The Canada WHL is one of the premier junior hockey leagues for those of us crazy about betting on the likes of moneyline, puck line and team totals. Using our own OddsRun data we can see that the league is pumping out an average of 7.02 goals per game, and an astonishing 66.5% of games are going over at 5.5, 55.6% at 6.5, and 87.4% at 4.5. No wonder it's a bettors paradise when you're looking for today's hockey matches, upcoming matches, bookies odds, alternative totals and fast-moving lines.
Our OddsRun database has some pretty interesting numbers - the WHL is a league that produces a lot of offense, from home teams and away teams alike. Home teams are racking up an average of 3.72 goals per game, while their opponents are scoring just 3.30, and 92.1% of games are seeing at least one of the two teams score. And here's the real kicker: 69.6% of games are having both teams put at least two on the board, and 37.1% are reaching the magic three goal mark.
That's the kind of data that really jumps out at you and makes you want to start betting on the over/under, team totals, both teams to score, live totals, alternative totals, and of course odds movement on goal lines.
The WHL is not just a fantasy land for totals bettors - side markets are also pretty interesting. Favorites are winning 67.9% of games, while underdogs are still managing to come out on top 32.1% of the time. And home teams are winning 54.4% of the time, which is a pretty solid home-ice edge.
And if you're a puck line bettor, you'll be interested to know that only 34.5% of games are being won by a single goal, while 65.5% are being decided by two or more goals. Which makes the WHL a real hotspot for spread betting, alternative handicaps, and other win markets.
The Ice Hockey WHL is also a great league for following the ins and outs of odds movement and dropping odds. And what's more - even when the moneyline is shifting, the totals environment is staying pretty aggressive. We can see from our data that games with a favorite priced 1.01-1.49 are still managing to average 7.19 goals - with 70.5% of games going over 5.5. And when the favorite is priced 1.80-2.09 the numbers are just as good - with 67.7% of games going over 5.5 and 59.7% going over 6.5.
Which is a great big takeaway when it comes to next matches: the real action is not just in the moneyline, but in the totals, goal line, and other markets. So don't get too caught up in who's winning - pay attention to what the market is telling you.
The WHL has an impressive number of well-known clubs keeping the betting markets ticking over - the likes of the Medicine Hat Tigers, Everett Silvertips, Calgary Hitmen, Brandon Wheat Kings, Saskatoon Blades, Spokane Chiefs, Kamloops Blazers and Portland Winterhawks all have enough profile to keep things lively. With 23 teams in the league and a 68-game regular season that's packed in tight, you can expect a dense schedule that keeps the betting menu active all season long.
When it comes to key players, you don't need to look too far to find some big names. The Medicine Hat duo of Liam Ruck and Markus Ruck have been making waves with their goal-scoring, while Matias Vanhanen has also been putting in some standout performances. Throw in some of the recent award winners from Everett - like Julius Miettinen and Vanhanen - and you've got a trio of players who can really make a difference when it comes to betting odds and late odds changes on upcoming games.
Using the unique data from OddsRun, the WHL looks like the real deal for hockey betting - especially when it comes to moneyline, puck line, team totals, over/under, dropping odds and odds movement. With an average of 7.02 goals per game, two thirds of games going over 5.5, more than half the games going over 6.5, nearly 9 in 10 games seeing both teams score and a full 67.9% of favorite wins, it's a league where you should be thinking aggressively about scoring markets - but still keeping an eye on side prices.
That's exactly what makes the WHL next matches page so valuable - it's not just a list of fixtures, but a betting map that's got real depth and value thanks to the data from OddsRun and the teams and players that actually shape the market on the ground.