Now that the 2021-22 NHL season has started, the time has come to start laying out some real money on your favorite NHL bets. Hockey betting can seem slightly more complicated than football or basketball wagers to the untrained eye. Really, what is a Puckline?!
But it does not take much to understand the options you have to bet on the NHL. Once you get the hang of the lines the only difficulty is figuring out where plus value lies. Hockey is a sport where the best teams lose regularly, and the worst teams can find a way to win here and there.
There are three main types of NHL bets: the moneyline, the puckline, and the over/under. Each is explained below.
What Is a Hockey Moneyline?
The most straightforward real money hockey bet is the moneyline. When you choose a team on the moneyline, you are simply picking them to win that game.
You don’t need to be in Vegas to bet on hockey! (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Take a Tuesday night showdown between the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues. If you look at a moneyline bet, you will likely see the lines displayed in American odds.
For example, the Blackhawks may be a +155 underdog, while the Blues are a -175 favorite. The plus and minus signs indicate who is favored in American odds.
If you think the Blues will win, and you want to win $100 on the bet, you will need to wager $175. Conversely, if you think the Blackhawks have a decent shot, you can bet $100 to win $155.
Determining the actual value of a bet requires knowing both the odds and whether that gives you a positive value. This is the art of sports betting.
Does an OT Win in a Hockey Game Win a Bet?
One twist to NHL moneyline bets is that they payout if one of the teams is victorious in overtime. However, many sportsbooks will also offer 60-minute lines, which introduces a third moneyline outcome: the tie.
Often, if you like the favorite in a hockey game, you can find better odds on a 60-minute (or three-way) line. For example, if the Blues are favored with -175 moneyline odds, they may only be -135 on a 60-minute basis. This means to win $100 you would only need to wager $135 instead of $175. However, if the game goes to OT, you will lose your bet.
Tell Me About the Puckline!
The first time you look at hockey odds, you may be struck by what is called the puckline.
A point spread in football has odds generally remain the same (-110 is standard) and then adjusts the number of points to account for the varying strength of the teams.
We can’t say for sure, but we suspect Gritty is always on the Flyers’ puckline. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)
In hockey, the puckline flips this arrangement. Instead of changing the number of points, the puckline difference is alway 1.5 goals. Then, the corresponding odds for the favorite and underdog change.
Betting a puckline favorite means that team must win by two or more goals for you to cash. On the puckline, if the underdog wins, loses by one goal, or forces overtime, their bettors win.
In our Blackhawks – Blues scenario above, the Blues puckline would be -1.5 goals, with the Blackhawks being +1.5. However, the puckline odds for the Blackhawks may be -130, meaning you have to bet $130 to win $100.
The Blues may be +110, indicating a $100 bet returns a $110 win. If you think an underdog will make it a close game but ultimately fail to win, the puckline may be a safer bet than simply the moneyline.
Hockey Game Over/Under
The final of the three most common types of hockey bets is the over/under, also known as the total. Unlike moneyline and puckline bets, you are not choosing which team wins or by how much. Instead, you simply are betting on how many goals both teams will score combined.
via GIPHY losing an under bet on this goal would be excruciating.
If the over/under for a hockey game is set at 5.5 goals, to win an over bet, both teams need to account for six or more goals. Likewise, under bettors are hoping for anywhere from zero to five goals total.
NHL over/unders are typically set at either 5.5 or 6.5, depending on the teams involved in the game. The odds themselves then swing by greater amounts than typical NFL or NBA over/unders.
Additional types of bets you may encounter include parlays, prop bets, or futures. However, none of these are unique to NHL betting. Instead, you can parlay two or more hockey moneylines just as you would in another sport. Similarly, you may find props for whether a certain player scores a goal during that game and futures on who will win this year’s Stanley Cup.
No matter what type of hockey bets you are looking to place, finding the best sportsbooks is crucial. Read our expert reviews to find the largest sign-up bonuses and strongest odds available for you.
