Hockey Handicapping Articles

Expert NHL Handicapping: Analysis of Chicago Blackhawks Recent Surge
by Trevor Whenham - 12/15/2017

We are used to the Chicago Blackhawks being a truly elite team in the NHL - a perennial threat to finish first overall in the NHL and challenge for the Stanley Cup. After two straight disappointing first-round playoff exits, though, the team entered this season with something to prove - and some lingering doubts. And when they stumbled out of the gate those doubts certainly didn't diminish.

Expert NHL Handicapping: Why the Vegas Golden Knights are So Good So Soon
by Trevor Whenham - 12/15/2017

This is truly crazy. Depth is so important in the NHL, so expansion teams usually need a long time to become competitive. Yet the Vegas Golden Knights are sitting in second place in the deep Pacific Division and have a five-point cushion after 30 games played. It is truly remarkable in every way.

Expert NHL Handicapping: Six Reasons for Winnipeg Jets Success
by Trevor Whenham - 11/22/2017

Heading into the season the Winnipeg Jets felt like a team that was in the battle for one of the final playoff spots in the Western Conference. They had upside but even more uncertainty. Well, we are now a quarter of the way through the NHL season, and there is good reason to be more optimistic than we were starting the season. They are sitting second in the Western Conference with 27 points through 20 games, and though they are six points behind the Blues they also have two games in hand.

NHL Expert Handicapping: Edmonton Oilers Struggles
by Trevor Whenham - 11/21/2017

How bad are things for the Edmonton Oilers? Well, they came into the season as the second-favorite to win the Stanley Cup behind only Pittsburgh, yet through 20 games they have just 16 points. How bad is that? In the last 11 years there have been 36 teams that have had 16 or fewer points after 20 games. Only one of those teams went on to make the playoffs. This team would have to win seven games in a row just to get to a 90-point pace for the season - and 90 points is very likely not enough to make the postseason.

NHL Expert Handicapping: Why Montreal Canadiens are this Bad So Far
by Trevor Whenham - 10/24/2017

This is definitely not how things were supposed to turn out in Montreal. After an offseason that featured a big trade and a key contract signing, the expectations were high for the Canadiens. They always are. But a couple of weeks into the season the team sits 30th overall with just three points in eight games. Only Arizona is worse, and the Coyotes are truly terrible. Montreal won their opener and then has dropped seven straight. The city is not happy, but then they are only happy when they win a Cup - which they have done more than any other franchise, though not in a long time.

Vegas Golden Knights NHL Betting: Expansion Team a Pleasant Surprise for Bettors
by Trevor Whenham - 10/24/2017

The Vegas Golden Knights were lucky to enjoy the most generous expansion draft rules the NHL has seen, and they were bold and creative in maximizing their opportunities. Still, even the most enthusiastic new fan couldn't possibly have imagined that the team would fly out to a 6-1 start. And they have been fun to watch as well -- which was far from guaranteed. It has been the best story of this young NHL season. But what does the future hold? Can this team keep chugging along, exceeding expectations and thrilling bettors? Or are they going to crash back to earth? Here are five factors to consider when pondering those questions:

NHL Betting and Handicapping: Early-Season Surprises
by Trevor Whenham - 10/20/2017

The NHL season is only a couple of weeks old, but already it has been interesting and exciting. As usual, some teams have been real disappointments - Minnesota, Edmonton, the Rangers and Montreal would all fit in that category. A lot of teams have been more or less as you would guess. And then there are a few - about five by my count - that have done more out of the gate than it would have been reasonable to expect. In some cases much more. At least two of these five hot starts probably aren't sustainable, but at this point they are playing great in a way that is working for them, and they are worth a whole lot of attention from bettors:

NHL Season Points Totals Predictions: Over and Under Picks for all Teams
by Ricky Dimon - 10/4/2017

The 2017-18 NHL campaign is here. For the first time since the Islanders won four Stanley Cups in a row from 1980 through 1983, a team-Pittsburgh-is going for a three-peat. For now, though, the focus is on the marathon that is the regular season. Normally that is great news for Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals, who have won the Presidents' Trophy on two consecutive occasions. But is Washington on the way down? Is Toronto, which almost beat the Caps in the playoffs, the team of the future-and the present? Those questions, and more, will be discussed in the form of over/under point totals.

2017-18 Chicago Blackhawks Predictions and Futures Odds Picks
by Trevor Whenham - 9/12/2017

Things did not go according to plan last year for the Chicago Blackhawks. They won the Western Conference regular-season crown and went into the playoffs as the top seed. And then they fell without a fight, losing in four straight to the eventual Western Conference champs from Nashville. It was ugly. Really ugly. Some teams would have made excuses and stuck to what got them there. Chicago hasn't won three Stanley Cups since 2010 by making excuses. Instead, they went nuclear. Ten significant contributors were traded or allowed to leave in free agency. Another is out for the year with a long-term injury. So, the best team in the West last year is coming into this season with half of their roster different than last year. Change is something this team is very comfortable with, but this is extreme even by their measure.

2017-18 Dallas Stars Predictions and Futures Odds Picks
by Trevor Whenham - 9/12/2017

There is no team in the NHL that has frustrated me more lately than the Dallas Stars. Each of the last three years I have liked a lot about them and have been bullish on them. In 2015-16 they rewarded my faith, compiling the best record in the Western Conference and making the second round of the playoffs. The year before and the year after that run, though, they underachieved massively. They finished sixth in the division both seasons and were no real threat to make the playoffs.

2017-18 Los Angeles Kings Predictions and Futures Odds Picks
by Trevor Whenham - 9/12/2017

I live in a town where Darryl Sutter was both GM and head coach, so I am very familiar with the pattern that played out in L.A.. Sutter has a very specific manner and style, and initially players buy into it. When they do the results can be very impressive - the Kings won two Cups. Eventually, though, his gruffness, rigidness and lack of personality grow old, and players tune him out. For a while he keeps the revolution in check by jettisoning guys who don't buy in. The results wane but don't totally tank. Eventually, though, he can't stay on top of things, and it's time for him to go. The guy can coach, but he has the people skills of an angry wasp.

2017-18 Anaheim Ducks Predictions and Futures Odds Picks
by Trevor Whenham - 9/12/2017

The Anaheim Ducks have won the Pacific Division for the last five years. That's impressive in a pretty tough division. The problem, though, is that they have only made it as far as the Western Conference final twice, and they lost it both times. They haven't played in the Cup since they won it in 2007. There is no way that the team can avoid the accusations of having underachieved given their talent and consistent dominance. Their talent is still strong, and they did little to change what they had, but the window is getting smaller as their key forwards get older. They are still capable of doing lots of damage this year, but they need to do it before it's too late.

2017-18 St. Louis Blues Predictions and Futures Odds Picks
by Trevor Whenham - 9/12/2017

The season last year for the St. Louis Blues was, well, okay. Solid, even. They finished third in the Central Division, pulled off a first-round playoff upset over Minnesota in just five games and then lost a tough series to the Predators. When a third-place team makes the second round then they have exceeded expectations.

2017-18 Minnesota Wild Predictions and Futures Odds Picks
by Trevor Whenham - 9/12/2017

The Minnesota Wild set records for wins and points last season, and yet they surely look back on the season with disgust. They went into a manageable first-round playoff series against St. Louis, and they were sent off to the golf course after just five games. Their goaltending was sound in the playoffs, but they only scored 10 goals in five games, they lost three home games, and they frankly weren't good enough.

2017-18 San Jose Sharks Predictions and Futures Odds Picks
by Trevor Whenham - 9/12/2017

Last year Brent Burns was spectacular, the rest of the offense was only okay, the defense was strong, and the San Jose Sharks won 46 games. Solid enough. But when they wound up losing in the first round of the playoffs no one could really pretend to be that surprised. They made a run to the Stanley Cup final in 2016, but that was the only time in the last six seasons that they hadn't underwhelmed in the playoffs - if they even got there.

2017-18 Montreal Canadiens Predictions and Futures Odds Picks
by Trevor Whenham - 9/12/2017

It was a rocky year last year for the Canadiens. They won their division, which is obviously a good thing. But they faced a surprising February coaching change, bringing Claude Julien back to town for another coaching stint. And when things really mattered in the postseason they forgot how to score and gave up without much more than a whimper. Then P.K. Subban, who fans still miss in a serious way after his shocking season last summer, went all the way to the Cup final with his new Nashville squad to add insult to injury. The team really needs to find a way to get better results when it matters and avoid all the drama. And they got pretty aggressive this offseason in an attempt to reshape and improve themselves.

2017-18 Vancouver Canucks Predictions and Futures Odds Picks
by Trevor Whenham - 9/12/2017

In 2015 the Vancouver Canucks had a very solid 101-point season to finish second in the tough Pacific Division. Last year they had 69 points, a hideous -61 goal differential, and were a horrible mess of a team. The team made the predictable move, blaming coach Willie Desjardins and firing him. As his replacement they hired Travis Green, the coach of their farm team in Utica and one of the hotter coaching prospects out there.

2017-18 Colorado Avalanche Predictions and Futures Odds Picks
by Trevor Whenham - 9/12/2017

The Colorado Avalanche were almost impossibly bad last year. Just 22 wins and four ties in 82 games. A goal differential of -112, which was 49 more than any other team. League worst in both goals scored and goals allowed. A total lack of effort or heart for much of the year. Horrid injury luck. There was not a single positive to draw from the season. And karma got the last say - despite having by far the worst record in the league, the team wound up with just the fourth pick in the draft.

2017-18 Nashville Predators Predictions and Futures Odds Picks
by Trevor Whenham - 9/11/2017

After a magical run to the Stanley Cup finals last year, Nashville has the unenviable task of proving it was no fluke - and they'll have a huge target on their backs as they try to do so. They claimed the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference and had fewer points than all eight Eastern Conference playoff teams as well. Yet all you need is a ticket to the dance, and they made the most of theirs.

2017-18 Pittsburgh Penguins Predictions and Futures Odds Picks
by Trevor Whenham - 9/11/2017

The Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup last year. And the year before. And they are solidly favored to win it again this year. They have made changes each year, and they are far from a perfect team. They have, however, the best and hungriest player on the planet. And another top five talent in the NHL for good measure. Guys like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin can erase a lot of other concerns for a team. This offseason they got a little younger, they may have gotten a little better, and they are ready for another fight. But do they have enough to give?