NHL Odds: Anaheim Ducks – Bad team, good bet

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Puck line players

It’s no secret the Anaheim Ducks are one of the worst teams in the NHL. They sit 30th in the league standings and dead last in the Pacific Division. But, believe it or not, bettors have actually found a way to profit off the Ducks this season.

Anaheim enters Thursday with just a .444 points percentage in the standings, but they are 18-9 against the spread, the second-best cover option in the NHL. Only Washington, who has a .741 points percentage, has a better ATS number at 19-8.

When it comes to the Ducks, you can’t trust them to win outright, but they’ve paid off on the puck line.

Road warriors

Part of Anaheim’s success as a betting option has come as a result of their play on the road. Despite losing in Montreal and Ottawa this week, the Ducks have a winning 5-4-1 record on the road, including a 9-3 ATS record.

Anaheim has been stingy defensively on the road, playing the Under in eight of 12 games. The Ducks allow an average of 2.36 goals per game on the road, the third-lowest mark in the NHL.

Anaheim doesn’t light up the scoreboard, but their ability to produce low scoring games, particularly on the road, gives them a great chance to cover as an underdog on the puck line.

Close, but no cigar

The stat that really sticks out and shows why the Ducks are such a good cover option, is the amount of close games they play. Anaheim has played 11 games that have been decided by a single goal. That’s huge when it comes to a team like the Ducks, who have only been the favourite to win three times this season.

If you’re taking Anaheim as an underdog at +1.5 on the puck line, any game decided by one goal, even if they lose outright, is an ATS win.