Hockey Picks From Top Handicappers
Hockey is fast-paced and physical. It’s exciting to watch, but even more thrilling with some action on the games. Sports Hub will keep hockey fans informed on the latest hockey odds and news. Our goal is to provide fans with the information and data they need to remain profitable during the hockey season.
throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs!
Betting on Hockey – Win More Bets
The NHL reigns supreme over other hockey leagues, but fans can wager on dozens of hockey leagues, including the OHL, AHL, WHL, NCAA, KHL, SM Liga, SHL, EHL and Extraliga. There are international hockey events to bet on as well, including the IIHF World Junior Championship, IIHF World Championship, Olympics and Spengler Cup.
The NHL will keep most hockey fans busy. With over 1300 regular season NHL games, playoffs and the Stanley Cup Finals, hockey bettors can bet on the NHL almost daily between October and June.
Betting on which team will win a game (moneyline) remains the most popular way to bet on hockey. There are lots of other ways to bet on hockey, including the puck line, totals and game/team/player props. A lot of single game betting markets are available to bet live (in-play) also. Fans can also bet on season-long futures (Stanley Cup winner, award winners and more) and various NHL draft markets.
Read our in-depth hockey betting guide next to learn how to bet on all of the markets.
How to Bet on Hockey
If you’re smart and use all the features of Sports Hub, you figure out early on that there is a lot of value betting on hockey. The big reason why hockey betting should be on your radar is because it’s not as popular as football and basketball.
Wait, what? You see, sportsbooks pay less attention to hockey compared to football and basketball, their big money-making sports. The books spend more time setting odds and lines for the NBA and NFL than they do for the NHL. As a result, smart bettors can take advantage of looser lines and odds.
Betting Hockey – What You Need To Know
If you plan on engaging in hockey betting, there are a few things you should know.
First off, you need to understand the game itself. You don’t need to understand all the rules, but you need knowledge of the basics. More knowledge gives you more power when it comes to hockey betting.
Next, you have to know the teams. There are 32 NHL teams. Know their strengths, weaknesses, how they perform at home, and more. It helps to know which teams excel in certain areas, like offense and defense, for example.
Finally, as a hockey bettor, you have to know how to read and understand odds. Learning how to read and comprehend hockey betting odds is a prerequisite for success.
Hockey Betting Odds
Hockey betting is a little different than betting on football and basketball. There is much less scoring which makes hockey largely a moneyline sport. Moneyline bets are the easiest to understand. You are betting on a team to win; that’s it.
Because of the lack of scoring in hockey, oddsmakers use what’s called a puck line as the point spread. For virtually every NHL game, for example, the puck line is set at 1.5. That means a favorite must win by two goals to cover. The underdog must lose by one or win outright.
Like any bet, odds are attached. As mentioned, being able to read and interpret those odds is a key to hockey betting success. Let’s use the following example.
- Boston Bruins -137 -1.5 (+154) O 6 (-102)
- Toronto Maple Leafs +114 +1.5 (-215) U 6 (-120)
The Bruins are favored to beat the Leafs. Bettors that like the Bruins must wager $137 to win $100 (or $1.37 to win $1.00). If the Bruins win, regardless of the score, Boston bettors win.
Bettors that like Toronto to pull the upset would bet $100 to win $114. Bettors can also bet this game on the puck line. Notice that the odds on Boston to cover are +154. Roughly one-third of NHL games end with a scoring margin of one goal.
That means if you like the Bruins to win by at least two goals, you can bet $100 to win $154. On the other end, you would bet $215 to win $100 on the Maple Leafs losing by one or winning.
There are odds on the totals bets as well. Learn how to read them and bet accordingly. Visit our complete how to bet hockey page to become a pro.
Hockey Betting FAQ
How to make money betting on hockey?
First off, realize it’ll take time, effort and experience to become consistently profitable. To make money betting on hockey, fans should utilize a bankroll management strategy, remain disciplined and only bet when you have a perceived edge, plus shop around to get the best odds for every wager.
What is the puck line in hockey betting?
*Example: Oilers -1.5 (+170) vs. Kings +1.5 (-200)
The puck line is a type of hockey wager similar to point spreads in other sports. The favored team needs to cover a -1.5 goal spread with puck line bets. In our example, the Oilers need to win by 2+ goals to win on the puck line, but the payout odds are +170 instead of -150 for winning the game. The Kings are +1.5 goal underdogs, which means they’ll cash if they win the game or lose by a single goal.
What is the 60 minute line when betting on hockey?
*Example: Hurricanes (+165) / Draw (+295) / Islanders (+130)
The 60 minute hockey betting market is also called “three-way” at some betting sites. With the 60 minute betting markets, your bet is graded based on the final score after 60 minutes (OT doesn’t count). You can get better payout odds by betting on a team to win in 60 minutes, but you have to contend with ties.
How do you read hockey betting lines?
*Example: Bruins (-140) vs. Panthers (+120)
We’ll analyze an NHL moneyline bet to teach you how to read hockey betting lines. In most cases, the team with negative (-) odds is the team expected to win (favorite), while the team with positive (+) odds is expected to lose (underdog). The easiest way to understand the odds is negative odds equal how much you need to bet to win $100, while positive odds equals how much you’ll win on a $100 bet. For example, you’ll win $100 for every $140 bet on Boston and $120 for every $100 bet on Florida.
What are some important factors to consider when betting on hockey?
Wagering on hockey games brings tons of excitement. Before you consider placing a bet, you might want to think about:
– Watch the injury report.
– Be aware of a team’s current form.
– Don’t sleep on underdogs.
– Starting goalies matter.
– Shop for the best betting lines.