I’ve followed professional hockey for more than 17 years and a lot of the success I’ve had in the NHL has to do with the extensive knowledge of the game and its personnel.  Adapting to the new NHL has been a key for successful handicapping seasons.  Before the new Salary Cap that was put into place three years ago, most of the top teams in the NHL stayed at the top of the league and the bottom feeders that couldn’t spend money on free agents were destined to end up at the bottom of the standings.  All that has changed with the Salary Cap put into place.  Every team much more competitive then they were before the cap and it was evident that any team could win the Stanley Cup which was evident from the Carolina Hurricanes winning two seasons ago.  Carolina was picked to finish last in the Eastern Conference by most experts and by them winning the Stanley Cup it is evident that you can go from worst to first in a matter of 1-2 years.  There are a variety of methods to successful NHL Handicapping.  Here are five tips that you can use to make you a better NHL Handicapper.

- Bet against teams that are playing their third game in four nights on the road.  No matter how hot a team is, they usually can be beaten by other teams that are well rested.  A situation that I used on Monday February 19, 2007 was when the Pittsburgh Penguins were playing their third game in four days and they had an early road start due to President’s Day against the New York Islanders. The Penguins were the hottest team in hockey winning nine out of their last ten and six straight games but were beaten by an Islanders team that was at home and had a days rest.  The price was respectable as well as the Islanders were a -115 favorite. 

- Look for teams that have a severe home/road dichotomy and use that to your advantage.  The last two seasons for instance, the Calgary Flames have been fantastic on their home ice with a record of 60-22, but they have really struggled on the road with a record of 29-53.  Look to back that certain team in certain situations at home, but look to fade them on the road. 

- Bet on the opposite team that wins the first game of a home in home series.  This is a strategy that works more often then not due to the intense rivalries that develop over the NHL season due to the fact that the NHL Schedule is very heavy with divisional matchups.  Most of the time you’ll be able to find some nice underdog prices the second night with teams that have worse records then the team they are facing.

- Look for teams that struggle and excel in back to back sets.  The Nashville Predators this season for instance have had tremendous success taking advantage of teams that come to Nashville for their second game of a back to back going 4-0 so far.  Look for teams that have solid prices that you can take advantage of as a bettor.

- Follow teams that you can get inside information on.  If you live in a town with an NHL team and you can find out more information on that particular team then one you haven’t watched all season long, you’re more likely to be successful betting on the team you know very well.  Local newspapers and the internet can get you information on injuries and goaltender situations for your local team.

If you follow these five tips, you’re well on your way to being more successful and making money on NHL Hockey.