2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs First Round Trends: Home Ice Advantage and Lots of Scoring

The first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs is in the books, and the field is set for Round 2. The first round provided lots of scoring and plenty of long, hard-fought series.

Interesting trends have arisen from all of the first round matchups. Now that we are moving onto the second round, let’s take a moment to look back at the first round and see what trends may or may not carry over.

2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs 1st Round Trends

• Home teams went 32-19 in the first round
• The Over went 31-18-2 in the first round
• Favorites went 34-17 in the first round
• 7 of the 8 first round series required six games or more

What Did We Learn in Round 1?

Home Teams Have a Distinct Advantage

Home ice advantage has been a crucial key to victory in the playoffs so far. Teams with home ice were able to secure 6 out of the 8 series in Round 1. Noise, travel, and familiarity had a big impact on how the opening round played out.

In the Carolina Hurricanes vs. Boston Bruins series, neither team was able to pull out a win on the road. This was the only series in which road teams were winless. However, in 7 out of the 8 series, home teams either outmatched the competition or were even with road teams.

Bet the Over Going Forward

Lots of goals are being scored. The Over hit 31 times in 51 games. In fact, in the Penguins vs. Rangers series, it hit in every game. Are the betting lines too low? Or are we seeing a surge in offense due to the importance of each game?

The lines reflected the scoring well in the opening days of the playoffs. However, as the games rolled on, there were not many changes to the Over/Under in each series. This was an opportunity that a lot of people jumped on. Seeing as the lines were not reflecting the high amount of scoring in some series, it was an easy bet to win.

Favorites are Moving On

All four #1 seeds are moving into Round 2 of the playoffs. In 6 of the 8 series, the higher seed was victorious. There have not been many upset storylines so far, but underdogs still exist moving forward.

The betting line favorites won 34 out of 51 games in Round 1. The lines have been consistent in predicting two-thirds of the winners. Going into Round 2, expect this trend to continue, as the #1 seeds are all favored to win their respected series.

Lack of Rest Will Be a Factor

All but one series in Round 1 took at least 6 games to settle. Teams were evenly matched, and it made things interesting at the end of each series.

Game 7 was another common theme, as 5 series went the distance in the opening round. With a quick turnaround into Round 2, many teams will be traveling and playing with very little separation from series to series. Lack of rest and preparation may result in sloppy play early in each series.

Round 2 Trend Predictions

As Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs gets underway on May 17, expect a lot of the same trends to carry over. If you are looking to bet, try out the Over/Under, as it has been quite predictable to this point in the playoffs.

Watch for teams to adjust on the fly. There isn’t much of a break between rounds, so teams will have to enter Game 1 with a gameplan on how they will tackle their opponent. Be careful betting after Game 1, as it may not be indicative of how the rest of the series will play out.

Lastly, look for the favorites to play well in Round 2. Round 1 saw 75% of the higher seeds advance. Even though some of the higher seeds struggled to put teams away, this is hockey, and anything is possible. Don’t sleep on the lower seeds completely, but if you are looking to bet early in the series, I wouldn’t hesitate to take the #1 seed.

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