Thursday Free NHL Hockey Picks

The NHL schedule is jampacked with games Thursday and NHL Saturday, and loaded with tons of betting options. Nationally televised NHL battles in Canada and the U.S. are present on Thursday nights along with many other division, conference, and non-conference action. Casual sports bettors are focused on the big-name teams and the TV battle as they simply want action while they watch. It's part of being a spectator but for most, won't turn a profit. Casual bettors don't put the study time in that is necessary to win consistently. They also get caught up in wagering on too many NHL picks and overlook some of the real betting edges, such as totals and team props.

Why Use Thursday Free NHL Picks

There are two keys to winning consistently when betting sports: NHL public betting information and recognizing line value. Information is the lifeblood for handicappers, which includes stats, injuries, lineup changes, and identifying different situations. Line value has to do with the numbers the oddsmakers post. For instance, on one busy Thursday NHL card, there were 11 games, and the home teams went 7-4 with 71 goals scored - an average of 6.45 per game. With NHL totals in the 5.5 to 6.5 range, the overall number of goals was right on par. A pair of huge favorites won at -375 and -260, but also some underdogs of +160, +160, +140, and +250. Since fans like favorites, it was a better night for the books than the casual bettors.

Betting Value in Thursday Free NHL Hockey Picks

In those above examples, the big +250 dog was Arizona upsetting Toronto, 6-3. NHL home underdogs are one way to look for the betting value as teams are more likely to play well in front of their hometown fans. Arizona was a home underdog and it was their third consecutive home game. The other two home games they also won as dogs of 2-1 over the Kings at +150 and over Colorado, 6-3, at +190. Meanwhile, Toronto was a long way from home playing in the middle of a two-game road trip. Each week many situational handicapping factors come into play to favor certain teams and increase betting value.

Wunderdog Thursday Free NHL Picks

I keep tabs on all the news from around the NHL to gauge which teams are ready to play at a high level and which ones might be flat. Stats and angles are examined, along with injuries and any situational factors that might come into play. The plays that I release are packed with in-depth insight into where the best bets are on the card. Not just favorites and dogs, but NHL total picks, puck lines, and NHL parlays. I walk to the wagering window prepared to win with my 20+ years of documented expertise.

Thursday Free NHL Picks Pros:

• Strengthens your handicapping knowledge brick-by-brick
• Opens up areas to wager that you didn't know of or were unclear about
• The experts are choosing the most relevant data for you

Thursday Free NHL Picks Cons:

• The reasons for the play can be limited or nonexistent
• Confusing line movement
• Too many Thursday national TV hockey game sides overlooking valuable totals or NHL props

Premium Thursday NHL Picks Pros:

• You want to improve your own sports betting record
• Premium picks can offer valuable insight beyond what's in the stats and news
• Handicapping insight into what's taking place on the other side of the wagering window

Premium Thursday NHL Picks Cons:

• A service may boast online about endless winners but talk is cheap if records can't be verified
• Sweating too many close covers can lessen your enjoyment of following hockey action
• Arrogant salesmen more focused on their own bankroll than yours

How To Win With Thursday Free NHL Picks

The Thursday NHL card is stocked with games, which is the perfect way to prepare for the sports betting weekend. That includes studying stats and teams while analyzing all the odds. Live underdogs are a staple when it comes to betting value. And don't pass on odds that many overlook. The old adage about work ethic applies to successful sports wagering. Put in the effort and bet with your head, not your heart. Getting expert advice and information from a longtime professional helps too of course.

Thursday Free NHL Picks Betting Strategy

Situational Revenge

Revenge is a mixed bag in sports betting. Fans love to bring up revenge, along with TV and radio prognosticators, but is it really that significant? If a team was knocked out of the playoffs are they going to look at the first meeting the following season as an angry revenge spot? That's unlikely, although revenge could play a role if it was a four-game sweep, featured tension or embarrassing blowout. It's more important to look at the NHL computer matchups. A team may be in a revenge spot, but do they have the talented horses to actually play better and win the game? Revenge isn't going to be enough if the worst defensive team in the NHL has a chip on its shoulder against a great offense. But there are times when revenge can be combined with stats and angles to provide a good betting spot. If a great defensive team was crushed a few weeks ago, then it's likely that they simply had a bad (and rare) defensive game. They'll probably produce a strong defensive effort in the rematch making them a potential play, or the game could even go UNDER the total this time. 

NHL Parlays

Novice bettors should stay away from parlays. Get comfortable studying games and developing sound money management methods first. For more experienced bettors, there are several techniques for utilizing value in parlays. One is to pick two favorites that you believe are going to win the game, especially if one or both are rather large favorites such as -190 or -220. Betting those straight is a serious risk as one surprise (and yes, upsets happen every night in hockey) delivers a larger-than-anticipated bite in your betting bankroll. A two-team NHL parlay with two favorites limits that risk as you're wagering less money to get a decent return. Two NHL favorites of -190 and -220 will return $122.01 on a $100 wager. And if one upset happens, you lose $100 instead of $190 or $220. Another would be an underdog that you think could win the game parlayed with a big favorite that looks like a likely winner. A parlay will increase the payout as opposed to betting on the underdog solo.

Streaks

In games of chance, the law averages even out eventually, such as rolling dice. But when examining hockey teams, hot and cold streaks mean far more than the law of mathematical averages. In a recent NHL season, the Calgary Flames were the defending Pacific Division champs, yet went on a stretch losing six of eight which included a five-game losing skid. A closer examination reveals that six of those eight games were on the road, part of a run playing 14 of 19 away from home. It was a tough situational stretch dealing with all that road travel, a challenging grind for bad and good teams. During the stretch, the Flames lost five games as chalk of -120, -180, -200, -230, and -260. Injuries can also factor into losing streaks, such as being without one or two key players. Gaining depth with multiple players returning can also help fuel a hot streak with a below-average team suddenly playing well. When those hot teams are underdogs, it can provide excellent betting value that bettors and oddsmakers haven't spotted yet.

Thursday Free NHL Picks Subscription

Winning smart means putting the time in along with intelligent money management. It also means getting free advice from a seasoned pro bettor. You can play alongside a pro by adding my Thursday NHL picks on a regular subscription service. I break down the games and odds with the selections explained in detail of the angles, stats, matchups, and situations on the ice. It will also help you get a jump on the best betting numbers before the oddsmakers adjust during the day. Getting the best odds several hours before the face-off helps build a winning bankroll by the end of the season.