NHL Betting Sites for 2024

Posted by Dave Consolazio .

We’re less than a month away from the hockey training camps opening up. However, thanks to futures odds on the board, NHL betting season can be enjoyed now. The Colorado Avalanche are the heavy favorites to repeat as Stanley Cup champions. The best sportsbooks online provide a wide variety of NHL odds from moneylines and futures to unique player prop bets throughout the hockey season.

Best NHL Hockey Betting Sites for US Players

Our experts have created a list of the industry’s best sites for NHL betting in the United States:

Top Rated Online Sportsbook
#1
BONUS
$750
  • Rollover: 5x
  • Games: all betting markets
Payout Speed 24-48 hours
#2
BONUS
$750
  • $750 Welcome Bonus
  • Min. Deposit $10
Payout Speed 48 Hours – 5 Days
#3
BONUS
$500
  • Rollover: 3x
  • Games: all betting markets
Payout Speed Less than 24 hours (Bitcoin) 15 days (check)
#4
BONUS
$1000
  • 100% up to $1,000 on crypto
  • Min. Deposit $10
Payout Speed 24 hours to process; minutes to transfer when you use Bitcoin
#5
BONUS
$3000
  • Cryto Bonuses
  • Min. Deposit $10
Payout Speed 48 Hours to 15 Days

2023 Stanley Cup Futures Odds

The Colorado Avalanche’s odds to win the 2023 Stanley Cup have actually improved since they beat the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2022 Final. The Avs’ odds jumped from +400 to +350 as they remain heavy favorites to repeat the feat. As one would expect from a cold-weather sport like hockey, two teams from the Sunshine State, the Florida Panthers and Lightning, enjoy the second and third-best odds, respectively. The Toronto Maple Leafs, who have not won a Stanley Cup in more than 50 years, are 11-to-1 favorites to snap the slide next summer.

Here is the complete list of 2023 Stanley Cup futures odds:

Team Odds to win 2023 Stanley Cup
Colorado Avalanche +350
Florida Panthers +1000
Tampa Bay Lightning +1100
Toronto Maple Leafs +1100
Carolina Hurricanes +1200
Edmonton Oilers +1200
New York Rangers +1800
Calgary Flames +2000
Los Angeles Kings +2000
Minnesota Wild +2000
Vegas Golden Knights +2200
Pittsburgh Penguins +2500
Boston Bruins +2800
St. Louis Blues +2800
New York Islanders +3500
Ottawa Senators +4000
Washington Capitals +4000
Dallas Stars +4500
Nashville Predators +5000
New Jersey Devils +5000
Detroit Red Wings +5500
Vancouver Canucks +5500
Buffalo Sabres +6600
Columbus Blue Jackets +6600
Winnipeg Jets +7500
Anaheim Ducks +8000
Philadelphia Flyers +8000
San Jose Sharks +12500
Seattle Kraken +12500
Montreal Canadiens +15000
Chicago Blackhawks +20000
Arizona Coyotes +25000

How to Bet On NHL

Moneyline Bets

Betting the moneyline in hockey is very simple as it only requires players to bet on who will win the game.

NHL odds are marked with an integer (+ or -) which indicates which team is the favorite and which team is the underdog. The positive (+) team is the underdog, while the negative (-) team is favored to win.

The difference between betting on a moneyline and betting on the puckline is pretty basic — when betting on the moneyline, you bet on who will win outright, while a line involves how many goals the favored pick wins by.

NHL Moneyline Example

For example, let’s say this is the moneyline:

  • Red Wings +190
  • Maple Leafs -225

In this example, the Red Wings are the underdog, and the Maple Leafs are expected to win. To win $100 wagering on the Maple Leafs, you’d need to place a $225 bet. Conversely, a $100 wager on the Red Wings would return $190 profit should they win.

Puckline Betting

Betting a “puckline” is hockey’s version of spread betting. Essentially, it is a wager that the favored team will win the game by a set number of goals – or more.

Puckline Betting Example

Let’s say these are the odds:

  • Rangers +1.5
  • Canadiens -1.5

In this instance, the Canadiens would need to win by two goals or more in order for your ticket to pay as a winner.

Over/Under, or Totals Betting

Over/under bets, also known as totals bets, are wagers on whether the combined score of both teams is over or under the goal total posted by the sportsbook.

Over/Under Betting Example

Here’s an over/under NHL betting example. Let’s say the total is set at 6.5 for a game between the Maple Leafs and the Canadiens:

Toronto vs. Montreal

  • Over 6.5 (-110)
  • Under 6.5 (-110)

Numbers in brackets show the odds of each bet. Here, both are at -110, which means you have to risk $110 to win $100. If Toronto wins with a 5-2 score, the total is 7, which means the over hits since 7 is greater than 6.5.

Should an Over/Under total be set at a whole number, like 6, and a final score is 4-2, the bet would push, and you’d be refunded your original wager.

Parlay Betting

A parlay means you can place several unique wagers on a single ticket. By betting multiple outcomes on one ticket, the payout is higher. However, one loss on a parlay means the entire ticket loses. You must get every bet right. Every sports betting site allows bettors to parlay their bets to offer moneyline, over/under and puck line bets on a single ticket. Parlays are widely considered to be best suited for experienced bettors who know how to limit the risk.

Parlay Bet Example

Here’s an example that might be on your parlay ticket:

  • You bet on Montreal to beat Toronto
  • You also bet on Boston to beat Chicago

For this ticket to pay as a winner, both Montreal & Boston must win – if either lose, you lose the entire wager. However, because of the associated risks, parlay bets carry much higher payouts.

First Period Betting

First period wagers aren’t as popular as typical moneylines or puck lines in hockey betting, but they provide you with an interesting alternative to traditional bet types. In a bet of this type, only the results of the first 20 minutes of the match matter.

Usually, you’re allowed to put your money on a first-period moneyline or a 0.5 spread. Some sportsbooks offer second and third-period betting too, which tends to be all about picking the team that has the highest score by that point in the game.

First Period Betting Example

Let’s say the Vancouver Canucks are playing against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Canucks are the favored team. The odds favor the Canucks at (-200, risk $200 to win $100), so you place a $100 bet the Canucks will lead after the first period.

Indeed Vancouver leads 1-0 after one. So, you win $50 plus the initial $100 wagered.

Hockey Props Betting

Prop bets allow you to bet on elements of the game besides the final score, ranging from which player scores first, to who sings the national anthem. The term “proposition bets,” or “prop bets,” refers to all the bets that aren’t covered by any of the categories listed above.

Hockey Props Betting Example

In hockey betting, many sites offer props that allow you to wager on the first player to score, the shot totals or the first team to score.

NHL Futures Betting, or, Stanley Cup Odds

Futures odds wagers allow bettors to wager on the future hockey outcomes like odds to win the Stanley Cup.

Sportsbooks open lines on a variety of futures bets before the start of every NHL season. Futures bets also include individual postseason player awards like Conn Smythe Trophy.

Hockey Futures Wager Example

In the world of NHL betting, a futures wager could be on who will win the Stanley Cup, who will win the Eastern and Western conference titles and where will a free agent be playing next season, to name a few. Betting the over/under on a team’s points total for the upcoming NHL season is another popular futures bet.

These will also allow you to select a “FIELD” option, offering flexibility if you believe a player stands to win who is not listed as an option.

Live NHL Betting

The top sports betting sites offer live betting on NHL games. Like the name suggests, these bets are only available after the puck drops and the action starts. You can make all your standard hockey bets, such as moneyline, puckline, and totals. These odds are controlled by an algorithm that centers on the time remaining, score and volume of bets made.

Live NHL Betting Example

The odds and wagers listed for live hockey betting options on an online sportsbook essentially look similar to the examples above, only, in real-time after the game has started.

Legal NHL Betting Sites Online

If you’re new to NHL betting, what is legal and illegal in the United States can become a little confusing. Below is a state-by-state breakdown of where it’s legal to bet on the NHL at a land-based sportsbook as well as the best online NHL sportsbook in each state.

State Legal Land-Based NHL Betting (Y/N)
Alabama No
Alaska No
Arizona Yes
Arkansas Yes
California No
Colorado Yes
Connecticut Yes
Delaware Yes
Florida No
Georgia No
Hawaii No
Idaho No
Illinois Yes
Indiana Yes
Iowa Yes
Kansas No
Kentucky No
Louisiana Yes
Maine No
Maryland Coming soon
Massachusetts No
Michigan Yes
Minnesota No
Mississippi Yes
Missouri No
Montana Yes
Nebraska Coming Soon
Nevada Yes
New Hampshire Yes
New Jersey Yes
New Mexico Yes
North Carolina Yes
North Dakota Yes
Ohio No
Oklahoma No
Oregon Yes
Pennsylvania Yes
Rhode Island Yes
South Carolina No
South Dakota Yes
Tennessee No
Texas No
Utah No
Vermont No
Virginia Coming soon
Washington Yes
Washington, D.C. Yes
West Virginia Yes
Wisconsin Coming Soon
Wyoming No

Recommended NHL Betting Tips

Home Ice

Home Ice

In hockey betting home ice doesn’t provide the same advantage it boasts in other sports. The fans and the team are separated by tall plexiglass. This allows the NHL teams to focus on the game a bit more, plus, teams playing an away game aren’t as distracted by jeers and boos’ opposing teams’ fans can create. Therefore, you might find a home arena doesn’t offer the same advantage it does in other sports.

Embrace Stats

Embrace Stats

Be sure the statistics you collect come from a reputable source. For example, are you looking at states from ESPN, TSN or even stats from the official NHL site? Be sure you’re not wasting time studying numbers that might not help you make an informed bet.

Head-to-head season series record and which goalie is in net and their goals allowed per game average play a pivotal role in handicapping the NHL.

Hockey R&R

Hockey R&R

When it comes to betting on the puck, you should note which teams or players have had several days off since their previous game, or didn’t make the playoffs the previous year.

Keep tabs on roster transactions and injury reports – who is in, who is out – before placing your next wager.

How To Bet On Hockey FAQs

Sportsbook of the Month October 2024

Bovada
5.0
BONUS
75% up to $750
Min Deposit: $10
Payout Speed: 24-48 hours

Dave Consolazio

Dave Consolazio has been passionate about writing and sports journalism since his high school years. He has a degree in Broadcast Journalism from USC where he worked with the school's radio and television stations. His work has been featured in SportsbookReview, Sports Illustrated and SB Nation. Dave's experience ranges across multiple fields in the gambling industry. You can find his sports, casino, and poker articles in GambleOnline.co.

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