer, as they do not depend solely on the outcome of a single game.
Betting on NHL Award Predictions
Another one of the futures markets that will often appear on sportsbooks are wagers on NHL awards. At the end of each season, the top performers in various categories like scoring, assists and more will be given awards recognizing their feats.
Players can bet on some of these awards, a few of which are more commonly found:
- Maurice «Rocket» Richard Trophy
Art Ross Trophy
Conn Smythe Trophy
Making NHL award predictions should be done with a few things in mind. For each of these awards, there will be a list of favorites to win them. The players in the running for these awards do not always constantly change through the years, so NHL award predictions can be made with good confidence of which players will be in the running.
The odds on these futures bets will be quite decent, even on the biggest favorites. In addition, picking more than one player for your NHL award predictions is common, and with high odds will still allow you to make a profit if one of your picks is correct.
NHL Stanley Cup Predictions
This is by far the most difficult of the NHL futures bets to correctly predict, mainly due to the competitive and unforeseeable nature of the playoffs. Every year in the NHL there will not only be one favorite to win the Stanley Cup, but multiple favorites.
However, despite the competitiveness of the league, dynasty teams do tend to appear more often than in other professional US sports leagues. Pittsburgh, Chicago and Los Angeles are some of the more recent teams to win multiple Stanley Cups in only a few years.
When making Stanley Cup predictions, like other futures bets, the odds will be high enough even on the biggest favorites. So, picking more than one team here can provide extra protection in case one of the favorites is eliminated.
Sportsbooks for NHL Picks and Parlays
Since the NHL is such a popular league and the games come nearly everyday, players will generally not have any difficulty finding betting lines for NHL picks and parlays. The main lines for NHL games will include the moneyline, the totals and a bet on the spread.
To find the best sportsbooks for NHL picks and parlays, a few things should be considered:
- The size of the margin for hockey (lower margins will equal better odds)
- Another thing to look at is the number of lines each sportsbook offers
- Live betting sections are also important, as they may feature live streaming for NHL games
There are other things to consider as well like promotions, payment methods and betting features. However, for putting together NHL picks and parlays these will be the most crucial.
Most online sportsbooks will excel in at least one of these sections, but the best sportsbooks will get high rankings in multiple areas. Not every sportsbook will be available in every state, so it is important to look at the options available to you in your state.
From there, you can check out the hockey lines and get started betting on your NHL picks and parlays.
