With the NHL season opening Tuesday, the biggest year-to-year change is that the league is returning to normal schedule, with typical days off, full arenas and everything else that players were accustomed to before last season. Last season’s delayed and extremely condensed schedule made things interesting and allowed everyone to watch another season of hockey, but surely bettors will welcome the return to normalcy.
Looking closely at the schedules for daily sports is always a key part of my handicapping routine. In the sports that are played with multiple games each week in a less-than-consistent format, how a team’s schedule lays out can have a huge impact on its performance. These sports are of course hockey and basketball, the NHL and NBA in particular. The fact is that some teams fare better in certain scheduling spots than others, and there are many debatable reasons for it.
I’ve dug into my NHL database over the last three seasons to identify specific spots on the 2021-22 schedule. I’ve highlighted some of the top angles you’ll want to take note of this season. Hang on to this article as it should serve as a good resource as we navigate the schedule.
Here are 10 top play-on and play-against scheduling situations that have produced noteworthy results for bettors over the last few seasons. I have also listed all of the spots in which they will be applicable over the next seven months. If you notice a continued pattern of winning, by all means keep playing it. If you see the pattern starting to turn, perhaps eliminate it from the list.
All of these scheduling situations have produced a return on investment of 30 percent or higher.
A brief explanation of each of the scheduling situations referenced:
2Days: Team playing with two full days of rest
3+ Days: Team playing with three full days of rest or more (Sunday to Thursday, etc.)
3rdGamein4Days: Team playing its third game in a 4-day span
3rdRoadin4Days: Team playing its third road game in a 4-day span
3rdStraightHome: Team playing its third (or more) straight game at home
4thRoadin6Days: Team playing its fourth road game in a 6-day span
4thStraightHome: Team playing its fourth (or more) straight game at home
4thStraightRoad: Team playing its fourth (or more) straight game on the road
A2A B2b: Team playing its second road game in back-to-back days
A2H B2b: Team playing at home after a road game the prior day
H2A B2b: Team playing on the road after a home game the prior day
Top play-on scheduling spots
LOS ANGELES
Scheduling situation: H2A B2b
Record (last three seasons): 4-1, + 7.15 units
Average score of games: LOS ANGELES 3.2, Opponent 1.6
ROI: 143 percent
Qualifying game for 2021-22:
12/23: at Vegas
VANCOUVER
Scheduling situation: 3rdin9+ Days
Record (L3 seasons): 7-2, + 9.2 units
Average score of games: VANCOUVER 3.6, Opponent 2
ROI: 102.2 percent
Qualifying games for 2021-22:
2/24: CALGARY
2/27: at N.Y. Rangers
TAMPA BAY
Scheduling situation: 4thRoadin6Days
Record (L3 seasons): 6-0, + 6.05 units
Average score of games: TAMPA BAY 4.7, Opponent 1.8
ROI: 100.8 percent
Qualifying games for 2021-22:
12/9: at Toronto
3/13: at Vancouver
3/27: at N.Y. Islanders
PITTSBURGH
Scheduling situation: 4thStraightHome
Record (L3 seasons): 10-1, + 9 units
Average score of games: PITTSBURGH 3.1, Opponent 1.6
ROI: 81.8 percent
Qualifying games for 2021-22:
10/26: TAMPA BAY
10/28: CALGARY
10/30: NEW JERSEY
11/4: PHILADELPHIA
11/6: MINNESOTA
1/28: DETROIT
1/30: LOS ANGELES
2/1: WASHINGTON
4/14: N.Y. ISLANDERS
DALLAS
Scheduling situation: 3+ Days
Record (L3 seasons): 13-3, + 12.1 units
Average score of games: DALLAS 2.8, Opponent 1.9
ROI: 75.6 percent
Qualifying games for 2021-22:
11/2: at Winnipeg
12/6: ARIZONA
12/27: NASHVILLE
1/6: FLORIDA
2/23: WINNIPEG
3/12: N.Y. RANGERS
WINNIPEG
Scheduling situation: H2H B2b
Record (L3 seasons): 6-1, + 5.25 units
Average score of games: WINNIPEG 4.3, Opponent 2.1
ROI: 75.0 percent
Qualifying games for 2021-22:
11/6: N.Y. ISLANDERS
1/16: EDMONTON
VEGAS
Scheduling situation: A2H B2b
Record (L3 seasons): 6-1, + 4.65 units
Average score of games: VEGAS 3.7, Opponent 1.9
ROI: 66.4 percent
Qualifying games for 2021-22:
2/26: COLORADO
COLORADO
Scheduling situation: 4thStraightHome
Record (L3 seasons): 15-3, + 9.45 units
Average score of games: COLORADO 4.2, Opponent 2.1
ROI: 52.5 percent
Qualifying games for 2021-22:
4/18: WASHINGTON
CAROLINA
Scheduling situation: 3rdGamein4Days
Record (L3 seasons): 32-12, + 18.05 units
Average score of games: CAROLINA 3.5, Opponent 2.3
ROI: 41.0 percent
Qualifying games for 2021-22:
10/31: ARIZONA
12/12: at Vancouver
12/14: at Minnesota
12/19: NASHVILLE
12/21: at Boston
1/30: SAN JOSE
3/4: PITTSBURGH
3/6: SEATTLE
3/13: at Pittsburgh
3/20: N.Y. RANGERS
3/29: at Tampa Bay
3/31: MONTREAL
4/8: N.Y. ISLANDERS
4/10: ANAHEIM
4/24: at N.Y. Islanders
4/26: at N.Y. Rangers
4/29: at Pittsburgh
WASHINGTON
Scheduling situation: 3rdGamein4Days
Record (L3 seasons): 25-12, + 12.55 units
Average score of games: WASHINGTON 3.6, Opponent 2.9
ROI: 33.9 percent
Qualifying games for 2021-22:
11/14: PITTSBURGH
11/17: at Los Angeles
1/10: BOSTON
1/18: WINNIPEG
3/11: at Vancouver
3/18: at Carolina
3/20: DALLAS
3/28: CAROLINA
4/12: PHILADELPHIA
4/29: at N.Y. Rangers
Top play-against scheduling spots
ARIZONA
Scheduling situation: A2H B2b
Record (L3 seasons): 0-5, -6.35 units
Average score of games: ARIZONA 2, Opponent 4
ROI: -127.0 percent
Qualifying games for 2021-22:
11/6: SEATTLE
1/15: COLORADO
2/2: CALGARY
COLORADO
Scheduling situation: H2A B2b
Record (L3 seasons): 0-5, -5.15 units
Average score of games: COLORADO 1.8, Opponent 3.4
ROI: -103.0 percent
Qualifying games for 2021-22:
1/11: at Nashville
1/15: at Arizona
2/26: at Vegas
4/29: at Minnesota
SAN JOSE
Scheduling situation: H2H B2b
Record (L3 seasons): 2-9, -9.15 units
Average score of games: SAN JOSE 3, Opponent 3.8
ROI: -83.2 percent
Qualifying games for 2021-22:
2/27: SEATTLE
OTTAWA
Scheduling situation: 4thGamein12+ Days
Record (L3 seasons): 1-8, -6.85 units
Average score of games: OTTAWA 3, Opponent 4.3
ROI: -76.1 percent
Qualifying games for 2021-22:
2/26: MONTREAL
3/1: at Tampa Bay
3/3: at Florida
EDMONTON
Scheduling situation: 3+ Days
Record (L3 seasons): 4-13, -11.25 units
Average score of games: EDMONTON 3.4, Opponent 4.1
ROI: -66.2 percent
Qualifying games for 2021-22:
10/27: PHILADELPHIA
11/9: at Detroit
12/1: PITTSBURGH
12/27: at Calgary
2/23: at Tampa Bay
3/9: WASHINGTON
4/20: DALLAS
VANCOUVER
Scheduling situation: 4thRoadin6Days
Record (L3 seasons): 3-15, -10.95 units
Average score of games: VANCOUVER 2.1, Opponent 4.2
ROI: -60.8 percent
Qualifying games for 2021-22:
11/29: at Montreal
12/1: at Ottawa
1/16: at Washington
1/18: at Nashville
2/1: at Nashville
3/28: at St Louis
DALLAS
Scheduling situation: 3rdGamein4Days
Record (L3 seasons): 16-37, -28.15 units
Average score of games: DALLAS 2.3, Opponent 3.2
ROI: -53.1 percent
Qualifying games for 2021-22:
10/17: at Ottawa
10/19: at Pittsburgh
12/9: at Los Angeles
12/11: at San Jose
12/20: MINNESOTA
12/23: at Chicago
1/9: at St Louis
1/15: at Tampa Bay
1/21: at Detroit
3/20: at Washington
3/22: EDMONTON
4/3: at Seattle
4/5: N.Y. ISLANDERS
4/10: at Chicago
4/12: TAMPA BAY
4/21: at Calgary
4/23: SEATTLE
4/29: ANAHEIM
ANAHEIM
Scheduling situation: 3+ Days
Record (L3 seasons): 3-10, -6.8 units
Average score of games: ANAHEIM 2.0, Opponent 3.9
ROI: -52.3 percent
Qualifying games for 2021-22:
11/22: at Nashville
12/27: SAN JOSE
1/19: COLORADO
2/25: LOS ANGELES
4/23: at Los Angeles
NEW JERSEY
Scheduling situation: 2Days
Record (L3 seasons): 9-23, -14.55 units
Average score of games: NEW JERSEY 2.6, Opponent 3.7
ROI: -45.5 percent
Qualifying games for 2021-22:
10/26: CALGARY
11/5: at Los Angeles
11/9: FLORIDA
12/14: at Philadelphia
1/13: at N.Y. Islanders
1/22: CAROLINA
2/1: TORONTO
2/28: VANCOUVER
3/4: at N.Y. Rangers
3/15: at Vancouver
3/19: at Edmonton
3/22: N.Y. RANGERS
3/26: at Washington
4/12: at Arizona
4/21: BUFFALO
LOS ANGELES
Scheduling situation: 3rdStraightRoad
Record (L3 seasons): 11-28, -12.1 units
Average score of games: LOS ANGELES 2.2, Opponent 3.5
ROI: -31.0 percent
Qualifying games for 2021-22:
10/23: at St Louis
10/25: at St Louis
11/11: at Ottawa
11/13: at Winnipeg
12/18: at Carolina
12/19: at Washington
1/27: at N.Y. Islanders
1/29: at Philadelphia
1/30: at Pittsburgh
2/2: at Detroit
2/23: at Arizona
2/25: at Anaheim
3/6: at Buffalo
3/7: at Boston
4/2: at Winnipeg
4/13: at Colorado