NHL Handicappers are Back in Action after Stellar Week 4

Last week saw some shakeups for the NHL, with the New Jersey Devils and Carolina Hurricanes really itching to beat out the Panthers as #1 in the Eastern Conference. And the Winnipeg Jets are still dominating the Western Conference, with an absurd 15-1 record. 

It was a good week for handicappers, too, with some familiar faces breaking back into the top 5. Keep reading to see what wagers made money, and which ones had us scratching our heads. 

Deluca is Baaaack

In the first two weeks of the NHL season, we were keeping a close eye on MArio Deluca, who was making money left and right. Most of his wagers were totals or spreads, and he had an impressive record at the start of the season. 

But, in weeks three and four, he fell off, not even managing to make top five. 

And here we are, in week five with Deluca crushing it once again. 

As you can see, he’s modified his approach a bit, wagering primarily moneylines last week. He’s not taking many risks, as all of his wagers are on the favorite. But, it’s working for him, as he’s won $382 since last week. 

The only wager Deluca lost last week was on the Islanders vs Senators game. In all fairness, almost every capper we have who bet on that game wagered the Senators’ moneyline, and they all walked away with a loss. 

I’m curious to see how long Deluca’s new moneyline strategy will work for him. Most handicappers looking for profit will wager totals or spreads since upsets in hockey are common. But, Deluca seems to have good information and is making it work. 

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Top NHL Handicappers Last Week

Last week, we saw some improvement in our top five roster. Previously, our top five had a collective win rate of 66%, but this week it’s increased to 70.9%, with a 22-9 record. 

Still, we’ve seen betting volume go down, as punters are becoming more conservative in their wagers. There’s still good money to be made on the NHL, but our cappers are focusing on betting quality over quantity. 

Regardless, last week our top five cappers won around $1,250 combined, which isn’t bad!

Sas Insider With Some Out-of-Pocket Picks

Sas Insider made the top five last week with a 6-4 record (60%), the lowest win percentage of the top five. However, taking a closer look at the picks they put out, I have some questions. 

One pick in particular has me curious: the +295 on the Blackhawks moneyline. For some context, the Dallas Stars had a great start to the season, and are currently sitting at a 9-5 record. The Blackhawks, however, are 6-9, and near the bottom of the Western Conference. The odds on the matchup were +270 Blackhawks, -330 Stars. See why I’m curious?

I took a look at the consensus data to see if I was missing something. 

Unfortunately, it looks like there was overwhelming support for the Stars among both the public and sharp money. Perhaps Sas Insider was taking a shot in the dark, but it seems like a wild wager to make once you consider the data. 

It would have been much safer to wager the -1.5 spread on the Stars, which they covered with ease. 

What Games We Are Watching This Week

Tonight, the Hurricanes take on the Utah Hockey Club, and a couple of our cappers are looking at the Hurricanes’ moneyline. 

The Hurricanes are ranked 3rd in the Eastern Conference, but their point % is the second highest in the whole league, at 0.786. The only team beating them is the Jets, with a wild 0.938 point %. 

Two other games we’re excited to see are the Devils vs the Panthers on Thursday, and the Panthers vs the Jets on Saturday. All three teams are at the top of their game this season, and it’s hard to tell right now who will win each game. 

Make sure to check out ScoresandStats.com’s selection of handicappers before the games to get the best NHL picks.