How To Bet On Hockey

After years of watching the NHL and seeing legal sports betting roll out across the US, maybe the next step is learning how to bet on hockey. Where do you start and which sportsbooks have the best hockey and NHL odds?

Our beginner’s guide on how to bet on hockey will help you figure out the specific betting elements to watch out for if you decide to bet on hockey.

Click a section below to read about something specific or start from the beginning if you’re totally new to sports betting.

What Are The Types Of Hockey Bets?

Betting on hockey is something that you can learn to do very fast. At its core, it does not differ greatly from betting on other major sports. However, there are some specific markets and prop bets that you will need to understand additionally that are only native to hockey due to its unique rules.

NHL Moneyline Odds

Moneyline bets are your typical way to bet on hockey. In that case, you are essentially betting on the outcome of the match or picking the winner. Moneyline odds are displayed with positive and negative odds, with the one marked with (-) being the favored team to win, while the other marked with a (+) is the underdog.

To get this type of bet correct, you simply pick the team that you think will win. So for instance, if you are betting on the Anaheim Ducks to win versus the Detroit Red Wings at -140 odds, you will need to place a $140 bet to win back $100. 

Puck Line/Spread

You’ve probably heard about spread betting in other types of sports. It is a type of wager that is very much suitable for high-scoring sports like basketball or football. However, when it comes to hockey, where not so many goals are scored, the spread bet works a bit differently.

First of all, when it comes to hockey, we refer to it as puck line betting. To compensate for the lack of points scored, the bookies usually offer a +/- 1.5 line when it comes to puck betting. From there on, things work similarly to spread betting.

Therefore, if the Toronto Maple Leafs are playing the Edmonton Oilers and are given a -1.5 spread to cover, in order for the bet to go through, they have to win by 2 points. However, if you decide to bet on the Oilers at a +1.5 spread, for that bet to go through, they have to win or lose by only a single point.

Total or Over/Under

Over/Under betting or totals is a wager made on the combined goals or points scored throughout the game by both teams. A sportsbook will usually provide you with a prediction and your job is to guess whether the end result goes over or under that line.

So in sports like basketball, you usually get totals that involve 185.5 Over/unders. But in low-scoring sports like hockey, the line usually sits at 2.5. Also, totals are usually paid at -110 odds. The payout is the same whether you bet on the over or the under. You just need to get the correct result to win.

So in a game between the San Jose Sharks and the St. Louis Blues, the over/under stands at 2.5. If you decide to bet on the Over, you need to hope that there are at least 3 goals during the game. It doesn’t matter who wins or loses. A winning result for you would be 2-1 or 3-0 for either team. 

Props

There are prop bets in every sport, not just in hockey betting. They are fun types of bets and differ from sport to sport. When it comes to hockey, it involves a variety of types of bets that can be based on team effort or the individual achievement a player makes.

So for example, you can bet on which team will score first. At the same time, you can also try and guess which player will open up the scoring as well. There is also the option of betting on a team not conceding any goals. Or even on a player scoring two or more goals. Basically, you have a large array of bets available to you that can serve as a break from regular types of hockey betting.

Futures

Futures are not called that way because you are trying to predict the future but refer to you successfully getting a winner of the competition or an award. It is a long-term bet, meaning that you need to wait a while for the outcome and see if your bet was a successful one.

You can literally bet on anything, starting from the Stanley Cup winner. You can also bet on the future winner of the Conference. Also, bet on a team to reach the Conference finals. More so, when it comes to additional achievements, you can place a bet on the regular season MVP, finals MVP, top scorer, top points maker, etc.

Grand Salami

A Grand Salami bet is most suitable when you can’t decide on your over/under bet. If you are not sure on which game to place a total, you can wager on all of them. You will get a line for all the games played in a given round. Your job is to guess correctly if the total number of goals scored by all teams in the entire round goes over or under the given line.

It works exactly the same as over/under betting. But instead of looking at the number of goals that two teams are scoring, you need to watch out for the scoring output of the entire league. Which could involve all 32 teams.

Live Betting

If you’ve ever bet on any type of sport, you might already know what live betting is—placing a wager on a match while still being played. However, in this case, the odds are constantly shifting as the game progresses. So a team that was a favorite at the start of the game, might easily become the underdog at the half if they go down early.

Players can take advantage of the shifting lines in live betting and try to place a timely bet. Besides match-winner bets, there are various kinds of bets that you can place during in-play betting.

Parlays

A Parlay bet in hockey involves multiple bets coupled together on a single bet slip. So instead of betting on a single event, you bet on more than one parlaying the odds together. With each newly added bet, the odds will increase, so depending on your stake the returns will be higher.

However, it is also much harder to get a return. In order to win, you have to guess all bets that you have placed on your bet slip right. If you miss even a single one, your parlay is a losing one.

A Parlay bet may look something like this:

• Montreal Canadians (+1.5) @ Toronto Maple Leafs (-1.5): Puck line bet at -160
• Detroit Red Wings @ Boston Bruins: Moneyline bet at +165
• San Jose Sharks @ Colorado Avalanche (O/U:5.5): Over/Under bet at -131

The accumulated odds come down to +659, so a $100 bet would net you $659.35.

60-min Line

A 60min line bet is a three-way type of bet. It still involves betting on the outcome of the game. But as opposed to the moneyline bet, which is a two-way type of bet, it only involves the result at the 60-minute line.

This allows you to bet on a tie game aside from betting on the winner of the matchup. They may also offer better prices. For instance, if the Ottawa Senators are -140 favorites on a regular moneyline bet, they might be offered at -115 favorites on a 60-min line bet.

Terms You Should Know

Besides understanding NHL odds, you also have to know the basic NHL slang. These terms will help you enjoy yourself more by both watching and betting on the games.

• Assist: A stat awarded to a player that sets up a goal scored by a different player.  
• Barnburner: Also known as a Boat Race, a very fast-paced and high-scoring game.
• Bender: A low-skilled player whose ankles bend on the ice while skating.
• Breakaway: A situation where a player has an open lane in front of him without a defenseman to oppose him.
• Deke: A move that an offensive player makes to get around a defender by using misdirection.
• Hat trick: Also known as a Hatty is when one player scores three goals in a single game.
• Hoser: A term used to make fun of the losing team, as in the past the team that lost had to hose down the ice.
• Pizza: A turnover that happens in play, giving the opposing team a chance to score.
• Power play: A situation when one team is serving a penalty and is a man down, while the other team has full.
• Rink: The venue or the place where a game is played, usually measuring 200 feet long by 85 feet wide. 
• Sieve: Not a very good goalie, who allows a lot of goals past him and is very easy to score on.
• Top Shelf: Also called the Top Cheese, refers to the upper portion of the net situated between the crossbar and the goalie’s shoulders.

Bet On Hockey: Tips and Tricks

While there isn’t a secret formula for being good at betting on hockey, there are some prime hockey betting tips that you can still follow. Following those tips will still not guarantee a win, but it will certainly help to improve your chances a bit.

Team Strengths And Weaknesses

Following the league and all the results will help you understand the strengths and weaknesses of each team. That way, you can compare the two teams one against the other and judge them based on what they are good at and what they are not. That way you get a better perspective not just about who the favorite is, but how they match up against an opposing team.

Injuries

Injuries are a common thing in every sport. However, they just might be a bit more frequent in hockey, based on the severity of the sport. Either way, keeping track of injured players or those who are skipping games will give you an edge when it comes to getting a wager right.

Home Advantage

Home rink advantage is real and a massive help when playing in front of your home crowd. Being cheered on constantly can motivate players to perform better and allow them to score in some situations that they wouldn’t on a regular basis. Canadian teams, in particular, enjoy a massive home advantage as their fans live and breathe hockey.

Find Best Odds

When betting on hockey, it is not a good idea to stop looking for odds with the first operator you come across with. You should view a few others and compare the odds to see how they stack up against each other. A different operator may provide improved odds, which would in turn bring greater value to your bet.

Current Form

Checking out the form of the team can be an important aspect when placing a bet. Teams that are on a hot streak will probably keep on winning. But you also need to know how to recognize the end of a winning streak. This could bring even greater value to your bet if you manage to catch it on time.

Referee

A side of sport that we all don’t want to see, but sometimes a team will get a bad referee refereeing their game. Some referees are notorious when it comes to certain teams, while others may be just bad at it. It is a detail in betting that most overlook. But veterans know this is a very important part that you can’t do without when betting on hockey.

Betting Rules

You need to know the rules of where you’re betting on hockey. Every hockey betting app might have different rules, so you should familiarize yourself with them. Here are the basics of what you need to know before placing a bet.

Ice hockey games are typically divided into three periods of 20 minutes each. Each game you bet on must play a minimum of 55 minutes. Your bet should be refunded if the game is suspended before 55 minutes of play occur. Once 55 minutes are up, whether the game is suspended or not doesn’t matter. The final result will be recorded as the current score.

All bets are determined by the final score of the game. This score will include overtime and shootouts. So how does this work? First, overtime scores are valid. If a team scores in overtime, it is added to the score of the game.

But what about when they’re tied after overtime and there is a shootout? Simple. The team that wins the shootout has one point added to their final score and is declared the winner for betting purposes. If you want to stick with more traditional fantasy games, try the MKF app instead.

Where Can You Bet On Hockey?

At the moment, sports betting is legal in 38 out of 50 states in the US. However, not all of them allow online betting, so in some cases, you can only bet on retail locations. Nevertheless, no matter the situation, when betting on hockey, you will need to be physically present in the state when making a bet.

Also, you have to be over the legal age limit to do it. This may depend on the state you are currently in. As most may require you to be 21+, there is somewhere the legal age limit is 19+ or even 18+.

Before checking any of the hockey betting sites, be sure to check and meet all of the prerequisites so you can legally bet in the state you are currently in.

Responsible Betting

No matter which way you go about your hockey betting endeavor, the one thing that you have to keep in mind is doing it responsibly. Betting can be addictive and a lot of people have given way to it. In order to avoid any mishaps, you have to follow the safer gambling rules. This could help you prevent doing it too much.Be sure to set limits. Daily or weekly deposits and bets are a perfect way to start. Also, you should never go over your head and chase wins. Be sure to bet only the amount you feel comfortable losing.

Wrapping up Hockey Betting Guide

There you have it. If you want to know how to bet on hockey, the mentioned principles should be the ones to follow. Start first by understanding the odds and how they work. Of course, you already know the rules of the games, so it makes sense to then understand the bet types related to hockey. Expand your knowledge of basic hockey slang and terms to enjoy the game more.

Finish everything up by employing the best hockey betting practices. Incorporate the best tips, and you are ready to go. It sounds easy on paper, but you won’t know how easy it is unless you try it.

FAQs: How To Bet On Hockey