By: Jacob Abenante | Follow me on Twitter @Jacobabenante
The puck is about to drop on the 2020-21 NHL season, and as a Bruins fan, I could not be more excited for the impending pandemonium. The Bruins are primed for another strong season, admits many changes and a fresh influx of youth. As a bettor and a Bruins fan, I have been patiently awaiting this moment where I can start making some picks and helping myself and our readers make some money.
Getting started
In my previous articles regarding betting for the Black and Gold Network, we have talked exclusively about futures in which you would be merely betting for the team or player to win a said category. Today we will dive deeper into puck-lines (money lines but for hockey) and bets like an over-under. As the season rolls on, I will continue to bring up new forms of bets and explain the value in taking them. Puck-lines will almost always be + and – 1.5; this means for you to win the bet, the team you are taking will have to win by at least two goals on the minus side or lose by less than two goals on the plus side.
Also, you will see me talk about units. Units are whatever you want them to be, and they will be different for every person. One unit should be whatever you are comfortable losing on your average bet. Never bet more they you are comfortable with.
Bruins bets of the week
The first bet I have for the week is the Bruins in their season opener -1.5 +180 vs. the New Jersey Devils on Thursday, January 14th. I feel this is a reasonable price for the Bruins on the puck-line, especially in their first game of the season. The Bruins are coming off a disappointing exit of the bubble, and the reigning Presidents Trophy winners will be ready to shake off the cobwebs and get a big win. I expect the Bruins to cover this spread and win by two or more goals in this game. I would be confident with a whole unit on this line, especially with Tuukka Rask starting.
For this week, bet number two is for the Bruins game on Saturday, January 15th, also vs. the New Jersey Devils. I am advising taking the over at 5.5 -120 for half or full unit in this game. This means if there are six or more goals scored in this contest, you would get a return of $80 on a $100 bet or, in more straightforward terms, would have to bet $120 in order to have a return of $100. My reasoning behind this pick is I expect the Bruins to be playing Jaroslav Halak in this game and the Devils possibly playing their backup goaltender. To put it simply, backup goalies usually result in more goals and, therefore, easier to hit overs. My second thought behind this pick is I expect the early season to have a lot of sloppy play that should, in turn, result in more high danger scoring chances.
Longshot of the week
Betting should be fun and can help us as fans engage more in games around the league that don’t include our Bruins. In each article, I will look for a longshot pick of the week in a game we might not typically make an effort to watch. This week’s longshot of the week is the Arizona Coyotes -1.5 +225 over the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, January 14th. I like this game for the price and the fact the Sharks can be somewhat of a fire drill on defense. In turn, this could result in a high scoring game where the Coyotes will have many opportunities to come out on top.
For more Bruins betting tips, advice, and talk, please follow @pucklinespod brought to you in partnership with the Black and Gold Network.
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