Hockey betting on totals is overlooked by many online hockey betting enthusiasts, but this type of NHL wager can provide excellent value. Without question, one of the keys to successful hockey on totals is assessing the abilities of each team’s goaltender in a matchup. Nevertheless, one must also pay attention to additional factors, such as injuries and offensive prowess.
Hockey fans should always pay considerable attention to goalies when they handicap the online hockey betting odds, but at no time is this factor more important than when analyzing totals lines. This reality of hockey is actually quite obvious, as goalies will naturally have a significant impact on the final score in any matchup, but many hockey betting analysts surprisingly underestimate the importance of goaltenders. A good goaltender may not always be sufficient to give his team a victory, but there is little doubt that quality goaltenders frequently contribute to low-scoring matchups.
The online hockey odds do typically account for goaltenders, so if the hockey betting lines are established especially low, then hockey betting on the under may not always provide excellent value. Nevertheless, teams with the top goaltenders do tend to go under the betting total in a high percentage of their matchups. For instance, if one looks at the top goaltenders of the 2007-08 hockey season, such as Chris Osgood, Dominik Hasek, Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Martin Brodeur, and Evgeni Nabokov, one discovers that their teams all finished the season going under the hockey betting total much more than over.
However, goalies are not the only players you need to consider before hockey betting on totals odds. Naturally, a goalie benefits from playing behind a strong defense, and goalies with the best statistics enjoy some of the best defensive units to support them. Also, offensive units obviously must be considered as you handicap an online hockey betting matchup. The strongest offenses can sometimes overcome formidable defenses and talented goaltenders, while weak offenses will fail to put the puck in the net.
Hockey analysts should always consider the injuries impacting each team. By determining which players are injured and who their replacements will be in a hockey betting matchup, one can often predict whether injuries to important players will cause a game to have more or fewer goals. Additionally, when you predict the impact of an injury you must consider how a team will change its strategies to accommodate its new line-up.
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