About the Data: NBA & NHL Methodology
Every SharkBetting head-to-head page is built from structured game records. This page explains where the NBA and NHL records come from, how franchise identity is handled, which games enter each calculation, and how a visible number can be traced back to its game log.
Primary data sources
- balldontlie NBA API: the primary source for game logs, scores, and season-level splits from 1946 to present. balldontlie provides unofficial but well-maintained NBA data that covers both regular-season and playoff games. Accessed at docs.balldontlie.io.
- NBA historical checks: an independent historical reference database is used to cross-check franchise continuity, playoff series records, and older context where the primary API is thinner. It is a verification source, not a scraped input.
- NHL historical archive: structured regular-season and Stanley Cup Playoff records cover the available league history from 1917 onward. Recent results are refreshed from the official NHL data service.
- NHL franchise identity: relocations and inactive franchises are checked against NHL Records. Utah is treated as the new franchise established in 2024; Winnipeg, Phoenix, and Arizona records remain with the inactive Arizona lineage.
- Team metadata: colors, conferences, divisions, arenas, names, and identity notes are maintained separately from game results and checked against official league and franchise sources.
How we compute each statistic
All-time record
Total recorded meetings include every regular-season and postseason row assigned to the pair. Wins and losses include only games with a decided final score. NBA franchise relocations follow their continuous league identity. NHL records follow the league's official franchise history, so historic aliases merge only when the franchise itself continued.
Ties and records without a final score
NHL ties remain a separate part of the record rather than being assigned as wins or losses. A small number of older source rows do not contain a usable final score. Those rows stay in the recorded meeting total, are labeled as unscored, and are excluded from decided-game rates, margins, and streaks.
Average margin of victory
Sum of absolute point or goal differences across games with a final score, divided by the number of scored games. NBA and NHL margins are never mixed, and unscored records do not enter the denominator.
Biggest blowout
The largest valid single-game point differential for NBA pages or goal differential for NHL pages. Source rows that fail the sport-specific integrity checks are excluded before the page is generated.
Current winning streak
Consecutive wins for one team in the matchup, computed chronologically from the most recent decided meeting backward. The “as of” date reflects when the page's underlying data file was last refreshed.
Longest streak in series history
The longest unbroken run of decided wins by either team across the complete tracked series. Display ordering is deterministic when two streaks have the same length.
Playoff meetings
Count of postseason games between the two franchise identities, flagged in the underlying game record. NBA playoff games and NHL Stanley Cup Playoff games are calculated separately from regular-season splits.
Franchise identity rules
A name change or relocation does not automatically create a new all-time record. The deciding question is whether the league recognizes a continuous franchise. Historic names then resolve to one canonical identity before games are grouped into matchup files.
The Utah case is the important exception in the current NHL library. Utah acquired Arizona's hockey assets but entered as a new franchise in 2024, while the Arizona Coyotes franchise became inactive. Utah records therefore begin in 2024 and do not inherit games played by the original Winnipeg Jets, Phoenix Coyotes, or Arizona Coyotes.
Update frequency
Stats are refreshed after completed game days when new source data is available. Each page's Last updated date shows when its underlying data was actually synced.
Editorial standards
- Every numerical claim is derived from structured data, with no estimates or hearsay.
- Published matchup counts come from public route inventories, not every raw archive file.
- Dynamic facts (current streaks, recent form) are explicitly date-anchored.
- Titles and descriptions must include both full team names and current record facts from the same build.
- No predictions, betting picks, or time-sensitive tips are included on data pages. Those belong on dedicated betting-analysis content elsewhere on the site.
- Tied series are labeled as tied (e.g., “The series is tied at 133-133”) rather than forced into a leader/trailer framing.
Reporting errors
Found a number that looks off? We take data quality seriously. Reach the editorial team via SharkBetting support or contact the author directly at the Erik Andersson profile page.