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Hockey betting makes one of the most exciting games on the planet that much more exhilarating. The fast-paced, physical play on NHL ice hockey presents a massive menu of hockey odds and action every night. 

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From the excitement of the regular season to the Stanley Cup Final, hockey gives bettors plenty of opportunities to make some bucks off pucks.

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BETTING HOCKEY LINES EXPLAINED

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Like most team sports, hockey betting allows fans to pick which side they think will win the game. On top of that, bettors can wager on the total number of goals scored and numerous alternative odds markets for each game.

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The most common hockey betting lines are the moneyline, puck line, and Over/Under goal total. We will explain these lines and more.

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HOCKEY MONEYLINES EXPLAINED​

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Betting the moneyline is the most straightforward way to wager on hockey, with oddsmakers simply asking bettors to pick which side they think will win the game. Because not all matchups are equal, each team will be assigned a moneyline which reflects the implied probability of winning the game.

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Sportsbooks often display moneylines in American odds (hundreds). The moneyline favorite will be indicated by a negative (-) value before its moneyline, while the underdog will have a positive value attached to its moneyline odds.

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For example, the favorite to win the game — the Boston Bruins — has a moneyline of -175 which means for every $1 you wish to win, you need to risk $1.75 (bet $175 to win $100). The underdog — here, the Dallas Stars — has a moneyline of +155 which means for every $1 risked, you could win $1.55 (bet $100 to win $155).

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60-MINUTE LINE

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A 60-minute line, or three-way market, is a bet that doesn’t include overtime, so there are three possible outcomes: a visitor win, a home win, or a tie. If you’re looking to bet hockey ties, this is your market. 

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Many other bettors will place bets on a 60-minute line to get a better price than the two-way moneyline. If the Leafs are -140 on the regular moneyline, they may pay a more reasonable -115 on the 60-minute (three-way) ML. Just remember: these bets do not include overtime.

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HOCKEY PUCK-LINES

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The puck line is hockey’s version of the point spread, in which a certain number of goals are designated as a handicap between the two teams. Due to the low-scoring and routinely close contests in the NHL, the most common puck line is 1.5 goals, with the puck line favorite set at -1.5 and the puck line underdog at +1.5. However, you will find larger puck lines in more one-sided contests.

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If a team is the puck line favorite (-1.5), it must win the game by two or more goals to cover the puck line. If a team is a puck line underdog (+1.5), it must win the game outright or lose by less than two goals to cover and win the puck line bet.

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For example, the Bruins are the -1.5 puck line favorite in this game. If Boston wins by two or more goals, they would be the winning bet. The Stars are the puck line underdog at +1.5. The Stars would win the puck line bet if they win outright or lose by one goal.

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HOCKEY GOAL LINE OVER/UNDERS

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Over/Under betting in hockey is wagering on the total combined score of a hockey game. Oddsmakers set an expected total number of goals to be scored by both sides. Bettors can wager on whether the final score will go Over or Under that total.

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Most NHL Over/Under totals are set between 5 and 6.5 goals depending on the offenses and defenses involved. 

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Because hockey is a low-scoring game, goal totals don’t move as much as basketball or football Over/Unders. Instead, the juice or vig attached to both the Over and Under adjusts.

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For example, this game has an Over/Under of 5.5 goals. Bettors would pick one of the two outcomes (will the game result in Over or Under 5.5 combined goals) and place a bet on it based on the vig or juice. 

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HOCKEY PROP BETS: BETTING PLAYER PERFORMANCE & MORE

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Hockey prop bets allow you to wager on specific aspects of a game, unrelated to the final score. NHL props include odds for NHL player props as well as events and happenings throughout a game.

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Bettors can choose from a variety of player props that include goals, assists, points, power-play points, shots, hits, saves, and shutouts. Props are usually set up much like totals where a number is set, and we have to choose Over or Under that set total.

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PLAYER GOAL SCORING PROPS

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Goal-scoring props are the most popular type of NHL player prop bets. How they work is straightforward—they allow you to bet on whether a player will score a goal in a single NHL game.

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There are different types of goal-scoring props, including anytime goal scoring, the first goal of the game, and total goals scored. 

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Anytime goal-scoring prop bets allow you to select from all skaters within a given game and bet on whether they’ll score a goal. Pretty simple, but it’s important to note that you’ll get short odds on snipers and long odds on fourth-liner penalty-killing specialists.

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Odds offered on any NHL player prop bet will vary wildly depending on the player’s profile and the opponent’s strength. A slumping star will have longer odds. Suppose a star plays the Chicago Blackhawks or Arizona Coyotes. In that case, you best believe those odds will be much shorter!

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Total goals scored let you wager how many goals a player will score in a single game. Betting sites will only offer totals for stars (think Auston Matthews, Alexander Ovechkin, Leon Draisaitl, and so on). Even then, they’ll likely have pretty long odds, given how rare it is for even the league’s most elite to score twice in a single game. 

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First goal props are straightforward — you’re betting on which player will score the game’s opening goal.

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PENALTY MINUTE PROPS

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Penalty-minute props are simple. They allow you to bet on how many penalty minutes a player accrues during the game. For penalty minute props, sportsbooks assign a total of penalty minutes to a player (i.e., 6.5 PIM, where you’d be betting for or against a player getting a major penalty plus a minor penalty). You’ll bet on the Over/Under (O/U). 

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As with any player prop, the odds for a penalty minute prop depend on a player’s history and any specific context within the game itself.

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SHOT PROPS

 

Shot props are straightforward. They’re bets on whether a player will hit the Over/Under (O/U) of an assigned number of shots (i.e., Jason Robertson, O/U 4.5 shots).

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The most notable goal scorers are volume shooters. As such, their shot totals assigned to a shot prop bet be higher than for a middle-six forward or bottom-of-the-lineup defenseman.

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POINTS PROPS

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Finally, you can bet on the Over/Under of the number of points a skater registers in a game. Of course, this applies to both goals and assists. As with all other types of NHL player props, context and past performance determine the number of points assigned to a player and the odds connected to the line. 

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HOCKEY FUTURES

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NHL futures odds are long-running markets that allow you to bet on overall results. NHL futures include odds to win the Stanley Cup, the Eastern or Western Conference winner, and teams’ final points totals. You can also find markets for individual player honors such as Hart Trophy odds, Calder Trophy odds, Vezina Trophy odds, and Rocket Richard Trophy odds. Future bets boast great odds at the beginning of the year but are available for most of the NHL season. Future bets have become one of the most popular ways to wager on the NHL and offer high returns. The odds favorite to win the Stanley Cup can be had at or around +450 before the regular season.