Betting NHL Outdoor Games: Factors to Consider When Wagering

How do you bet on an NHL outdoor game? Good question. It’s a little more complicated than looking at the NHL power rankings and picking the best teams.

Since the NHL started playing games outdoors again in 2003, with the Heritage Classic in Edmonton between the Oilers and Montreal Canadiens, 25 contests have been waged through the 2017-18 season.

While you can never tell what will happen, we do have some trend lines and tips to guide you if you’re considering checking out NHL sportsbooks and placing a wager on any league-sponsored outdoor games.

Outdoor NHL Betting Tips

Road Teams Have Dominated

Road teams won eight of the first 10 outdoor games and were 15-10 through the first 25. It's tough to say exactly why, but I’ll venture one theory: Distractions for the home team.

In games like these, home team players have the burden of playing on unfamiliar ice sheets in an unfamiliar building and dealing with many ticket requests from family and friends. Ask any player who has been to a big playoff series, and they’ll tell you they are often driven batty by the constant distractions from Uncle Harry and Aunt Sue over ticket requests for such big games.

Road teams don’t have to deal with that as much, and I think it helps them just go out there and have one mission: win the game. Home teams want to put on a big show for everyone, and that can mean players try to do too much. Home players often have family in town for the holidays, extending past the Winter Classic games, and that’s when they can lose focus.

However, one thing to keep in mind is that in 2017, home teams swept all four contests, so a once-overwhelming trend was muted a bit.

Consider Betting the Over

From 2016 to 2018, the over was 6-3-1. So, look for teams with tenuous goaltending situations and teams that feature strong attacks and jump in on the NHL goal market.

Watch the Trends

The Flyers lost their first three outdoor attempts in 2012, 2016, and 2017. The Chicago Blackhawks dropped three of their first four. The New York Rangers were the best outdoor team from 2003-18, posting a 4-0 mark, including a pair of wins in 2014 over the Islanders and New Jersey Devils.

Which Team is Older?

If you’re betting on one player to better withstand the elements, who do you go with: the younger or older guy?

This is not proven science, but in hardy outdoor conditions that can include minus temperatures, high winds, and harder ice surfaces (or even slushy if the weather is warmer), younger guys probably just have an edge over the older guys.

Is it Really Home-Ice Advantage?

In 2014, Toronto played Detroit in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In 2018, Washington and Toronto squared off in Annapolis, Maryland.

It’s more of an advantage when the home team has that full-throated roar of the crazy die-hards in attendance. In these outdoor games, it’s more of a social day for everyone. That can help the road team.