Predicting sports to make more secure options while betting on online platforms is something that every punter wants and needs. It can never be done with certainty, and nothing can truly prepare the bettors for what may happen in a match. The more dynamic the sport and the tougher the overall conditions for scoring are, the less likely it is that even the most experienced fan will accurately predict the outcome and be sure they get the prize money. But after all, that is the appeal of wagering on the outcome of sporting events, using what data, knowledge, and experience you have to potentially walk away richer than you came in.
The sport of hockey is a very exciting, fast, and dynamic one, making it fun to watch and obsess over and bet on. The NHL in the USA and Canada is by far the most competitive league in the world, but many other countries also have strong domestic leagues that are worth checking out and placing bets on. Furthermore, some of the best matches happen at the Winter Olympic Games, where countries like the USA, Russia, and Canada play hard fought matches and bring about a ton of great action.
In the modern world, thanks to the technology we have, it is becoming a bit more possible to predict matches and calculate the odds thanks to artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic betting tools. It was never easier to be a bettor, at least in terms of picking the best markets based on odds, since we get to utilize these innovations and breakthroughs when evaluating what hockey odds are the best. If this is your sport and you want to win more often in your wagering endeavors, read on to learn more about how AI-generated predictions and algorithmic tools work.
How do AI-Generated Predictions and Algorithms Work in Hockey?
By analyzing vast amounts of historical and real time data using machine learning algorithms. These predictions are used for forecasting game outcomes, player performance, team strategies, and even injury risks. It starts with data collection when AI models rely on large datasets. They include game stats like goals, assists, shots, faceoffs, penalties, and more. Then there is player tracking of speed, positioning, time on ice, and shift length. Team metrics such as possession, special teams stats, and goalie performances are also analyzed, as are historical outcomes including head-to-head results, win/loss streaks, and home/away records. Finally, contextual data like injuries, fatigue, lineup changes, and coaching styles.
NHL players and puck tracking systems like NHL EDGE have expanded the depth of available data. Next comes feature engineering. AI models cannot use raw data directly, and key features are extracted and transformed to make the data useful for predictions. Player form, recent point production, and shooting percentage are crucial. With team momentum, performances over the last 5 or 10 games are the most important when establishing predictions and odds. Back-to-back games, travel fatigue, and playoff pressure are all valuable insights with game context, while opponent stats matter the most with defensive/offensive efficiency.
There are several AI and ML techniques commonly used for all of this. Logistic regression predicts binary outcomes, wins or losses. Random forests/gradient boosting is a more complex form of prediction for goal differential and player points. Neural networks are deep learning models for real time or highly variable scenarios. Reinforcement learning deals with strategy optimization, like with simulated coaching decisions. NLP models analyze scouting reports and player interviews. All of this is done across thousands of games, and then the odds for games are established.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning can then predict win probabilities, score predictions, expected goals and assists, power play/penalty kill success rates, and most importantly, betting odds for sportsbooks and bettors. If there is a need for it, real time adjustments can be made with live data streams. Puck tracking and shift changes, for example, can allow AI to adjust win probabilities mid game, suggest tactical changes, and estimate fatigue or injury risk. All of this is used by various sports and betting related platforms like Sportsbet. Teams use it for lineup decisions and trade evaluations, media for pre game analysis and fan engagement, bettors and fantasy players for making better informed decisions, and fans to enhance engagement through predictive graphics or win probabilities.
For a quick example, player A has a 65% chance to record a point tonight against Team B. Predictions like this can come from Player A’s recent form, like 8 points in 5 games, Team B’s weak defensive stats, Player A’shistorical performance vs Team B, and expected ice time and line combinations. It can be a combination of all this, and more, in what is a very complex and detailed system of predicting outcomes of professional hockey games.
Most Popular Hockey Bets
Since it is a very varied sport where a lot of things can happen in a single match, and during a season, hockey has quite a few popular betting markets that are popular among punters. Some are similar or completely the same as in other sports, while others have some variations. For example, the most straightforward and common one is the moneyline, a straight bet on which team will win the game. If the Toronto Maple Leafs are -130 against the Montreal Canadiens at +110, you bet +130 to win $100 on the Leafs or $100 to win $110 on the Canadiens.
The puck line bet is hockey’s version of the point spread. It is usually set at -1.5 goals for favorites and +1.5 goals for the underdogs. So if the Bruins are -1.5 and +150 and the Rangers are +1.5 and-170, the Bruins must win by 2+ goals to cover it. The over/under bet, also called totals, is the same as in other sports, as you bet on the total number of goals scored by both teams combined. Oftentimes, the over and the under will have the same odds, for example, -110 on both over 5.5 goals and under 5.5 goals. So if 6+ goals are scored, the over hits. If fewer than 6 are scored, the under wins.
An increasingly popular option on platforms is live betting, or in-game as it is also known. Here, the players wager as the game is still happening, and the odds change in real time based on what is going on. Popular markets include next goal, updated moneyline, and total goals corrections.
The 60-minute line, or regulation time betting, involves wagering on the result, excluding overtime. You can opt for team A to win, team B to win, or a Tie. In period betting, players bet on outcomes within each period and nothing else, the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd. Bets involve moneyline, over/under, or exact scores, of which the exact scores are the toughest but also the most enticing.
As in any sport, prop (proposition) bets, also called niche bets, are specific markets in which something will happen. For example, the first player to score, whether a player will score 2+ goals, total goalie saves, team hits, power play goals, etc. If it happens, you win. If it does not, you lose. It can be as strange and unorthodox as you can imagine, and some sportsbooks literally allow anything to be wagered on.
A very peculiar betting type is the future or outright bet, a season long market where you bet on the Stanley Cup winner, division or conference winner, the MVP, or top scorer at the start of the season. The earlier you do it, the higher the odds and the bigger the payout. Not everyone is willing to do this as there are months of waiting and the bet can prove bad early on.
