What You Need to Know About the National Hockey League

When making predictions for the NHL, many factors must be considered. First, it’s important to study the league itself and its format. During the regular season, each team plays 82 games—41 at home and 41 on the road. The league is divided into two conferences: the Western and Eastern. For a win, a team earns two points, while one point is awarded to a team in case of a loss after a shootout or overtime. The top three teams from each division, plus the four best teams across both conferences, based on points, qualify for the playoffs to compete for the Stanley Cup. The higher a team's position in the standings, the more home games it will play. When it comes to betting on the NHL, you can check out the offerings from NHL online bookmakers to explore various odds and opportunities.

NHL Format and Participants

The  NHL season will be the 108th edition. A total of 32 teams will participate, divided into two conferences—Eastern and Western. Each conference is further divided into divisions, with eight teams in each. The top three teams from each division at the end of the regular season will advance to the playoffs, as well as the next two best teams from each conference.

The regular NHL season consists of 82 games, and the playoffs follow a best-of-seven series format. The ultimate prize in the NHL is the Stanley Cup, and the current champion is the Florida Panthers.

NHL Overview:

• 1. Name: National Hockey League

• 2. Season Duration: October  – June 

• 3. Founded: 1917

• 4. Teams: 32

• 5. Number of Games: 82

• 6. Teams in Playoffs: 16

NHL Features

A unique event in the NHL is the draft, an annual event where teams recruit top Canadian, American, and European players. The draft's standout feature is that the teams who finished at the bottom of their respective conferences receive the first choice.

Competition for the Stanley Cup is fierce, as any team that makes it into the playoffs has the chance to win it. Due to this intense competition and the high level of play, the tournament has a large following worldwide. Identifying clear favorites among the teams is difficult, but a few to highlight are Boston, Tampa Bay, Washington Capitals, St. Louis, and Vegas. In the  season, the Pittsburgh Penguins lost some ground, but they have won the Stanley Cup twice in recent years. The most successful teams historically include the Montreal Canadiens (24 Stanley Cup wins), Toronto Maple Leafs (13 wins), Detroit Red Wings (11 wins), Boston Bruins (6 wins), and Chicago Blackhawks (6 wins).

How to Bet on Hockey

To place bets on hockey, it is important to have a good understanding of the sport. Bookmakers offer odds on a variety of outcomes: you can bet on the victory of a team, or place wagers on things like penalties. To analyze a game, it’s essential to have several official resources that provide up-to-date statistics and news. One must consider factors such as injuries, negative comments, recent head-to-head results, and the motivation of players. The more information you can gather, the more factors you can analyze, making your prediction more accurate.

One of the most popular betting strategies in hockey is the Martingale Principle. The strategy is simple: after a loss, you double your bet and place it on an outcome with odds of at least 2. For example, you could bet on over 1.5 goals in a period—if it doesn’t hit in the first period, you place the same bet on the second period, and so on. Of course, such bets require careful analysis of the match data. It’s important to set aside personal preferences and focus on cold logic and psychology when placing your bets.