Sunday, March 12, 2006

Puck value

The system says the Calgary Flames should beat Colorado today.

The books have Calgary at +115, an underdog.

Hockey is about value. If a team is likely to win and they are giving you +odds, that's value.

Take Calgary.

Sunday, March 05, 2006

Pucks R us

Hockey bettors have two things in common with baseball pickers. 1) XM radio is a godsend, there's 24/7 talk for the sport; 2) Most bets are made on the "Moneyline," meaning it only matters who wins, not by how much.

And here's the question: "Is there a legitimate reason to bet parlays?"

I say, "Yes." Let me explain.

If you wanted to bet Vancouver Sunday night at home, you faced -300 odds. If you wanted to win $100, you had to risk $300. The Canucks' loss to the Blues could seriously ruin your weekend, eh?

But if you found another team to parlay with the Canucks and wanted to win $100, give or take, you could have parlayed the teams, and gotten virtually even odds on your parlay. So a parlay of Dallas (-130) and Vancouver (-300) would have odds at something like +120. So the $100 parley would win $120 if both teams came home.

True enough, the Canucks' loss means that the parley player loses. But better to lose $100 when attempting to win $120, than to lose $300 chasing a solo c-note.

Moneyliners has always said the way to win at sports wagering is to find value, and minimizing risk while maximizing return is the way to do this.

Anybody seeing two good hockey picks on the same night should feel free to speak up.