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How to research NHL stats to make predictions and win?
Hockey stats aren’t nearly as all-encompassing as they are in a sport like baseball, football or basketball, though they are trending toward becoming more detailed than in the past. The basic stats for a team are wins, losses in regulation, overtime and via shootout, home and away wins, goals for and against and streak.
More detailed stats packages might also take into account a team’s record within its division and conference. Another couple of key stats to keep track of in terms of teams is power play and penalty kill percentages since the teams that win the special teams duel on most nights will be the team that wins the game. Checking out a team’s penalty-minute total is another important stat to monitor, especially if you come across a team that takes a lot of penalties that is lining up against a potent opposition power play.
In terms of players, also referred to as skaters, the straightforward stats are goals, assists, points and penalty minutes. Other stats that are worth keeping tabs on including power-play goals, plus-minus and multi-point games.
For goaltenders, wins, and save percentage are the most vital numbers, more so than goals-against average, which has as much to do with the team success as it does the individual netminder.
More recently, analytics have become prominent in the hockey world and you can track such vital information as puck possession and zone starts, two stats that generally separate the elite players from the rest of the pack.
When it comes time to place a bet, these stats can become key tools in determining the path of your wager. At a site like DraftKings, all of these elements can come into play. That’s because DraftKings offers you a two-pronged wagering option. The team stats will help you wager on games and future outcomes through their sportsbook. If you are into fantasy sports, the daily fantasy games are a great way to put some money in your pocket, and by becoming familiar with the key individual stats of players, it will aid your ability to make hay here as well.