Hockey can be considered one of three most popular and spectacular team sports in the world. But it’s not so easy – to gain on such betting, it’s necessary to count its features and main nuances.
What differs hockey from other gambling sports
Betting on hockey, you should take into account its specifics:
- The match consists of 3 periods, so among bettors catch-up strategies by period are popular.
- Frequent washers in the last minutes. Replacing the goalkeeper with a sixth player at the end of the match is a normal practice in hockey which often leads to scoring a goal into an empty net.
- Penalty time and predominance. Players often get penalty time when they are forced to leave their team in the minority for 2 minutes. For betting, it’s important to know how many of them will be penalized and how long. Predominance is significant too, especially how often the team scores, using their numerical advantage.
- Overtime and bullets. In case of a draw during regulation time, overtime is played until the first goal is scored. You should look through the bookmakers’ rules in advance: some of them accept hockey bets only for regulation time, and some – rect overtime.
- The individual total of a bettor is determined by both the goal and pass system. For instance, in hockey, stake on a stickhandler for 0.5 wins, even if he makes only an assist, earning an assist point.
- Top players don’t come to the world championships. Here the priority is given to the Stanley Cup, the playoffs of which coincide with the World Cup games.
- Seasonality. It is not a year-round sport, the season usually begins in September and ends in late April.
Tips to make the right choice
Before placing a bet on a hockey match, pay attention to details unnoticed by beginners:
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- Find out whether the game is held at home. Statistics show, playing at home, the team manages to beat at least about the same opponent in level;
- Analyse the latest results and the athletes’ physical shape. Such an investigation will help you to make some facts based forecast for the upcoming event;
- Look over the match evolution between the teams;
- Don’t reject the clubs’ motivation. If the midfielder has fulfilled all his tasks by the end of the season, he can easily lose to an outsider who is struggling to maintain a place among the betters.
- Study the starting lineups. Injuries and disqualifications of key stickhandlers can have a significant impact on the end result.
Conclusion: things to focus on
Hockey is a demanding sport. Before betting on hockey matches, it’s necessary to go behind the rules and features of the game, as well as all the stats of the teams. To play and win is easy, but you need to make some efforts.