We still have a little more than couple months before we’re treated to NHL regular season hockey, but luckily for us hardcore NHL fans, we get the 2016 edition of the World Cup of Hockey coming into our living rooms for a couple weeks at the end of September. The tournament consists of the best players in the world from the big 6 hockey countries of Canada, Sweden, Russia, USA, Finland and Czech Republic, as well as a couple of other interesting teams including a U23 North American squad and a Europe team filled with the best players from the other European countries that are unaccounted for. I’m jacked up for this tournament and am already getting bets in on the winner at Bet365.com.
World Cup of Hockey Winner Odds
Here are the odds for the tournament from Bet365.com. The odds are from July 28th, so they may change in the next month as we get closer to the tournament.
As you can see, Team Canada is the big favourite to win this tournament and rightfully so. When Canada has been able to put their best players on a team (I don’t count World Championships), they have been close to unbeatable in the past decade.
Predictions
First of all, I have to look at Team Canada as a massive favourite in this tournament. Team Canada has won 4 of the past 5 international tournaments where the best NHL players in the world have participated. That’s dating back to the gold medal win at the Olympics in 2002. They also won the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, as well as the 2010 and 2014 Olympics. The only slip up in the past 15 years was in the 2006 Olympics. When Canada puts their best team on the ice they are by far the best squad in the world.
Now, when you look closer at this specific team you also have to give Canada an even bigger nod. The defensive corp is once again great at both ends of the ice and if they put either Price or Holtby in net this team will be very difficult to score on. At the 2014 Olympics, Team Canada only allowed 3 goals against in 6 games. That’s just absolutely ridiculous, but its what I expect out of this team once again.
On North American ice surface the advantage for Team Canada goes up even further. These are tough odds, but it will take a massive effort for anyone to knock off Canada in this tourney.
Play: Canada 1.95 @ Bet365.com
My other two favourite plays are North America U23 at 20/1 and Team Europe at 35/1.
If you look at the North America roster from top to bottom they have an All-Star cast of NHL players who are able to perform on the NHL ice surface. Add in the fact that this team will have no pressure to perform for their country and I think these young guys could be the third favourite after Canada and Sweden in my opinion.
Matt Murray is coming off a Stanley Cup win and if you have him in net along with guys like McDavid, Gaudrea, MacKinnon, Drouin, Ekblad and Seth Jones and you have to give this team a shot.
Team Europe I have as the 6th favourites in my mind, with Finland and Czech Republic both having worse squads than Europe. With players like Chara, Josi, Kopitar, Hossa and Draisatl, you have to think this team has a chance. The entire team is filled with NHL players and at this level it’s true that anyone can win a single game. They should definitely not be 35/1 dogs heading into this tourney, so I think a few bucks on Team Europe is a smart bet as well.
Plays: North America U23 21.00 & Team Europe 35.00 @ Bet365.com.
There’s still lots of time before this tournament gets underway, so be sure to keep your eyes on the odds. I would expect the North America and Europe odds to shorten, so get those bets in now.
The 2016 NHL Awards ceremony is set to take place tomorrow evening in Las Vegas. Online sportsbook Bodog.eu has made it possible to bet on the NHL Awards this year with odds being offered on each of the major awards.
In this post I’ll go through each of the odds found at Bodog.eu and provide my pick for who I expect to take home the hardware tomorrow night.
Calder Memorial Trophy
- Artemi Panarin 1.308
- Connor McDavid 3.55
- Shayne Gostisbehere 9.00
Even though Connor McDavid was the best rookie this year when he was in the lineup with 48 points in 45 games, playing just more than half the games in your rookie season doesn’t help your chances of winning the Calder. I expect Artemi Panarin to take down the Calder based on his 77 points in 80 games, which is a remarkable amount on its own. Who knows if McDavid could have kept up his pace for the entire 82 game season.
Play: Panarin 1.308
Frank J. Selke Award
- Anze Kopitar 1.909
- Patrice Bergeron 2.00
- Ryan Kesler 9.00
I think Kopitar is finally starting to get the credit he deserves for being one of the best two-way players in the league. The Kings made the playoffs this year, while the Bruins didn’t and this could play a factor between Bergeron and Kopitar, who are neck and neck as the top two way players in the game.
Play: Kopitar 1.909
Hart Memorial Trophy
- Patrick Kane 1.10
- Jamie Benn 8.00
- Sidney Crosby 8.00
This one is a no-brainer. Kaner had a ridiculous year with 106 points and 46 goals. He definitely deserves this trophy. It’s strange that Crosby is even on this list, but that shows his star power amongst the voters for this trophy.
Play: Kane 1.10
Jack Adams
- Barry Trotz 1.87
- Gerard Gallant 1.952
- Lindy Ruff 9.00
This is another award that I find usually goes to the wrong coaches. Basically, if you have a team with good players that is expected to do well it is extremely difficult for the coach to win this award. It might as well be considered the over-achieving award based on expectations. For this reason I think Gerard Gallant is most likely to take home the trophy this year.
Play: Gallant 1.952
James Norris Trophy
- Erik Karlsson 1.714
- Drew Doughty 2.55
- Brent Burns 5.50
Erik Karlsson had the best offensive season for a defenseman that I can remember. He finished tied for 4th in scoring in the entire league which is just ridiculous for a defenseman. That said, writers seem to be in love with Doughty this year even though he really did nothing special. It’s lucky for Doughty that this is a regular season award because he was thoroughly outplayed by Brent Burns in the first round. This will be a travesty if Karlsson doesn’t win the Norris after this spectacular season, but it seems to me the sports writers want to give it to Doughty as a lifetime achievement award. Let’s not forget the voters gave Doughty more first place votes last season even though the Kings missed the playoffs, so the whole playoffs argument is somewhat silly now, but I still see voters not wanting to give it to Karlsson again. And the fact Doughty had more first place votes than Karlsson last year really shows that a lot of the voters want Doughty to get one of these Norris trophies.
Play: Doughty 2.55
Here’s hoping the trophies go to the correct individuals, but I somewhat doubt it. I’ll be watching tomorrow night though and I’ll have a few bucks on some of these, but I won’t be surprised if the action is for not.
We are a few games into the Conference Finals in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and I’ve just been able to secure a free £25 bet for an NHL Playoff game from WilliamHill.com.
I realize this promotion is a little bit late to the party with only 4 teams remaining and only one NHL game each night at this point in the playoffs, but I’ve been working on negotiating this free bet since the first round and we’ve just now agreed on this promotion.
If you do not yet have a William Hill account then you are eligible for this £25 free NHL bet.
Claim your free £25 bet -> Click here to sign up at WilliamHill.com.
Steps To Claim £25 Free Bet
- Click here to visit WilliamHill.com.
- Complete the registration to open an account.
- Enter promo code “FD25” in the promotional code field to trigger the free bet.
- Place a wager of more than £5 on your first bet and you will receive a free bet equal to that amount.
- I suggest placing a £25 wager with your first bet in order to get the highest possible free bet.
It’s time! The 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs get underway tomorrow and then we have two months of some of the most intense hockey we will see all year. I feel like there’s a lot of teams that could win the Cup this year, so it will be very interesting to see which team gets through the gauntlet that is the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
I’m giving each of my first round series picks below and I’m using odds from Bet365.com.
I’m going to keep the write ups short and just give a few reasons why I like each team to get through the first round.
***I also want to draw your attention to an NHL bracket contest that I’m running through my other site, SportsBettingCanadian.ca. There’s $500 in prizes to be won, so check it out.
(1) Washington Capitals vs (WC2) Philadelphia Flyers
The Capitals are a far better team than the Flyers this season. Ovechkin doesn’t have to carry this team like in the past thanks to Oshie, Kuznetsov and Justin Williams providing secondary scoring up front. Holtby may be the best team in the league and the Caps should be able to shut down the Flyers who are a one line team on offense.
Play: Capitals 1.33
(2) Pittsburgh Penguins vs (3) New York Rangers
The Penguins are arguably the hottest team in the league right now and they are firing on all cylinders from the top line down. When Kris Letang is healthy this team is extremely hard to beat. He makes this team go by being able to move the puck quickly from defense to offense, which many other defensemen on the Penguins simply cannot do. Even if the Rangers are able to shut down Crosby, Bonino-Kessel-Hagelin have been great as a second line and if Malkin can come back in this series that will bring another dynamic to this team.
Play: Penguins 1.55
(1) Florida Panthers vs (WC1) New York Islanders
The Islanders have too much scoring depth for the Panthers to handle. Florida has a good top pairing on defense with Ekblad and Campbell, but after that their defensive depth is very suspect. The Islanders will likely spread their top scorers among their top 3 lines like they have throughout the season and at least one of these lines will catch fire in this series.
The loss of Trocheck will also be a huge factor as he was arguably the Panthers best player in the second half of the season. I just see the Islanders as a more complete team and that should show up in this series.
Play: Islanders 2.30
(2) Tampa Bay Lightning vs (3) Detroit Red Wings
The Wings backed into the playoffs, losing a must-win game against the Rangers. That can’t do much for your confidence. I also just don’t see this Detroit team as a very strong team and I think they are very lucky to be in the playoffs.
The Lightning aren’t as beat up as some people are making them out to be. They will likely only be without Stamkos and Stralman in this series and as long as Victor Hedman stays healthy I think the Lightning will have no trouble controlling the play. If they find any spark from Kucherov-Johnson-Palat like they did in last years playoffs this could be a short series.
Play: Lightning 1.66
(1) Dallas Stars vs (WC2) Minnesota Wild
The Stars continue to impress me. Even without Seguin they’ve not missed a beat in the last few games of this season posting an 8-2-0 record, which included some big wins over strong teams in the West. I think it’s great for the Stars to avoid playing either the Blues or Blackhawks in the first round in order to gain some playoff experience and get their feet wet before having to play the strong teams in the West.
Play: Stars 1.35
(2) St. Louis Blues vs (3) Chicago Blackhawks
I’m surprised to see that the Blackhawks are listed as the underdog in this series. They’re the defending champs for a reason, and the new additions of Panarin and Anisimov, not to mention Andrew Ladd have already payed huge dividends this year.
I feel bad for the Blues having to come up against the Blackhawks in the first round, but I have to side with the Blackhawks. They have the experience to push deep once again even though the road this year will be extremely difficult.
Play: Blackhawks 2.05
(1) Anaheim Ducks vs (WC1) Nashville Predators
The Ducks have been the best team in the NHL in the second half of the season. This team has a ton of talent and when they’re playing their A-game they are nearly unbeatable. They allowed the fewest goals in the league this season and they’ve now also got their offensive game going. I think the Ducks will be a very tough out this playoffs and it won’t be the Preds who pull off the upset.
Play: Ducks 1.55
(2) LA Kings vs (3) San Jose Sharks
The Kings and Sharks both missed the playoffs last year, but in the two previous years the Kings pulled out game 7 wins to eliminate the Sharks both times. I expect the Kings to have a bit of an easier time with the Sharks this year. The Sharks rely too heavily on Thornton and Pavelski for their offense and with Kopitar and Doughty on the Kings I think LA has a decent chance at shutting those guys down. Add in the fact that the Kings have big power forwards who can lay the body on Brent Burns down low and I think he makes a few mistakes that cost the Sharks a few big goals in these playoffs.
Play: Kings 1.64
How To Bet On First Round Series
After you visit Bet365.com, you need to click on ‘Hockey’ from the left sidebar menu. To find the series odds you’ll have to scroll all the way down the screen to the ‘NHL Futures’ section at the bottom.
Click here to visit Bet365.com and bet on the NHL playoffs.
I’ve been hitting my stride with my NHL bets over the past couple of weeks, so I decided to add a full post today for this big slate of 10 games.
Also, don’t forget that I post my picks daily at the NHL Betting Tips Facebook page and through email (you can sign up to the email list on the homepage).
Minnesota Wild @ Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers have actually been playing some decent hockey, but they are always susceptible to goals against because of some holes in their back end. Add in the fact that Claude Giroux will once again miss this game with an injury and I think the advantage swings towards the Wild. Minnesota sits in 9th in the West, 4 points out of the playoffs and it’s that time of year when the Wild really need to pick things up if they hope to be playing in the post season.
Play: Wild 2.00 @ PinnacleSports.com
Ottawa Senators @ Vancouver Canucks
The Sens have finally hit their stride after the Dion Phaneuf trade and have put together 4 wins in a row. They also have Kyle Turris back from injury, and even though he hasn’t found his offensive game just yet, his contributions when he’s in the lineup as the number one center help the team tremendously. The Sens have always been a streaky team and I think we may be seeing the beginning of a nice Senators winning streak similar to last year when they came from 12 points out of the playoffs to earn a spot.
Play: Senators 1.952 @ PinnacleSports.com
New York Islanders @ Calgary Flames
The Flames have had some trouble keeping the puck out of the net in recent games, but the 2-1 loss to the Kings wasn’t as bad as some of their other games with Hiller or Ortio in net this season. I think the team is moving in the right directions defensively and their top priority against the Islanders will have to be keeping their opposition to under 3 goals. The Flames are 17-13-0 at home this season and they still know how to put the puck in the net, so if they can shore up their defensive game I like their chances in this one.
Play: Flames 2.20 @ PinnacleSports.com
It’s been quite a while since I was able to get a post up with my picks here at the site. Tonight is a huge slate of 8 games which is typical of a Tuesday night in the NHL and I have plays for three of these games, which I will get to below.
Also, don’t forget that I post my picks daily at the NHL Betting Tips Facebook page and through email (you can sign up to the email list on the homepage).
Boston Bruins @ Columbus Blue Jackets
The way Brad Marchand has been playing lately is pretty ridiculous for a guy that many still see as just a pest in this league. I just want to quickly point out that Marchand now has 28 goals on the season and that is in only 51 games. He’s a legit sniper in the NHL today and he should start to be treated as such. He is currently riding a 7 game goal scoring streak and has potted a cool 10 goals in his last 10 games. I’m expecting Marchand to continue his streak tonight against a Blue Jackets team that is susceptible to goals against, with the second most goals against to this point in the season.
I like the Bruins to pile up the goals in this one.
Play: Bruins 1.885 @ 5Dimes.eu
Philadelphia Flyers @ New Jersey Devils
The Devils continue to impress me with their strong team game. They’re riding a 3 game winning streak and are coming off a shutout victory of the LA Kings. Trust me, that’s not easy to do. Cory Schneider is back in net tonight and I expect him to shut down the Flyers offense that really only relies on one line these days.
Play: Devils 1.84 @ PinnacleSports.com
Anaheim Ducks @ Edmonton Oilers
Yes, the Ducks played yesterday, but I still think they’re the legitimate favourites on the road in Edmonton tonight. The Ducks were able to pump out 6 goals in Calgary yesterday and with the offense clicking the yshould be able to take advantage of a weak Oilers defense. Anaheim is 8-1-1 in their last ten and are now playing how we expected them to when the season began. They are securely in the playoffs now and will be a threat come playoff time.
Play: Ducks 1.90 @ PinnacleSports.com
It’s New Years Eve and there’s a big slate of 9 games on the NHL schedule. I have a couple picks tonight that I will be watching while having some drinks before bringing in the New Years.
Also, for anyone who uses bitcoins, I wanted to point out that you can try out bitcoin sports betting online. The deposit and withdrawal options are super easy because you are using the cryptocurrency.
And don’t forget that you can get my daily NHL picks at the NHL Betting Tips Facebook page or by signing up for the daily emails on the home page.
Winnipeg Jets @ Arizona Coyotes
The Coyotes gave up 7 goals to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, and they still have to go back to rookie netminder Louis Domingue. The Jets are a potent offense when they get going and I’m expecting them to be able to put up some goals against this Coyotes team. Look for Wheeler and Little to get things going on the top line, while Jacob Trouba, who is now the powerplay quarterback to also join in on the score sheet action.
Play: Jets 1.833 (5Dimes.eu)
LA Kings @ Calgary Flames
The Flames are coming off of a tough 1-0 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday, but that was just the Flames first loss at home after an 11 game streak of W’s. The Flames have a potent offense and I expect a bounce back game tonight from the Flames. The top line of Monahan, Gaudreau and Hudler was put back together last game and it’s only a matter of time before that line starts firing once again. The Flames as this big of underdogs at the SaddleDome is always a great bet, even if they are playing a strong Kings team.
Play: Flames 2.28 (5Dimes.eu)
Good luck with tonight’s bets and Happy New Years!
I’m still grinding trying to get back to the black before Christmas time to have the next half of the season to really put up the profit that I’m accustomed to. Tonight I have a pretty big 3 game slate so I figured I’d get a write up here at the site.
Remember that you can get my daily NHL picks at the NHL Betting Tips Facebook page or by signing up for the daily emails on the home page.
$20 Free Bet for Canadians
This promo is only going to be around for another week. It’s a risk free bet I’ve been able to negotiate with SportsInteraction.com for my Canadian visitors.
New sign ups to SportsInteraction.com get a risk free $20 NHL bet, on top of the normal 100% up to $125 bonus that my Sports Interaction sign ups normally get.
Click here to sign up at SportsInteraction.com and get your free $20 bet and $125 bonus.
For more information about this promo, I did a longer write up at my main site. Check it out here.
Boston Bruins @ Toronto Maple Leafs
The Bruins beat the Leafs 2-0 at home on Saturday. Now they head to Toronto to complete the home and away with the Leafs. Toronto has actually been playing pretty well lately. They’ve figured out their defensive game and that even showed in the loss to the Bruins with only 2 goals allowed. I knew I was going to be fading the Bruins this season, but I didn’t expect to be backing the Leafs. Tonight they are home underdogs against an overrated team though so I’m on it.
Play: Maple Leafs 2.20 (5Dimes.eu)
LA Kings @ Florida Panthers
The Kings are one of the best teams in the league when they are at their best. I’m banking on them bringing a decent game to Florida tonight against the Panthers. I’ll usually take the better team in a pick’em game regardless of who the home team is.
Play: Kings 1.917 (PinnacleSports.com)
Colorado Avalanche @ Winnipeg Jets
The Avs cannot keep the puck out of their own net. After a big losing streak the Jets are back in the win column, currently riding a 2 game winning streak. They should have no trouble putting the puck in the net tonight against the Avs, so if they can shut down Matt Duchene, who has been very hot, I really like the Jets to make it 3 in a row.
Play: Jets 1.714 (5Dimes.eu)
This season has not started the way I would have liked, and that’s an understatement. That said, I’ve had a couple winning nights in a row and look to build on this streak with another winning night tonight. If I keep chipping away at the red numbers, I think I can be back in the black by December if I have a strong month.
Remember that you can get my daily NHL picks at the NHL Betting Tips Facebook page or by signing up for the daily emails on the home page.
$20 Free Bet for Canadians
First of all, I want to draw attention to a free bet offer I’ve been able to negotiate with SportsInteraction.com for my Canadian visitors.
New sign ups to SportsInteraction.com get a risk free $20 NHL bet, on top of the normal 100% up to $125 bonus that my Sports Interaction sign ups normally get.
Click here to sign up at SportsInteraction.com and get your free $20 bet and $125 bonus.
For more information about this promo, I did a longer write up at my main site. Check it out here.
Now, on to the games.
Boston Bruins @ Washington Capitals
The Capitals were embarrassed in New York on Tuesday, losing 5-2 to the Rangers. It’s another rivalry game tonight against the Bruins and I expect the Caps to have their best stuff. I’m also continuing to fade the Bruins this season because I just don’t see them having the talent to sit near the top of the Conference like they’ve become accustomed to over the past few years.
Play: Capitals 1.69 (5Dimes.eu)
Florida Panthers @ San Jose Sharks
Pavelski alone isn’t enough to win games for the Sharks.
This year I see the Sharks as a very average team. Joe Pavelski being named the captain was the best decision this team could have made because he’s taken this teams success personally and seems like a man on a mission to keep the Sharks relevant in the West. Pavelski is now riding a 5 game scoring streak, including 2 in the loss to the Blue Jackets on Tuesday. Unfortunately for Pavelski this lineup just isn’t what it used to be and I’m not longer surprised when they lose to below average teams.
The Panthers on the other hand have impressed me this year and I think this is a legitimate bubble team in the East. At these odds I’ll take the underdog in a game I think will be a coin flip.
Play: Panthers 2.45 (5Dimes.eu)
What’s up guys. I haven’t got a post up here with my NHL picks in a couple weeks, but I’ve still been getting my picks up at the NHL Betting Tips Facebook page every day, and if you’re signed up for our emails (you can do this on the front page) you’ve received daily emails as well.
The season has not started the way I’d have hoped. I’ve struggled picking winners and it seems every time there is a glimmer of hope that a hot streak is going to start we run into a hot goaltender. I’m just going to keep trucking a long and trust that things are going to change soon.
Washington Capitals @ Vancouver Canucks
I’m expecting the Sedins to put up some points tonight.
The Caps are playing some solid hockey right now, but 3 of their 4 wins have come against teams that I feel are some of the worst in the NHL. They are also now on the road, and after an easy win over the Flames I expect a much more difficult match up tonight against the Canucks.
The Canucks have lost 2 in a row, but they’ve had a lot of time to think about their Sunday night loss in OT to the Oilers. I’m expecting a big effort tonight for the Canucks who have had 3 days off. The sportsbooks have this as a pick’em game, but I give the edge to Vancouver in this one.
Play: Canucks 1.917 (PinnacleSports.com)
LA Kings @ San Jose Sharks
The Kings have two wins in a row now, but they’re still unable to put the puck in the net with any consistency having only scored 6 goals in 5 games this year (never more than 2). They’ve finally figured out how to play Kings hockey and focus on defense though with only 1 goal against in both of their last games and I expect them to continue playing hard nosed Kings hockey on the defensive side of the puck.
I also expect them to continue to have trouble putting the puck into the net against a Sharks team who they seem to always have tough low scoring games against.
I see one of these teams winning this game 2-1, which will keep the total under 5.
Play: Under 5 1.943 (5Dimes.eu)
