The NHL All-Star Weekend, which is held near the end of January, is a lot of fun for sports bettors and fans. The best players in the world engage in various competitions, and on Sunday play the All-Star Game. For sports bettors, the NHL’s All-Star weekend provides a distraction and some amusement. No sports bettors should take the weekend seriously, though. They should always wager seriously, which means protecting their bankroll.
NHL SuperSkills Competition
The NHL SuperSkills Competition includes a range of activities, including determining which player is the fastest skater, has the hardest shot or best shooting accuracy. This individual competition is a lot of fun and players tend to go all out to win.
All-Star Game
The game itself is a tough one to bet. Basically it tends to be a shootout. The high scoring affair offers sports bettors an offensive slugfest. Goaltending tends to suffer, as defenses tend to be fairly light. If you want to bet on the game, do so by betting one to two units at most and making no more than two bets.
Money Line Betting
If you’re wagering, then money line betting is the best way to proceed. If you are going to bet on the outcome of the contest, do some basic handicapping (without investing too much time) and determine which team has the edge on shooting. Don’t be too concerned about the goaltending, as even superior goalies have a tough time competing in this shootout.
Over/Under
The totals bet can also be a good one. Totals tend to be high and are usually listed in double digits. The over/under is a solid one. In the past ten All-Star Games, there have been at least ten goals scored in each game, with more than a majority of the games offering totals of fifteen goals or more. A large number of games had totals of over twenty goals.
Good totals bets include an over of between 10.5 and 15.5. An over of more than 19.5 offers less potential. If you don’t like the over/under, simply do not wager on it.
Game Props
Game props are numerous and available for both the SuperSkills Competition and the game. In the SuperSkills Competition, you may bet on who will win a specific event. You may parlay your bets, and you will find numerous opportunities to do so. Game props involving betting on who will score first, how many saves a goalie will make, and how many shots on goal there will be. Remember that props are not a good way to make cash, as they are impossible to handicap. Wins are often the result of blind luck.
Being a Smart Bettor
As far as the NHL All-Star Weekend is concerned, it is important to treat it as an amusement. Don’t risk too much on any bet and limit your wagering to a bet or two. Feel free to use this weekend to take a break from betting and to become familiar with the present state of each team.