NHL Picks

How do we Make our NHL Picks?

The suggestions on our NHL Picks page are based on the market consensus (the most common pick) from free picks providers across the sports betting industry such as CBS Sports, Sports Betting Dime, Pickswise and more.

We pair the market consensus pick with the best available line from an online sportsbook to give you a Best Bet for the moneyline, total and puckline for every game on the board.

Let’s look at an example:

The Toronto Maple Leafs are playing the Montreal Canadiens.

Four out of five sources Betting News monitors are picking the Maple Leafs to win and the best price available for that pick is -120 at Sportsbook A.

This example also applies for totals and puckline markets.

Our individual writers will then use the consensus picks in our analysis of each individual game and either side with the pick or go against it based on our own individual analysis.

Looking at consensus picks is a good place to start to find what most experts are seeing in each game but then it is a good idea to read individual game pieces to get a better, more in depth look at the game and the reasons the lines are where they are.

As a fan and a sports bettor, you can then use the information from the consensus picks page and then the predictions page to formulate your own opinion on where you want to place your money.

A good reminder is that no bet is guaranteed and even though all experts agree on one side of a pick, does not necessarily mean that that pick is for sure going to happen.

Use all of the information as a guide. We take pride in giving you accurate, valuable information so you can make the best decisions on where to bet and I always suggest doing as much research as you can before placing a bet.

Betting News Best Bets on our NHL Picks page are subject to change based on how we calculate market consensus. Best Bets are also not financial advice. Please gamble responsibly.

 

How is the Market Consensus Calculated?

Betting News uses predicted scores advertised by free picks providers to determine the market consensus.

Let’s expand on the above example:

  • Source 1 is predicting the Maple Leafs beat the Canadiens 4-3
  • Source 2 is predicting the Maple Leafs beat the Canadiens 5-3
  • Source 3 is predicting the Maple Leafs beat the Canadiens 4-2
  • Source 4 is predicting the Maple Leafs beat the Canadiens 3-1
  • Source 5 is predicting the Canadiens beat the Maple Leafs 2-1

The consensus lines for that game are

  • Moneyline: TOR -120/MTL +110
  • Total: OVER 6.5/UNDER 6.5
  • Puckline: TOR -1.5/MTL +1.5

Based on those predictions and consensus lines, we would list TOR -120, UNDER 5.5, and Canadiens +1.5 as the Best Bets for that game.

That said, if the consensus total at participating sportsbooks moved down to OVER 5.5/UNDER 5.5 our suggested totals pick would change to OVER 5.5 as three out of five sources would then be predicting that the total would go OVER.

Line movement is a key component to consider when picking which side of a bet you want to be on. So paying attention to where a line opens and where it closes is key to your betting strategy.

Check this page frequently throughout the day or even the night before to stay up-to-date on line moves and if you see shifts in one direction or another.

If it moves, there is probably a reason. We will break it down for you in the individual game pieces as to reasons why the line moved or should have moved and that will only help you decide which side of the bet you want to be on!

Again, using as many resources as possible to make a good bet is key. So, we are here to give you as many answers as possible. Below are some common questions you might have, but if you have more, get in touch with us on Twitter! We are always here to help!

NHL Picks FAQs

How do NHL consensus picks work?
We monitor top NHL betting information providers and aggregate the picks and predictions they’ve made on specific games. Whichever pick is most heavily promoted by the sources we’re monitoring will be the consensus pick for that market.
What's the difference between NHL consensus picks, computer picks and expert picks?
The consensus NHL picks we present are gathered using computer and expert-generated picks from industry-leading sources.