Hockey Betting Guide
The winter is all about hockey, and betting on hockey can make the season much more exciting. With 1,271 regular season games to bet on, hockey offers lots of opportunities to win. Learn the ins and outs of hockey betting, from NHL puck lines to common hockey betting mistakes, so you can successfully bet on NHL games with different online sportsbooks.
HOCKEY BETTING TYPES
Moneyline
In hockey, betting on the moneyline is simply betting on who will win the game, and is the most popular method of betting on the NHL. For example, if the moneyline has Philadelphia at +110 and Pittsburgh at -120, Pittsburgh is the favored team and you would need to bet $120 to win $100. If you place a $100 bet on Philadelphia and they pull off a win, you would win $110.
Betting on an underdog can provide significant winnings if they manage to pull off an upset. With so many regular season games, it’s important to be aware of how teams are trending and equally, to pay attention to who is playing from each team, particularly the goalie. Look for save percentage and goals against average for goalies and know whether or not a team is starting their backup goalie to help decide which team to bet on.
Puck Line
A hockey puck line is a goal spread and is similar to the run line in baseball. Bets are based on a 1.5 goal spread – bettors can either lay 1.5 goals with the favorite or take 1.5 goals with the underdog. So if Philadelphia is at +1.5 goals at odds of -110, Philadelphia bettors will win their wager if Philadelphia wins the game or loses by one goal whereas Pittsburgh bettors will only win their puck line bets if Pittsburgh wins by more than one goal. In this scenario, a $110 bet on either side would win $100.
Totals
Hockey totals are bets based on the total number of goals scored in a game. You bet on whether the total goals will be over or under the number set by oddsmakers. If the over/under for Pittsburgh and Philadelphia is 5.5, you’ll need at least 6 goals scored to win the over and a max of 5 goals scored to win the under.
Hockey totals are typically set somewhere between 5 and 6.5 depending on the teams playing and the goalies in net. In situations where the final goals scored equal the total (if 5 or 6), this is called a “push” and the bet amount is refunded. Placing a hockey total bet with a whole number means that occasionally, there will be no winners or losers.
60 Minute Line
A 60 minute line is a bet similar to the moneyline, but includes only the result at the end of 3 periods and thus includes the tie option. If Toronto is playing New Jersey, bettors can bet on Toronto to win in 60 minutes, New Jersey to win in 60 minutes, or the tie at the end of 60 minutes. With the additional option of the tie, the odds on either team are greater than the moneyline, but come with that additional risk of the game going to overtime.
Parlays
A parlay bet is placing a bet on multiple outcomes to occur and requires all outcomes to be selected correctly to win. For example, if you parlay $100 on Chicago and Los Angeles, you’ll need both teams to win their respective games to win the parlay bet. Given that you need to be correct on each outcome in the entire bet, parlays are a riskier hockey betting type, but offer greater rewards.
Grand Salami
A “Grand Salami” bet is a popular bet type for hockey bettors as it allows them to have a rooting interest in every game on a particular night. A Grand Salami bet is essentially a Totals bet however you are betting on the total number of goals scored across all of the games played on a particular day. For example if there are 8 games on a given day, the Grand Salami total will likely be between 40-50 goals.
Futures
Think Toronto is going to win the Stanley Cup? You can place a futures bet on it! If the odds are +700 right now and you bet $100, Toronto hoisting the Stanley Cup would win you $700. Futures are offered well in advance of any season and are continually adjusted as it unfolds.
Prop Bets
Prop bets are additional bets that can be related to specific outcomes in a game (game props) or player performance (player props). Will Sidney Crosby score a goal against Buffalo? You can bet on that. Will Boston win the game by a score of 4-2? You can put money on that as well. Widely considered to be fun bets, prop bets are typically available for just about anything related to the game.
Live/In-Game Betting
The ability to bet on a game as it is happening. The odds are dynamic and will update over the course of the game, based on the real action taking place. After the second period, San Jose is up 1 goal versus Los Angeles. Put your money on them to win and reap the rewards, or bet on Los Angeles to come back and root for a strong third period push from the Kings.
HOCKEY BETTING MISTAKES
Not Knowing the Players Playing
The lineup playing in a hockey game can have a big impact, especially the goalies. Even if Toronto has a 10-5 record, if they aren’t playing their starting goalie in a game versus 7-9 Montreal, you’ll definitely want to consider that when placing your bets.
Mismanaging your Bankroll
Before placing your first bet, set aside a sum of money to be used as your bankroll. The fastest way to losing that bankroll is mismanaging it. Don’t chase losses (bet more than you normally would) to make up for one loss. Don’t get greedy if you go on a winning streak.