The Dallas Stars haven't had much to smile about so far this NHL betting season. (Photo credit: tsyp9 / Foter / CC BY-SA)
We’re just about a month into the NHL betting season, and some reliable trends are starting to emerge.
Here’s a look at which teams have been the best NHL betting picks so far on the puck line (+1.5 and -1.5), with the money they’ve made for bettors in parantheses. (All stats current as of Nov. 12.)
Biggest Moneymakers
1. Penguins ($1,127)
It’s hard for a public favourite like the Penguins to be the most team for NHL betting picks on the puck line, but that’s the case so far. Not only has Pittsburgh gone 10-3-1 through its first 14 games, it’s also outscored its opposition by an average of 1.57 goals per contest. Don’t be surprised if you soon have to start paying higher odds to bet on Pittsburgh as a result. The Pens were -144 favourites in New York Tuesday and were whipped 5-0. Still, they’re a whopping +23 in goal differential.
2. Flyers ($672)
That 0-2-2 start seems like a distant memory in Philadelphia. Since those early struggles, the Flyers have lost just three times in 10 games. They’ve also cashed NHL betting picks as underdogs of +140 (in Dallas) and +197 (in Pittsburgh). Oddsmakers might be catching on, however, making the Flyers favourites of -172, -150 and -139 in their last three games.
3. Wild ($593)
Despite being just 7-7, the Wild has been a great team to back this season on the puck line. Four of their seven wins have come by two goals or more, which pays off handsomely on the -1.5. Minny also started off as a solid +1.5 bet, with its first three losses of the year coming by a goal, but their last four defeats have come by two-plus margins.
Biggest Moneyburners
1. Stars (-$993)
Hopes were fairly high this year for Dallas, but the Stars have not lived up to expectations early. Dallas is 5-10 against the puck line through 15 games, losing six times already as a favourite. Only two of the Stars’ five victories came by two goals or more, so they’ve been burning a lot of -1.5 tickets. It’s telling that Dallas is 5-6-4, yet has been outscored by nine goals on the year.
2. Devils (-$834)
New Jersey may be a .500 team, but when the Devils have lost this year, they’ve tended to lose big. Five of the team’s nine defeats have come by two goals or more, including an 8-3 debacle in Pittsburgh. In true Jersey fashion, they’ve had to sweat out four of their seven victories by one goal as well
3. Sabres (-$648)
We knew the Sabres were going to be bad this year, but who could have known they’d be THIS bad. Only one of their three wins — granted, it was in San Jose as +313 underdogs — has come in regulation time, and all three were by one goal. Meanwhile, Buffalo has been hammered repeatedly this year, already losing by scores of 6-2, 5-1, 4-0, 4-0, 5-0, 6-1 and 6-1. All you need to know about Buffalo is that it’s been outscored by an average of more than two goals per game this season — making them a hell of a team to make NHL betting picks against of -1.5 on the puck line.