Betting on the National Hockey League has traditionally not been particularly common, but that has started to change in recent years. The NHL has been aggressive in forming sports betting partnerships, opening up new opportunities for bettors.
The two most common NHL betting types are puck line and Moneyline, and each is a little bit different. Below we will explore both types of betting and share the differences so you can determine which betting type is right for you.
Puck Line Betting
Puck line betting is the hockey version of spread betting. Betting against the spread is extremely common in the U.S., but it works a little bit differently in the NHL.
Since there is very little scoring in most NHL games, the puck line is almost always set at 1.5 goals either way. There are some instances where you might see a 2.5 goal puck line, but that is extremely rare.
If you are betting on a team to win a hockey game on the puck line, that team must win by at least two goals. Again, it’s hard to create much separation in hockey games which could make this difficult.
The losing team simply has to keep the final score within one goal to make them the right pick in a bet. Losing teams typically pull their goalie late for a chance to even up the score.
Another way that puck line betting differs from spread betting is that the lines are different for each team. Most spread bets offer betting lines of -110, but you won’t see that when making a puck line bet.
Moneyline betting
Money line betting in the NHL is the same as it is for other sports, and it is one of the most common NHL betting markets. With this wager, you are simply betting on which team will win a particular hockey game.
The favorite in a particular matchup will not usually result in a large payout, and that is why some bettors choose to bet the puck line. Picking an underdog with a money line bet is a sound strategy and could result in a large payout.
If you are already making money line bets in other betting markets, you won’t have any trouble understanding what this means when betting on the NHL.
Other NHL betting options
Even though money line and puck line bets are the two most common NHL betting options, you will also see others offered by the sportsbook. Sportsbooks are starting to expand NHL betting opportunities as it becomes more popular in the U.S.
Totals betting, sometimes called “over/under betting,” is the next most common betting type you will find on the NHL, and this is also similar to how it works with other sports. Don’t be alarmed when you see a very low number posted for the total line.
Here are a few other popular and common NHL betting options:
- Futures
- Parlays
- Grand Salami
- Player Props
- Team Props
