As if the NFL, college football and the approaching MLB playoffs weren’t enough, the NHL is here now too. Many sharps are placing bets not just on the first games of the year, but on teams’ over/under win or point totals.

Whether you’re betting on wins or points depends on the sport, but the principles are the same. Let me show you a sports betting 101 example using the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres. Here are some tips to follow.

Compare last season’s total to this season’s projected total. The Sabres had 91 points last year and their over/under is set at 90.5. That means, in theory, that this year’s total is tough to predict. Compare that to the Canucks, who had 100 points last year but have an over/under of 95.5 points this year. That’s clearly a great over bet.

Review what the team gained and lost in the offseason. The Sabres didn’t lose anyone too significant in the offseason but they gained absolutely nothing. That means that, at best, they can match last year’s 91-point total. That makes it pretty risky to bet over 90.5 points.

Review what the team’s direct competition gained and lost in the offseason. The Boston Bruins are ahead of the pack in the Northeast, so Buffalo’s greatest competition consists of fellow mediocre squads Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa. Bad news for the Sabres; few teams improved as much as those three in the offseason. We don’t have to list all the names they acquired. The point is that Buffalo’s direct threats improved significantly and thus should steal plenty of points away from them.

In the end, those three factors should tell you to pick Buffalo UNDER 90.5 this season. Apply that principle to any sport and you should end the season with some winnings!

When it comes to online sports betting, it’s always good to have your ear to the ground for sportsbook promotions to know who is offering you a good product and who is offering you the same thing that everyone else in the industry is willing to give you.

One sportsbook that has some great deposit options is 5Dimes.

When you first put money in your account at 5Dimes, there are plenty of options of how you want to play it.

If you want a bonus when you deposit, 5Dimes will offer you up to $200 in free-play rewards, which is a fairly big bonus.

If you aren’t interested in the initial bonus, but would prefer lowered juice, you have that option. 5Dimes will change your account so you’ll be able to access all of the low juice options if that’s the route you choose to go.

Lastly, if you don’t want either of those bonus programs, you can choose to get cash back on your losses, which is a very unique feature in the sports betting world. 5Dimes will offer you 15% back on your losses twice a year – once after the Super Bowl and once just prior to the NFL season. That’s a nice feature to have as insurance.

As you can see, 5Dimes isn’t shy on giving their customers options and that’s part of the reason why they are one of the best sportsbooks on the internet.

It’s no secret that online betting cappers are always looking for a big bonus when they make their initial deposit into a sportsbook. After all, it makes sense to start with a big bankroll since the climb is uphill anyways, right? Here are three sportsbooks that get you going on the right foot with a big bonus.

1. JustBet

When it comes to deposit bonuses, most places will give you between a 10% - 20% bonus and when someone goes above the industry standard, it is worth noting.

JustBet gives initial depositors a 50% bonus, which is a huge return on your investment before you have even placed a bet. 50% is pretty good to start with.

2. BetJamaica/TheGreek

BetJamaica offers their clients a 20% initial deposit and TheGreek (essentially their parent company) quite literally one-ups them, offering 21% to initial depositors. What’s good about these two books is they have reload bonuses. BetJamaica gives you 10% on all subsequent deposits while TheGreek chips in 11% for all account reloads.

3. BetOnline.com

BetOnline.com is one of the more reputable books around and while sometimes the bigger shops won’t give you much a deposit incentive since they mostly work on brand name and don’t necessarily need to entice anyone anymore, BetOnline is the black sheep – in a good way. They are a respected, trusted book but they’ll still give you 20% on initial deposits, which is a good start. Hard to argue with that when you get good customer service to follow.