2014-15 NHL Point Totals
Believe it or not, we’re just over a week away from the start of the 2014-15 NHL season with the puck dropping for opening night on October 8th. To get bettors prepared we’ve published articles comparing Divisional Odds and Stanley Cup Futures at several prominent offshore sportsbooks.
By studying these odds, we were already aware that many of the usual suspects — namely the Blackhawks, Bruins, Kings and Penguins — were expected to finish atop the standings this season. However, earlier this week the very public sportsbook Bovada posted an over/under for every team’s season point total and oddsmakers have put the St. Louis Blues and Anaheim Ducks in same elite category.
The table below compares the 2014-15 NHL point totals at Bovada and Sportsbook.com for all thirty NHL teams alongside their performance last season.
| Team | Sportsbook (9/26) | BetOnline (9/10) | 2013-14 Points | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anaheim Ducks | 104.5 | 105.5 | 116 | -10.5 |
| Arizona Coyotes | 87.5 | 80.5 | 89 | -8.5 |
| Boston Bruins | 107.5 | 110.5 | 117 | -6.5 |
| Buffalo Sabres | 64.5 | 65.5 | 52 | +13.5 |
| Calgary Flames | 70.5 | 71.5 | 77 | -5.5 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | 78.5 | 81.5 | 83 | -1.5 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 107.5 | 111.5 | 107 | +4.5 |
| Colorado Avalanche | 93.5 | 95.5 | 112 | -16.5 |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | 94.5 | 90.5 | 93 | -2.5 |
| Dallas Stars | 97.5 | 92.5 | 91 | +1.5 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 97.5 | 91.5 | 93 | -1.5 |
| Edmonton Oilers | 80.5 | 80.5 | 67 | +13.5 |
| Florida Panthers | 80.5 | 72.5 | 66 | +6.5 |
| Los Angeles Kings | 102.5 | 106.5 | 100 | +6.5 |
| Minnesota Wild | 101.5 | 98.5 | 98 | +0.5 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 97.5 | 93.5 | 100 | -6.5 |
| Nashville Predators | 89.5 | 78.5 | 88 | -9.5 |
| New Jersey Devils | 88.5 | 85.5 | 88 | -2.5 |
| New York Islanders | 88.5 | 85.5 | 79 | +6.5 |
| New York Rangers | 95.5 | 95.5 | 96 | -0.5 |
| Ottawa Senators | 86.5 | 79.5 | 88 | -8.5 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 88.5 | 89.5 | 94 | -4.5 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 106.5 | 105.5 | 109 | -4.5 |
| San Jose Sharks | 101.5 | 102.5 | 111 | -8.5 |
| St. Louis Blues | 104.5 | 105.5 | 111 | -5.5 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 99.5 | 95.5 | 101 | -5.5 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 88.5 | 88.5 | 84 | +4.5 |
| Vancouver Canucks | 89.5 | 88.5 | 83 | +5.5 |
| Washington Capitals | 93.5 | 88.5 | 90 | -1.5 |
| Winnipeg Jets | 81.5 | 80.5 | 84 | -3.5 |
By comparing these projected win totals with each team’s performance last season, we can see that oddsmakers are anticipating significant regression from the Colorado Avalanche (-16.5 points) and Anaheim Ducks (-10.5 points). On the flip side the Buffalo Sabres and Edmonton Oilers (+13.5 points) are expected to be the most improved teams.
There are also a number of massive discrepancies between the projected point totals at BetOnline and Sportsbook.com, which is somewhat surprising considering that both books are considered to be very square. Perhaps the most startling disparity concerns the Nashville Predators who have an 11 point gap with Sportsbook.com currently projecting 89.5 points and BetOnline projecting 78.5.
Last year Nashville tallied 88 points and the team was busy this off-season adding James Neal in addition to Michael Del Zotto, Patrick Eaves, Olli Jokinen, Mike Ribeiro and Derek Roy. This potentially sets up a middling opportunity where bettors could take the Sportsbook.com Under 89.5 and the BetOnline Over 78.5 and once again highlights why bettors should always shop for the best line before placing any bet.
Although no lines have been released yet, bettors can find real-time odds, public betting trends, key injuries and more at our new and improved free NHL odds page.
Will you be betting any NHL point totals? Which teams are being undervalued this season? Can the same four teams continue to dominate the league? Please leave your thoughts in the comment section below.
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