Coyotes 2020 Point Total Set at 85.5, Five Points Lower than Other Books (90.5)

• The Arizona Coyotes’ regular-season point total at 90.5
• You can get it as low as 85.5
• It’s a wonderful opportunity to middle the two bets

Sportsbooks are anticipating that the Arizona Coyotes will howl this season. Tthe team’s 2020 regular-season point total is at 90.5, which is 4.5 more than they finished with last year. It can also be found as low as 85.5.

2019-20 Arizona Coyotes NHL Regular-Season Point Total

*All odds taken 8/7/19.

It’s rare to see such discrepancy between sportsbooks, and it presents a great opportunity for bettors to middle the wagers between the two sportsbooks.

Simply play a unit on the Coyotes to go over 85.5 points. Then wager another unit opting for the Coyotes to finish under the 90.5-point total. If Arizona ends the season between 86-90 points, you’ll cash on both tickets. If they don’t, you will lose the juice (in this case, about 0.1 of a unit).

Winning In The Middle

Let’s take a closer look at the math using actual numbers. Suppose you opt to middle this wager with a bet of $100 on each option at both sportsbooks. Playing the over 85.5 points odds gets you odds of -115. On a $100 wager that works out to a profit of $87.

The best @ArizonaCoyotes GIFs of the 2018-19 season: A Thread. #31in31 pic.twitter.com/g47MTcTx99

— NHL GIFs (@NHLGIFs) August 2, 2019

At a $100 stake, that will earn you a profit of $95.20. Combined, the two successful wagers would garner you a $182.20 net win.

If you only win the over bet you will wind up losing $4.80 in total. If you only win the under bet you will wind up down $13. It’s a small risk for a potentially big payday.

Coyotes Ugly

Every offseason, at least lately, there’s a school of thought among hockey people that this is the year that Arizona will make its move into a playoff position. The Coyotes haven’t participated in postseason play since the 2012 season.

Arizona Coyotes Recent NHL Regular-Season Point Totals & Rankings

That was also the last occasion in which the team garnered more than 86 points during a single season. In fact, other than a three-season run from 2009-10 through 2011-12, the Coyotes have gone under 90 points in 13 of the past 16 campaigns.

Two seasons ago, a 1-12-1 start buried them. Last season’s hopes were scuttled by a rash of injuries. Arizona finished ninth overall in the Western Conference with 86 points. That was a 16-point uptick from 2017-18 and the best season posted by the club since an 89-point output in 2013-14.

Phil-ing the Void?

Arizona’s most significant offseason move was to add six-time 30-goal scorer Phil Kessel from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Alex Galchenyuk. The Coyotes were tied for third-last in the NHL in goals scored last season with 209. They didn’t boast a single 20-goal scorer; Brad Richardson and Galchenyuk shared the team lead, each with 19 goals.

Kessel has recorded 11 successive 20-goal campaigns and averaged nearly 28 per year during his 13 seasons. But Kessel thrived in Pittsburgh because he wasn’t the go-to guy. He shies from the spotlight, and it will shine on him brightly in Arizona. That’s a recipe for disaster.

Like Wile E. Coyote, their cartoon alter-ego, this team is always perpetuating hope that, this time, the outcome will be different. But deep down, everyone knows they’re doomed to failure. That’s why middling these bets will prove a rewarding experience.