The best things in life are free – but sometimes it just takes a little extra effort to find them.
The following trends are some of the hottest in the NHL and NBA, and are among the best plays on anyone’s board on any given night. Some of these trends pop right out and make total sense, others take a little more time to connect the dots. But either way, they can likely help stuff your account in the coming weeks as both seasons come down the home stretch.
The Flyers and the over at home
The Philadelphia Flyers don’t just win at home – they win AND score a lot of goals at home.
The Flyers over/under mark on Broad Street is a phenomenal 24-12 this season. But don’t stop there. The Flyers are also 22-10-3-1 in front of theirs own fans at the Wachovia Center.
Philadelphia has won four times in its past five home games, including a 4-2 win over New Jersey on Monday night. But scoring goals is nothing new for the Flyers, whose balanced attack powers the fifth-best offence in the league, averaging 3.19 goals per game.
The Flyers have five home games left – don’t miss out.
Vancouver anywhere
Sometimes, the smartest play is the safest play, and they don’t come much safer than Vancouver.
Now is a great time to hop on board with white-hot Vancouver. The Canucks are 7-2-1 in their past 10 games and a fantastic 22-11-1-3 at home. And don’t expect them to cool off; they have won the previous meeting with three of their final four home opponents.
For any bettor looking to really put Vancouver’s hot streak to the test, look no further than its final seven road games: the Canucks are just 17-13-2-3 on foreign ice this season, but have won each of the most recent meetings with their remaining away opponents.
Orlando on the road
The Magic are the definition of road warriors.
In a league chalked full of back-to-back games and brutal coast-to-coast swings, Orlando has managed to rise above. The Magic have three more road wins against the spread than any other team in the NBA.
Not the Lakers, not the Cavaliers, not even the defending champion Celtics have been as kind to bettors on the road this season as Orlando. The Magic are a staggering 24-12 ATS in opponents gyms so far and actually are trending up. In their past 10 away games, they have covered seven times.
The key for the Magic is that they shoot better on the road than at home. Orlando shoots 45.9 percent from the field at home, but 46.2 percent from the floor on the road. The difference is even greater from three-point range, where the team makes 37.5 percent of its attempts in its own gym, but a stunning 39.5 percent of its tries on away gyms.
The Magic have five away games left, starting Monday night in Miami – get ready to heat up.
Portland at home against winning teams
The Magic might come to play on the road, but nobody gets up for big games like the Trail Blazers at the Rose Garden.
The Blazers are 20-14 ATS at home, but a ridiculous 13-5 ATS when an opponent with a winning percentage of .500 or better visits the Pacific Northwest.
The team can attribute its home success to an inflated offence in front of its fans – the Trail Blazers average 102.6 points per game at home, more than seven better than they average on the road. The team also shoots 46.8 percent from the field at home compared to 45.1 percent on the road.
Portland has six remaining home games, including Phoenix, Utah and Denver. Don’t get left out in the cold.