Keys to Profitable Betting on the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs

The Stanley Cup Playoffs have begun, and while many of you will already have some sort of betting strategy in place, there are sure to be some of you who are adopting a wait and see attitude. The playoffs are a long, hard grind, and it is not always the team that you thought was the best heading into the postseason that ends up winning it all. After all, how often does the President’s Trophy winner for the best regular season record also go on and win the Stanley Cup? Not often at all, which gives you some idea of just how difficult it is to hoist this iconic trophy. You all probably have your own systems in place, but here are a few things to consider if you want to be profitable in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Updated Keys to profitable betting on the NHL playoffs | NHL Lines

Game 2 is Huge

Very often, I will sit and wait until I have seen every Game 1 in the series before placing my first bet. I am not suggesting that one game will dictate how the rest of the series will go, but it does have a huge impact on Game 2. This is especially true if the home team loses that opening game. The worst thing a team can do is lose both home games before hitting the road, as that is often the death of a series. If the favorite loses Game 1, I will look at playing them to win in Game 2. They need that win, plus the road team might let up just a little knowing that they already have the split and home ice advantage.

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Spread Out Your Bets

We are certainly not suggesting that there is a right or a wrong way to play, especially if you are winning on a regular basis. That said, I don’t think it’s a particularly good idea to focus on just one series and ignore the rest. Most series will have momentum swings that are very difficult to predict, especially in the later rounds when teams become more evenly matched. Focus on each night and try not to look ahead. Look for trends developing within a series, which might mean playing player props instead of betting on the game as a whole.

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Leave Your Heart Out of It

If you have your favorite team in the playoffs, I suggest ignoring them altogether when it comes time to bet. It is all too easy to go with your heart instead of your head, which, more often than not, has a negative impact on your bankroll. If the idea of betting against your team does not sit well with you, then move onto another game and series. Don’t force bets based on you wanting a specific team to win, especially when all the trends are against you.

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Don’t Always Play the Favorite

This applies to every game in every sport, and not just the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Look at the opening night of the playoffs and notice that we had a pair of teams go on the road to steal Game 1. Home ice advantage is great, but it very often goes out the window rather quickly in an evenly matched series. You have to go with situational bets, such as what we discussed in the first point of this piece.

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