HOCKEY LINES AND ATS RECORDS - December 2005 Prior to the NHL lockout, the 'Canadian Line' was the most common type of line used by hockey bettors. The 'old' Canadian line featured both a 'half-goal pointspread' as well as a 'moneyline'. The half-goal pointspread came into play if a game finished in a tie. In those cases, the team that was plus a half goal was deemed the winner. In today's post-lockout era, since there are no longer any draws, the Canadian line has become obsolete. While the moneyline has become the most popular type of wager, the modern version of the Canadian line has become the same thing as a baseball 'run-line'. It still uses a combination of a pointspread and a moneyline, but the half-goal spread has been replaced by a one and a 1/2 goal spread. If one uses this type of line the favorite must win by two or more goals to be deemed the winner. Therefore, if a game is decided by one goal then the underdog is the winner. An example of this type of line from one of today's games shows the New York Rangers listed at minus one and 1/2 goals but getting plus $1.75. Their opponent, the Minnesota Wild, is plus one and 1/2 goals but minus $2.10. Conversely, if one played the same game on the standard moneyline, without a goal spread, then the Rangers would be listed as a $1.60 favorite with the Wild a $1.40 underdog. It's clear by looking at the disparity in those lines that one pays dearly to take underdogs plus an extra goal-and-a-half. This week, let's take a look at how the various teams have performed when graded against these types of lines. The league's best team, the Ottawa Senators, has also been the most profitable while the league's worst team, the Columbus Blue Jackets, has been the least profitable. However, I think that you'll find it interesting to see that certain teams which have a great 'win/loss' record, like the Flyers or the Canadiens, are big losers when graded against the plus or minus one and a 1/2 line. On the other hand, there are a few teams with mediocre or poor records, like the Ducks or Capitals, which have been profitable. A full listing can be seen below. Until then, good luck! Join Ben Burns daily for his Guaranteed Puck Picks