Olympic Break Will Help, Hurt Some Teams

The Super Bowl is finished, as is the football season. That means that the focus can now shift to the other major sports, such as hockey. This isn’t going to be a very quiet time for the bookmakers (Bookmaker Reviews) even though in many cases, the NFL offseason is a slower time.

This year, we’ll have the events that come along once every four years to generate some attention and some action, such as the Winter Olympics and the World Cup.

For hockey fans, the Olympics is a huge event and it will put a halt to the NHL season so that many of the pro players playing can suit up for their nations.

Leaving the Olympics aside for a minute, let’s take a look at what type of impact this might have on the NHL from a sports handicapping perspective.

Clearly, the best players from the NHL will be going to the Olympics. Just like the World Baseball Classic, while many people are exciting that their favorite stars will be playing for their nation, the reality is that this is going to have a big impact on the regular leagues once they get back into the swing.

For example, the San Jose Sharks are sending their top line of Dany Heatley, Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau to play in the Olympics for Team Canada. Most Sharks fans would rather see their big three have a two week rest rather than play extra hockey.

The ripple effect could be huge as internet sports betting sharps can attest to the fact that the NHL season is already long and the playoffs are quite the grind. That means that now the best players from a number of key teams have to play two extra weeks of hockey and then get back into the swing of things in the NHL.

Don’t count out injuries as some teams might lose their stars in the Olympics, which could have huge ramifications.

But on the flip side, if there is a team in the NHL that is a contender right now, and is not sending many players to the Olympics, they’ll have a prolonged period to rest and remain fresh for the stretch drive.

If you’re betting on hockey, enjoy the Olympics but keep an eye on how the fatigue factor might come into play for those players taking part in the Olympics.