Ice Hockey has started to become a popular sport in Nigeria, but many do not know how to go about Ice Hockey predictions. If you are interested in wagering on Ice Hockey games, this guide will show you everything you need to know, including the Ice Hockey betting predictions.
Ice Hockey predictions for today
Different types of predictions are available for Ice Hockey, just like for other sports. There is the 1X2 prediction, Over/Under prediction, correct score prediction, handicap prediction, bet of the day prediction, and several others. It is simple to understand how they work, even if you are new to Ice Hockey. Let’s check below for the ice hockey prediction picks for today;
Ice hockey prediction 1×2
If you are going to wager on the bet of the day, you will need to understand how ice hockey prediction 1X2 works. Wagering on the 1X2 market means you will bet on which of the two sides will win the game. The 1X2 market is also the same as money line prediction bets, which stands for full-time results. This type of bet is the simplest that bettors wager on. Betting on 1 means you are backing the home team to win, and betting on 2 means, you are backing the away team to win.
For instance, in the upcoming IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, host Finland will play Norway in the preliminary round. Betting on the 1X2 market means you are wagering on which of the sides will win the game.
Meanwhile, betting on X means you expect the game to end up in a draw in normal time. However, as Ice hockey competitive games are not usually allowed to end up in a draw, the game could go to overtime or shootouts. So when placing your bets, you can only be allowed to wager on a draw for regular time.
Ice hockey over-under predictions
Another ice hockey prediction that bettors jump at is the over-under predictions market. For this market, you will predict the number of goals both teams will score when you add them together. Usually, bookmakers set a pre-determined value for the total number of goals that can be stored in a game.
In Ice Hockey, over/under 4.5 is very common. So if you are wagering on over 4.5 goals, you are predicting that the total number of goals both teams will score will be 5 and above. However, betting on under 4.5 means you are predicting the total number of goals scored by both teams not to be up to 5 goals.
To get this right, you may need to factor in several statistics by doing your research before placing your bets. So if you want to wager on the over-under market, you have to if the two sides are free-scoring or don’t score much. This way, you can determine whether to go over or under.
Correct Score Predictions
Predicting the correct score for a game is another type of betting market for Ice Hockey. For this, you will need to predict the exact score that will end the game. However, in Ice Hockey, there could be different correct scores for a game. You can either predict the correct score for regular time or that for overtime if the game goes beyond regular time. The odds are usually high for this type of betting market because it could sometimes be difficult to predict how many goals each of the sides would score.
Handicap predictions
Betting on handicap predictions allow you to back the underdogs over the favorites. This is usually applicable when the gap in strength between the favorites and underdogs is too wide. So bookmakers tend to help bettors wager on the underdogs by placing a handicap on them. For example, the underdogs can be backed with a +2.5 handicap, which means you will win the bet as long as the side does not lose the game for more than 2 goals. Anything higher than that will end up in a loss. However, you can also refer to it as the puck line prediction handicap bet.
Livescore predictions
Just like in soccer, bookmakers have also allowed bettors to wager on live ice hockey games. This is usually regarded as in-play betting when bettors can bet on live games. For this type of bet, the odds could sometimes be lower for each team depending on how the game is going.
Furthermore, depending on several actions, the odds will continue to change as the game progresses. When a team scores or when there is an injury to a star player, bookmakers would most times change the odds. However, for in-play betting, you can cash out at any time to control your winnings or cut your losses. In addition, some bookmakers provide the options to Livestream some of these games. But those that do not provide that option will allow you to follow the graphical representation of the game.
What do odds mean in hockey?
The main reason why bettors wager on games is to make money or have fun. However, some things will make the process possible, including odds. Odds are certain numbers pre-determined by bookmakers, allowing you to wager successfully on a team. Usually, bookmakers do their research with statistics to ensure they give the best odds for any type of Ice hockey betting.
However, there are different types of odds in Nigeria’s ice hockey betting markets. You would most times notice three; Decimal, Fractional, and American. We will check some of them below:
If you are new to betting, this could be strange to you. However, almost all bookmakers in Nigeria place their odds in decimal. Therefore, you would usually see numbers like 1.50, 2.50, 5.55, and so on. This implies that you will multiply the amount you want to wager with the odds to calculate your winnings. For instance, If you’re going to wager ₦100 on a 2.50 odds, your potential return will be ₦250 if you win the bet.
Some betting platforms also allow bettors to wager using the fractional odds. Usually, you will notice numbers like 3/1, 22/10, 10/15, and others. To make an example, using 3/1 odds, you will win ₦300 for every ₦100 you wager on this odd. But you must remember that the ₦300 returns also include your ₦100 initial stake.
American odds could be a bit tricky for new bettors, but it is quite straightforward. For these types of odds, bookmakers will place values like -250 or +300. The negative sign represents the favourites, while the positive represents the underdogs. For these odds, you need to wager $250 on the -250 odds to win $100. However, if you wager $100 on a +300 odd, you can win $300.
Ice hockey betting tips
If you are new to Ice Hockey betting, you will always need tips to wager your bets. Here are some of the Ice Hockey betting tips that will help you.
Usually, bettors jump from one league to the other, trying to find out if they can win more with other leagues. But in the end, they end up losing more because they place their bets emotionally without having proper knowledge about the leagues they are betting on.
There are different ice hockey competitions bettors can wager on: the National Hockey League, Ice Hockey World Championships, Kontinental Hockey League, Winter Olympics, and others. It is quite better to specialise yourself in just one of the leagues. The advantage of focusing on one league is to ensure you have the proper knowledge about the league before wagering.
Usually, bookmakers set odds according to favourites and underdogs, and you will notice the difference in odds as you try to wager. The favourites typically get the smallest odds, while the underdogs get the highest. However, despite the huge expectations that the favourites should win, things do not always happen that way. Sometimes, the underdogs could shock the favourites. So, you must have this at the back of your mind as you wager.
Many bettors prefer to wager on the 1X2 betting market, which allows them to predict the winner of a game. However, there are other betting markets available that they can jump on. If you do not find favour with the 1X2 market, you can always explore markets like correct score, handicap, over/under, or others. This will give you more options to try your luck.
We all know you can get more from your bets when you wager on accumulator bets. However, the more you select, the higher the chances of losing because all the games must go in your favor before you can win. So, it is sometimes better to wager on single games or at most two selections to increase your chances of winning.
As you proceed in your betting journey on ice hockey games, it is considerably better to focus on live bets. This is because, with live bets, you can control your winnings and cut your losses. However, this tip is for experienced bettors who know when to wager on live games and when to cash out.
It is better to take a break to cut your losses and then come back later to continue. Taking a break will help you avoid being emotional, which helps you cut your losses.
What are the best sites to bet on Ice Hockey?
When placing a bet on Ice Hockey, you should always do it on some of the best bookmakers. We gathered some of them here, with welcome bonuses you can benefit from when betting for the first time.
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FAQ – Ice hockey predictions
There are different betting platforms in Nigeria that allows you to wager on ice hockey games. Betway, 1Xbet, and 22bet are the popular ones.
Betting on a +5.5 prediction in ice hockey means wagering on ice hockey over 5.5 predictions. That will allow you back the game to end with a total of 6 goals or more.
Betting on the NHL is straightforward, and all you need to do is to locate “Ice Hockey” on your preferred prediction site. You will then find the NHL in the list of competitions that will be displayed after you click the “Ice Hockey” icon. Then you can see the Ice Hockey prediction picks available.
While the two terms appear similar, they are vastly different. For Money line prediction, all you have to do is to wager on who will win the game. However, Puck line prediction has to do with who will win the game, but the team a bettor bet on has to win with a certain number of goals before the bettor can claim his winnings.
