Bet on AHL at Sportsbet
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a promising counterpart to the National Hockey League (NHL) that is gaining popularity in the United States. With potential star players getting into the heat of the competition, punters too are excited to bet on the teams.
How to read AHL odds
Just like reading the odds from other major sports like basketball and football, the AHL betting odds are assigned by bookmakers. For instance, the Hartford Wolf Pack vs. the Toronto Marlies may have odds of 1.50 and 2.34 respectively. This means that the former has a better chance of winning and are the favourites.
Moreover, the favourites are denoted by the (-) sign while the underdogs are denoted by the (+) sign if you prefer using American odds.
Odds will play a big factor in your bets
Betting on ice hockey games might seem challenging at first. NHL betting odds and AHL betting odds will help you win your bets but not in the way that you might think. Some bettors believe that the odds are an easy way to win bets because they can tell the favourite and the underdog.
However, that is not the case because ice hockey varies in every game. Even the best players in the world have bad performances at times. That should give you an idea that looking into a game before you make your bet will be good for your overall rewards.
When you are making bets on both of these ice hockey leagues, you should use the odds as a tool and not the primary basis behind your bets.
This is not only exclusive to hockey because you should also employ this if you’re making bets in other sports. The idea behind this is to know the context of those numbers because it will help you clear up any of the doubts for your bets. If you know why those numbers are skewed towards a team, you can find a gap that you can take advantage of to win your bets..
The NHL vs AHL debate
At first, bettors may have trouble dealing with deciding on what league to bet on. They should know that it will be subjective but for the most part, the NHL is much better because of its plethora of markets but that shouldn’t leave the AHL out of the discussion.
Some fans like to partake in this debate because they want to feel superior about their hockey knowledge. It is established that the NHL is built with higher quality teams and players but the AHL will always be there to provide high-level hockey as well despite its lack of popularity against the top tier.
The latter is a developmental league but it can provide you with fantastic entertainment too. It is one of the best leagues to watch and bet on because you can see ice hockey competition at its most pure state. People will talk about the differences between NHL and AHL but they are both a celebration of a stellar sport.
Know the different betting markets
Aside from reading the odds, there are also fun ways for you to bet. This is through wagering on betting markets.
Here are the most profitable and famous betting markets in AHL hockey:
Winner (incl. overtime)
The winner bet is the most common type of betting market most punters use. Betting on the winner is among the most classic and typical types of bets people can make. In fact, you can even make bets with your friends on which team is going to win right now.
It’s as straightforward as predicting which team is going to score the most points by the end of the game.
Period betting
In AHL hockey, the match is divided into 3 periods and 2 intermissions in between. With this, punters can guess the score in-between periods which makes the whole endeavour much more interesting.
Even if a team is losing a period, they can still turn the game around in the succeeding periods and make a comeback which makes it all the more exciting.
Winning margin
Betting on the winning margin allows punters to predict how many points the winning team will have by the end of the game.
Winning margin betting is also incredibly fun because you’ll either predict the winner blowing out the opponent or if it is going to be a close game. There are also strategies involved like looking at the teams closely and seeing the disparity of player quality and the effectiveness of the coaching staff to forecast a margin wisely.
Double chance
Double chance is a type of bet to make for two possible outcomes in one single wager. For instance, if you believe the Chicago Wolves are going to win a match against the Stockton Heat by shootout, then you’re wagering on two possible outcomes simultaneously happening in one match.
This type of bet allows punters to be more creative with their strategies and formulate wild predictions that is very rewarding by the end of the match.
First team to score
As the name suggests, this betting market is about what team will score first. This might sound arbitrary at first but you can expect this from how the teams play. If you are betting on an aggressive team, that is a smart bet because they will typically have the tactics to attack from the jump.
First player to score
This is similar to the previous market because this deals with which player will score first. This will actually be paired with the first team to score since they are connected to the same goal. This can become predictable if you know the personnel that are playing in the match. This is largely due to the number of players who can score from the jump with their supreme speed and power.
Over/under (total score)
This is probably one of the most popular markets on any sports betting platform. The over/under has been big for a long time and the main factor behind it is the total score between the two teams. In the hockey world, there will usually be a given range for the number of goals to be scored and bettors will make wagers whether the teams will hit under or over that mark.
Team to score x amount of goals
In this market, you will have to bet on how many goals can one team score. As a bettor, you will need solid foresight with this market because you need to anticipate how a team can score goals. This will depend on the tendency of a team to put the puck in the net but this will be easier to gauge if you’re aware of a team’s goal-scoring rate.
How watching the games more helps you in betting
There’s a difference between a top fan and a regular punter who just watches the games to bet. While there’s nothing wrong with betting on teams in a more strategic way without ever watching a single AHL team play, a fan who follows the league every day will have an edge knowledge-wise.
What used to be a chore in researching the depth and quality of all AHL hockey teams becomes a pleasure in taking time to absorb all that is happening while enjoying the games. This allows punters to take no effort into learning every nuance in the game and even puts that to their advantage.
Learning about a team’s players and the system used to beat other opponents is beneficial to punters because they can make wiser bets on the team they think is going to win.
Understanding the AHL standings
If you’re new to AHL hockey standings, there are a few aspects about it that you need to understand before you place your AHL standings. For starters, the AHL standings rely on wins and losses for the whole season.
Combining the wins and losses that occurred in the season will be ranked accordingly. Then, 23 teams from all 4 divisions will compete in the playoffs for 5 rounds until the Calder Cup championship.
The importance of the standings shows in the playoffs when matchups are assigned to each series. The AHL’s four divisions will be divided into the top and bottom teams from the playoff qualifying rounds.
The top 2 teams from the Atlantic Division, the top 3 teams from the North and Central Divisions, the top team from the Pacific Division will receive byes and proceed to the best of five semi-finals series.
The other teams that didn’t meet the qualifications will enter a First Round series and vye for a spot in the semi-finals. The teams during the semi-finals round will then battle it out to enter the best-of-seven conference finals to qualify for the Calder Cup Finals.
Putting the organisations under a microscope
When betting, you must look at all the AHL hockey teams and study the history of each. For instance, if an organisation has a history of picking the wrong players in the draft combines and trading irrationally, then it’s safe to say that they are not the team to bet on. These small yet crucial points are important in letting you understand how teams operate and why you should avoid dysfunctional franchises.
Top AHL teams to bet on based on past performances
While nobody will know what the future will hold, punters can still rely on these teams to perform well at any given season. Here are the best teams to bet on the AHL:
Utica Comets
The Utica Comets are among the best teams in the league for being consistent throughout their franchise’s history.
Chicago Wolves
The Chicago Wolves are among the most recognisable AHL hockey teams. With their stellar offence ranking, the Chicago Wolves are a team to bet on each year.
What makes the Wolves special is their identity in the league and the constant top AHL hockey standings appearances in their division.
Springfield Thunderbirds
Previously known as the Springfield Falcons, the Thunderbirds have remained a good team throughout the years using their new moniker.
Bet on the AHL at the best sports betting sites like Sportsbet
Now that you are aware of how AHL betting works, it’s time to start placing your wagers at the most reliable betting site. When considering betting on AHL teams, be sure to include Sportsbet on the list which allows you to bet on any league and different markets.
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