NHL at the Break
With the National Hockey League at the All-Star break, it's a good time to visit what has happened in the first. Certain teams have definitely exceeded expectations so far, while others have been big disappointments.Top Money-Making Teams
While the Tampa Bay Lightning qualify as the surprise team of the first half, it's the Dallas Stars who have been the favorites of hockey bettors during the first half. A one-unit wager on the Stars in every game would have shown a profit of 10.2 units.The Lightning are second with a profit of 9.5 units, followed by Philadelphia with a profit of 8.2 units. Anaheim, Nashville and the New York Rangers are the only other teams to show a profit of 6.0 units or more.
Top Money-Burning Teams
It should come as no surprise that the New Jersey Devils are the leading money-burners, as a one-unit wager on the Devils would have left bettors with a whopping 20.4-unit loss. The Devils did go 6-1-1 in their last eight games before the break, so it may be wise to hold off against betting against them after the break and see if they are going to play to their potential or go on another slide.Ottawa has been nearly as bad, costing bettors 17 units so far, with the Edmonton Oilers checking in at -13 units. The Islanders are showing a flat-bet loss of 11.8 units, while the fifth worst team from a betting perspective has been the San Jose Sharks. While the Sharks are 25-25 including overtime losses, they are usually prohibitive favorites and have shown a flat-bet loss of 11.4 units.
Toronto is the lone remaining team to show a flat-bet loss of more than 10 units.
Totals
Only four teams have seen 55 percent or more of their games go over the total, with Colorado leading the way at 31-17 to the over, with Phoenix second at 30-19. The Islanders (26-21) and Red Wings (27-22) are the two others.It's been a different story on the unders, as eight teams have seen 60 percent or more of their games go under the total. Leading the way has been Washington, as only 13 of 49 Capitals games (26.5 percent) have gone over the total.
The Henrik Lundqvist-led New York Rangers are next, with 63.3 percent of their games going under the total, followed by Montreal (62.8 percent under) and Los Angeles and Pittsburgh, both a 62.5 percent under. It is interesting to note that the two teams people think of as being the most offensive gifted, Washington and Pittsburgh, have been two of the teams that play most consistently to the under.
Boston has seen 61.8 percent of its games go under, while Nashville and Florida are both at 60 percent. New Jersey, Ottawa and Anaheim just missed, but all three teams have seen 58 percent of their games go under the total.
