Free Friday NHL Picks

The Friday night NHL hockey slate features fewer games the usual as teams get set for the big weekend. This is the perfect time to expand your sports handicapping knowledge from sides to NHL totals and team props. It doesn't mean you should wager less on the moneyline side, but rather expand your handicapping work by examining all the numbers the oddsmakers put up. Remember, the job of the oddsmakers is to attract money. The more odds they post, the more chances to induce betting action. It also means that some lines will be weaker than others, which is a boon for bettors when making NHL picks.

Why Use Friday NHL Hockey Picks

The more choices, the better your chances of identifying winning opportunities. Those extra choices can include proposition wagers on how many goals or assists one player will have. There are various totals offere as well, such as how many total goals will be scored by both teams or if the home team score Over/Under 3.5 goals. You identify the better plays on the card by doing the research and assessing which odds are accurate and which ones have a variance from your own numbers or judgment. Gathering information each day, including Friday hockey picks from professional bettors, is the way to get that edge over the oddsmakers.

Betting Value in Friday Free NHL Picks

Some betting value comes from sides, such as a favorite that is -135, but your assessment is that they should be close to -160 holding multiple edges in the contest. Other times wagering value is visible in NHL props. Let's say a star offensive player is projected to get Over/Under 1.5 points, roughly his season average, however on Friday night he happens to be facing one of the best defensive teams in the NHL. Goals are going to be tough to come by, even for a great offensive team, so that might be worth a look at Under.

Wunderdog Friday Free NHL Hockey Picks

With over two decades of experience studying sports and betting numbers, I recognize when the oddsmakers have put up flawed numbers. On top of that, I use an elaborate computer database combined with situational factors in hockey such as NHL divisional NHL matchups, road trips, and injuries when handicapping. It takes patience and careful study including looking at NHL consensus picks but anybody can learn to beat the odds on a regular basis, you just need to be willing to put the time into it. You can tap into all my expertise with my Friday free hockey selections if you are determined to upgrade your handicapping skills.

Friday Free NHL Hockey Picks vs. Premium Picks

Friday Free NHL Picks Pros:

• Hockey information that's relevant for the Friday games and also helps you get more prepared for the weekend
• No cost means no money spent or lost
• Allows you to see if your picks align with which teams betting professionals are on

Friday Free NHL Picks Cons:

• Limit parlays to two teams unless instructed by the professional service
• Be wary of websites that skip over past losers and only tout big winners
• A small Friday card should mean a minimum number of plays. Forced picks on every game should bring skepticism

Premium Friday NHL Picks Pros:

• Trusted services will have graded releases
• Should assist you with smart money management
• Top releases should have multiple reasons carefully explained

Premium Friday NHL Picks Cons:

• Too many favorites. And the larger the chalk, the greater hit to your bankroll when upsets happen
• Keep emotion in check as gambling addictions are destructive
• Pushy salesmen trying to upgrade your service for the weekend means more money in their pockets, not yours

How To Win With Friday Free NHL Hockey Picks

Friday night in hockey is a great time to engage in betting discipline. A short card is common as teams are traveling for the packed weekend schedule. With a limited number of Friday NHL games, a bettor needs to adjust and be okay with it. An undisciplined bettor feels they need more action or will bet more than usual with fewer games. This is the wrong approach. Attack the games and NHL lines just like any other night of the week. If there's no wagering value in the game, then pass. Examine totals and props and if there is no value there, either, don't force picks because you simply want action. A bettor who loses discipline or doesn't understand its importance will not be able to win over the long haul.

Friday Free NHL Hockey Picks Betting Strategy

Home Ice Splits

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are alive in the sports world. Many teams in many sports play well at home but then play like a very different team on the road, usually worse. There are many reasons, such as the mental and physical grind of road travel and players wanting to give it their all in front of hometown fans. This is why examining home/road statistical breakdowns is so important in sports handicapping. A recent campaign showed that the Detroit Red Wings had a winning home record (18-16-7) but a losing road mark (14-24-3), as did the Winnipeg Jets going 16-17-8 on the road but 23-15-3 on home ice. This is one way to identify live NHL underdogs. A mediocre or bad team might be a home underdog but actually play competitive hockey at home. That season, Detroit's best player had 42 points at home but only 27 on the road, including 24 assists on home ice, but only 14 on the road. Digging deep into stats like this helps with prop betting, too, identifying when individual players may be worth a look at Over or Under on their prop odds.

Three Games in Four Nights

The NHL schedule can play a key role in how a team performs. The two most challenging schedules are long road trips and playing three games in four nights. And the worst situation of all would be those two combined: playing three games in four nights all on the road! Hockey is a fast-paced, physical game, and having one, two, or three days of rest can make a big difference for athletes to give optimal performance. But the schedule can interfere. Playing three games in four nights is a tough stretch, meaning two of those games are back-to-back. Teams with quality depth are better equipped to weather a stretch like that, but even the best teams aren't immune to the wear and tear of the schedule. The year the Florida Panthers had the best record in the NHL, they had an early-season stretch playing three games in four nights with the last two games back-to-back on the road. Florida lost both, 4-3 at New York and 7-3 at New Jersey, as favorites of -120 and -145. They later had a stretch playing three games in four nights all on the road, losing two of the three as chalk. The final game was a 10-2 loss at Montreal as a -165 favorite. Think the schedule had something to do with that? It was their worst loss of the season and the only time all year they surrendered 10 goals.

Injury Overreaction

Injuries have to be assessed very carefully. If a star player is out, the oddsmakers will make adjustments. However, that doesn't guarantee that the team will have a dropoff in production or even play worse. Some teams have very good depth and the loss of key players might not mean much at all over the course of a few games. On the other hand, some teams have a sharp dropoff in talent beyond their best players. So, asking the backups to do more is too much to ask and they can struggle mightily. Make a list of teams that have quality depth and those that don't. You will be better able to assess teams and injuries. Don't overreact just because one key player is out, it might not be as significant as others believe. Instead, let the oddsmakers overreact and take advantage of the softer NHL betting lines.

Friday Free NHL Hockey Picks Subscription

All my selections are tabulated after careful analysis of the latest information and assessed against the betting lines. There's a systematic, calculated way to identify the best NHL underdogs, favorites, hockey totals, props, and puck lines. In addition, my free hockey selections come with an essential element of successful wagering: a sound money management investment strategy. You can be a part of what I find by signing up for my Friday night NHL picks on a subscription service. That's free information, free insight, and free winning picks - a hat trick for serious bettors who are in it to win it!