[X]

NHL Who’s Hot and Who’s Not – 2/8

February 8, 2012 by agent

Just about two thirds of the NHL’s regular-season is in the books and teams  are starting to really gear-up for the stretch run to this season’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, which are slated to get underway in early April. Night after night, the teams that are still in contention for one of the eight playoffs spots in their respective conferences continue to slug things out in an effort to jockey for position in the postseason.

 A few select teams have been able to separate themselves from the pack as front-runners for the division title and top three seeds, while at the bottom of the standings, a few teams have already turned their attention to next year’s race and will be content to ride out string over the next several weeks.

We have also seen a distinct separation between the proven money makers in the league and major drains on the bankroll in terms of their overall return on the money line and year-to-date record against the puck line.

The following is an update of the ‘Hot and Not’ teams in the NHL in terms of what kind of return on investment they have provided for anyone who enjoys wagering on the games.

Who is Hot

Some things never change especially when it comes to the team that has dominated the top of this list all season long. The Detroit Red Wings continue to be the best and most consistent team in the league when it comes to their return on the money line, which as of Tuesday night’s games is +1968. They also remain profitable against the puck line at 29-25. The Red Wings lead St. Louis by three points in the Central Division with a NHL-high 72 points and they have an overall record of 35-17-2. Detroit heads into Wednesday night’s matchup against the Edmonton Oilers with a 7-2-1 record in its last 10 games, but fresh-off back-to-back losses to Edmonton and Phoenix. The Red Wings are ranked fifth in the NHL in scoring with a goals-per-game average of 3.07 and sixth in goals allowed with a goals-against-average of 2.37.

The next-best team in the NHL in terms of its return on the money line is the New York Rangers at +1897. They currently lead Philadelphia by four points in the Atlantic Division and have the most points in the Eastern Conference with 71. The Rangers are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games and 33-13-5 overall. They have been especially good on the road this season with a record of 17-7-3 and have a profitable 29-22 record against the puck line. New York is averaging 2.71 goals-per-game this season, but its real claim to fame has been a stingy defense that boasts the second-best goal-against-average in the league at 1.94. This has led to the total staying ‘under’ in 31 of its 54 games overall and in seven of its last 10.

One of the hottest teams in the NHL over the past month or so has been the Nashville Predators. They have closed the gap with Detroit in the division to just three points with seven victories in their last 10 games. This winning streak has also contributed to a major boost in the Predators return on the money line; lifting them to +1352 overall. It has also raised their record against the puck line to 31-23. Nashville is now 32-17-5 overall with a total of 69 points. It is 17-7-4 at home and 15-10-1 on the road. The turnaround is due in-part to a defense that has given-up a combined total of 16 goals in its last eight games. On the year, the Predators have a goals-per-game average of 2.76 and a goals-against-average of 2.56.

A couple of other teams with a solid return on the money line include the Boston Bruins at +1272, the Phoenix Coyotes at +1021, and the Ottawa Senators at +761. The Senators have also posted the best record in the league against the puck line at 34-22.

Who is Not

A couple of teams at the bottom of the standings that will have to be content playing the role of spoiler over the final third of the season are Buffalo and Carolina in the East and Anaheim, Edmonton, and Columbus in the West. A team that is very much in the playoff hunt, but has been a spoiler for anyone who has consistently wagered on it is the Philadelphia Flyers. They trail the Rangers in the division by just four points and are currently fourth in the conference standings, but they have been a major drain on the bankroll this season. Philadelphia has the fourth-worst return on the money line at -1253 and its record against the puck line is a dismal 18-35. The Flyers have lost four of their last five games as favorites and are just 4-3-3 in their last 10 games.

Another team that has played well on the ice in terms of wins and losses, but has been extremely costly to wager on is the Los Angeles Kings. They are 5-3-2 in their last 10 games and just two points behind San Jose in the Pacific Division with 62 total points. Overall, the Kings are 26-18-10, but this has translated to a costly 19-35 record against the puck line as a result of too many close calls. Their return on the money line has improved somewhat over the past few weeks, but is still near the bottom on the standings at -1079.

A few other teams that are over .500 on the year in the win/loss column, but still deep in the red on the money line are the Dallas Stars at -1150, the Washington Capitals at -863, and the Colorado Avalanche at -808. A team that is still in the red at -748, but making a serious move up the ranks is the New Jersey Devils. They have won five straight and seven of their last 10 to close the gap with the Rangers in the Atlantic to six points and improve to 31-19-3 overall.

Check out the latest NHL Betting news.

Leave a Reply

Sports Betting Forum
Sports Contests

AskTheBookie is a popular online sports betting forum where you can find sports betting odds, sportsbook reviews sports handicapping news and much more.

What is Pay per head?

We have been getting a few emails asking us what is pay per head and questions on how to become a bookie.

Answer

Pay per head is a term that is used in the sportsbook industry. Pay per head is a service that allows bookies to outsource their business at minimal cost.

Pay Per Head