NHL Betting Guide: Learn how to bet on hockey

NHL Betting

With over 1,000 regular season games and a postseason packed with entertainment, NHL betting continues to grow in popularity. Sports bettors can wager on the NHL throughout the year from live betting through to offseason futures and win totals.

Hockey fans are spoilt for choice when it comes to betting on the NHL. There are plenty of excellent sportsbooks out there if gambling is legalized in your state, and the range of markets on offer continues to increase. Games come thick and fast during the regular season, so you always have something to consider.

As sports gambling becomes available to more and more fans around the country, it seems like a good time to get ice hockey betting odds explained. We have covered the popular bets, strategies and more in this NHL betting guide. If you'd like some more info about hockey picks, check out our NHL picks and predictions page!

🏒Hockey Betting Options
📊NHL Betting Strategies
🔍Best Hockey Betting Sites

Hockey Betting Options

If you’re just getting into hockey betting, it might be a good idea to have NHL odds explained. Trying out online gambling for the first time can be daunting. Rest assured, though, that it is not as complicated as it might seem on first glance.

We have covered a few of the most popular types of hockey bets, which you are likely to see when browsing the best hockey betting sites.

Moneyline

The moneyline is the simplest NHL wager available. This is a bet on a team to win a game – your bet will only payout as a winner if the team you have backed wins the game. Most sportsbooks will include overtime in this market, but that’s something worth checking before placing your wager.

For instance, a moneyline wager on the Bruins against the Senators would require the Bruins to win the game for your bet to payout. Some bookies will offer early payouts and cash outs, which are something to consider when choosing your sportsbook.

Alternatives for the moneyline are also available, including betting specifically on a team to win the first quarter or first half.

Puck line

The puck line is sometimes referred to as betting against the spread. This is where bookies provide a ‘line’ to handicap the favorites and offer roughly even odds on both teams.

Most pucklines are 1.5 in the NHL. So, the favorite will be -1.5, and the underdog will be +1.5. If the Oilers are -1.5 against the Flames, they need to win by two clear goals for the bet to be marked as a winner. If you backed the Flames +1.5, your bet would win even if they lost by one goal.

The best online sportsbooks will also allow bettors to bet on alternate puck lines. These can be a means to find additional value.

Game total

The game total is the third market you are likely to see on the main NHL page. The total will be listed alongside the moneyline and puckline. Sportsbooks set a ‘line’ for the game total, and bettors then choose to wager on the over or under.

NHL game totals are often set at 6.5. If you wager on the over, you need there to be seven or more goals scored by the two teams. This can be split anywhere from 7-0 through to 4-3. If you back the under, there needs to be six or fewer goals.

So, if the Ducks are playing the Stars and you take over 6.5, your bet would win if the game finished 4-3 to either team. Vitally, the winning team does not impact the wager.

Like with the puckline, the leading sports betting sites will also allow you to bet on alternate game totals.

Player props

Player prop bets are increasing in popularity for regular NHL bettors. These are markets that are not impacted by the outcome of the game and instead focus on the performance of individual players.

Like with the total, most will be based around a set ‘line’, which bettors then wager over or under. Others will be focused on milestones, such as betting on a player to have two or more assists in a game.

Most sportsbooks will have a comprehensive selection of player prop markets for every NHL game. These include goal scorers, shots, points and assists. You can also choose to wager on a player to score in the first quarter or for a player to score the first or last goal for their team.

Correct score

The correct score market is just as the name suggests. Bettors predict the exact score, and their wager is only marked as a winner if the game finishes with that score.

This will often include overtime, but it is always worth making sure what the conditions are with your sportsbook of choice. Bettors might also have the option to combine multiple correct score picks, which will shorten the odds but give several potential winning scorelines.

In a standard correct score bet, you might back the Flyers to beat the Red Wings 3-2. The odds for this are likely to be sizeable. You would need the Flyers to win the game exactly 3-2 for your bet to payout – make sure you keep an eye on the possible cash out for the wager while the game is being played.

Double chance

Betting on the double chance allows you to select two possible outcomes for the game. Taking the Flyers and Red Wings example, you could wager on a Flyers win or a draw.

Your bet would then be marked as a winner if the game ended in a Flyers victory or a draw. It is also an option to bet on the Red Wings or draw and you can even wager on either team to win the game (this will be at very short odds).

Double chance bets are a way to sit on the fence if you aren’t sufficiently confident in either team. Given the shorter prices on offer, they are often included in parlays.

NHL Parlays

Placing an NHL parlay is when a bettor makes multiple selections from different games. You have to hit all of the selections for the bet to be marked as a winner (though some sportsbooks will allow you to cash out if the bet is still live).

Parlays can contain different markets. You could take the Bruins to cover the puck line, the over between the Flyers and Red Wings and back the Devils on the moneyline. You can even mix in some player props and other markets if that’s where you think the value lies.

With so many games taking place throughout the regular season and Playoffs, NHL fans have countless opportunities to create parlays. Each night in the regular season has several games on, giving you options to construct a parlay.

The leading NHL betting sites will also allow you to build same-game parlays. The idea of these is the same – you make selections on one game, and the sportsbook prices the wager up for you. This gives bettors flexibility to customize their wager and back multiple markets for longer odds. All of the selections need to land for the bet to be a winner.

NHL Futures

Futures are bets on the outcome of future events (or multiple events). These bets are usually placed weeks or months before the bet will be settled.

Hockey fans have a lot of futures markets to analyze throughout the year. The Stanley Cup winner market obviously attracts the most attention, but you can also wager on division winners, best records, and individual Playoff series outcomes.

Player futures are popular, too. MVP and Rookie of the Year are at the forefront. Other markets will be covered, including the Vezina Trophy and Art Ross Trophy. Leaders in other individual categories can also be wagered on at some sportsbooks.

Futures are a big topic before and during the season. At some point in the offseason, betting sites will release their win totals for each team. There will be a ‘line’ set for every team, with the option to then bet on the over or under. For instance, if the Rangers’ win total is 45.5, and you bet on the over, your bet will be a winner if they rack up 46 or more regular season wins.

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NHL Betting Strategies

Whether you’re new to the world of hockey betting or a seasoned sports bettor, it’s always good to be working on your betting strategy. You will find the markets that work for you, and decide on the research that’s important for each wager.

Some bets are going to be no more than a hunch, but most will be backed by information from various sources.

Head-to-head records

How teams have fared against each other in the past can often be informative. Going deep into NHL history is not relevant for wagers, but matchups over the last two or three seasons can often help us to predict their upcoming games.

It can be a specific player that troubles certain opponents. Sometimes it will be a coach consistently getting the upper hand on his opposite number. Head-to-head records are frequently mentioned across NHL discourse, and the betting sphere is no different.

Sites like Hockey Reference and ESPN both provide plenty of head-to-head data.

Form

Team and player form is one of the staples of pre-game betting analysis. How a team has performed over their last few games is a good indicator for their upcoming contests.

If the Flyers have lost five in a row, that’s likely to be reflected in their puckline for their next game. Does anything suggest they can break the losing streak? Have they been unlucky to lose those games?

For player props, it’s good to look at how players have done relative to that line over their last few outings. If a player has scored in eight consecutive games, for instance, it’s going to be something to consider when looking at goal scorer markets.

Betting trends

With sports betting’s place in the media increasing each year, betting trends are more accessible than ever. Action Network is just one site that provides detailed betting stats throughout the NHL season.

Against the spread records and how often teams hit the over are both useful to know. If a team has covered far more on the road than at home, then that’s something to bear in mind if you’re deciding whether to back them at their home arena.

League-wide trends, too, can point you in the right direction. Have rule changes seen an increase in offense? Are teams struggling defensively? Learning about patterns in betting will only aid your decisions at the best NHL betting markets.

Injury news

Injuries are unfortunately a part of hockey. Bettors have to keep an eye on the injury report to make sure they are sufficiently informed before placing their wagers.

While dedicated pages for injury news are useful, we would also recommend checking out the latest reporting from beat writers. They will often be the first to break any injury news.

Best Hockey Betting Sites

With sports betting getting legalized in more states, the accessibility of online sports betting is only growing. Bettors have plenty of great sportsbooks to choose from with a range of different features and wagering options.

FanDuel, Caesars, DraftKings and BetMGM are the four staples for sports bettors to keep in mind. This quartet provides all-round packages for NHL action, and they offer frequent promotions to boost your bankroll throughout the year.

From live hockey betting to long-term futures wagers, the top sportsbooks have comprehensive coverage of the NHL year-round. Odds are updated 24/7. New markets are often released, and futures odds will be available from the end of the Stanley Cup Finals.

There’s an array of excellent places to bet on the NHL, but it’s always a good idea to conduct some research before deciding on a bookmaker. Picking your betting site is ultimately subjective, and it will depend on habits and preferences. We would also advise comparing odds before placing a wager to make sure you are getting the best possible price.