When it Comes to NHL Betting, Red Wings Are Big Dogs

Recently, Detroit Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde has proven to be a harsh critic of the online sportsbooks.

It’s not the betting sites that he doesn’t like. His annoyance with them stems from the fact that they don’t seem to like his team.

“I’m not a gambler, but you go to the NHL schedule and they have the odds and Vegas hates us,” Lalonde said. “Someone gave me a stat – we’ve won more games as a Vegas underdog than anyone in the league this year by a large margin.”

For those not familiar with NHL betting, there are two traditional methods to bet on the outcome of games. First, there’s the moneyline. This is a straight up play on which team you think is going to win the game.

Out of 58 games this season, the Red Wings have been the betting underdog in 37 of those contests. They own an 18-19 record in those games.

Ding Dong! pic.twitter.com/wNxSyHHqbh

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) February 26, 2024

The second formula for betting on the end result of an NHL game is called the puckline. With this wager, a team is either getting or giving 1.5 goals to start the game. In simple terms, this means that the underdog is starting out with a virtual 1.5-0 lead on the scoreboard. Thus, if you bet the underdog, your wager will cash as a winner if the team you bet wins the game outright, or loses by a margin of less than two goals.

In this scenario, the Red Wings are an astounding 27-10 as an underdog play.

“Maybe it motivates our guys,” Lalonde said of the lack of love from the Vegas oddsmakers. “We were road underdogs, big dogs both in (recent wins at) Calgary and Seattle. That’s fine.

“I think it says something about the group. There’s a quiet confidence in that room. We got to continue to do it right. So keep the secret.”

Red Wings Secret Is Out

Unfortunately for those who’ve been increasing their bankroll by backing the underdog Red Wings, it appears that the secret to their success is finally out of the bag. Since Thursday’s win over Colorado, Detroit has been the betting favorite the past two games. The Red Wings are again the -1.5 chalk for Tuesday’s home date with the Washington Capitals. Now to bet Detroit, the Red Wings must win by 2+ goals to cover the wager.

It wasn’t a dream.
That was Showtime. pic.twitter.com/PVLmLuVzWe

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) February 26, 2024

No matter. Favorite, underdog, all that’s relevent in the world of the Red Wings is that they keep finding ways to be grinding out victories.

“Live in moment with it,” Lalonde said of his club’s playoff run. “Day to day. We shut the noise off. I don’t do social media for a reason, a purpose. I hope our guys are the same.”

Moneypuck.com is now listing the Red Wings with a 77.4% chance to make the NHL postseason. At FanDuel Sportsbook, Detroit is heavily favored at -340 to be a playoff qualifier.

Once more, though, Lalonde is reminding his team to mind their own business.

“I get it with these projections and AI and all that, but that’s why you just shut things off,” Lalonde said. “Live in the moment and if we are going to stay in this battle and be fortunate enough to be there in the end, it’s going to be what we do.”