Ice Hockey Betting Online
Betting on the NHL or other smaller hockey leagues is pretty straightforward and with a bit of research you can be up and running fast, even if you're a beginner.
Chances are you're already familiar with the league, teams, games and scoring so you've got a head start. If not, here's a simple breakdown on the competition and structure of the game:
- The NHL regular season runs from early October until April and each team plays a total of 82 games.
- Teams must qualify for the playoffs, which run from the middle of April until early June, for a chance at winning the Stanley Cup.
- What that all means is that for well over half the year you can bet on the NHL to your heart's content!
Now you just have to learn the basics about the common kinds of bets people make on hockey and some simple strategies for maximizing your chances of winning.
We'll go into detail on the different kinds of hockey bets, but first let's cover some fundamentals:
- Learn to spot when the sportsbook offers a line that's more likely to win.
- Learn more about the teams, players and the other factors affecting the game.
- Learn ways to manage your bankroll smartly and get rewards.
| How to Sign Up to an Ice Hockey Betting Site |
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Bankroll-boosting bonuses
One of the biggest perks of betting on sports online are the bonuses. When you sign up for a new account and make your first deposit you can cash in big. Here's how most welcome bonuses work:
- For example, a signup bonus might be posted as: 100% up to $500.
- That means the casino will match your deposit equally up to $500.
- If deposit $500, the casino will give you $500 more.
It's important to understand that welcome bonuses come with betting requirements. That means you have to wager the money a certain number of times before you can withdraw it.
Types of Ice Hockey Bets
If you're familiar with how to bet on other sports, a lot of the same rules apply to betting on hockey. In this section we'll cover the most popular bets you can make and how they work.
Moneyline
This is a bet on which team will win an individual game. Each team is assigned a number that represents that odds of them winning as well as how much you can win by betting on them. A moneyline bet looks like this:
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Detroit Red Wings | -140 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | +160 |
- The negative number always means that team is the favorite. It also tells you how much you have to bet to win $100 in profit.
- In this case, you'd win $100 if you bet $140 on Detroit to win.
- The positive number indicates the underdog and tells you how much profit you'll win if you bet $100 on that team.
- In this example you'd make $160 in profit on a $100 bet on Pittsburgh to win.
Point Spread (Puckline)
This bet is similar to the moneyline bet but uses a point spread to handicap the better team in addition to manipulating the payouts. Point spreads in ice hockey look like this:
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Detroit Red Wings | -1.5 (+150) |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | +1/5 (-100) |
- In this example the Red Wings must win the game by at least two points to cover the spread.
- The Penguins can either win the game outright or lose by one point in order to cover the spread.
- The second number reflects the payout on your bet and works the same way as the moneyline odds described above.
Over/Under (Game totals)
This is a bet on the total number of combined goals by both teams in an individual game. The sportsbook sets a line and you can bet on the total being over or under the line. A game total bet looks like this:
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Detroit Red Wings vs. Pittsburgh Penguins | Over 4.5 points/Under 4.5 points |
- If you bet on the over, the total number of goals must be five or more for you to win.
- If you bet on the under, both teams must score a combined total of four or fewer for you to win.
- Sometimes the line is a whole number which means you can tie the casino. That's called a 'push' and in those cases you can keep your original wager.
Props and Futures
Another kind of bet are props, also called propositions. These are special individual bets on specific things. It could be a bet on which player will score the first goal of the season, or on which player will score the most goals all year.
One popular prop bet is on which team will win the Stanley Cup. This bet is made before the season begins and depending on the team the odds can be massive. It's an awesome way to root for your favorite team all season long.
In-Play Betting
In-play betting, also called live betting, allows you to make bets in real time while the game is being played. It could be a bet on which team will score next, which team will win the period of the entire game or lots of other options.
You can literally make new bets throughout the game and since there are so many variable factors, the lines and odds on all bets are constantly changing. This offers tons of valuable betting opportunities to the smart gambler.
| Ice Hockey Betting Tips |
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How We Find the Best Ice Hockey Betting Sites
There are lots of good options when it comes to betting on ice hockey, but you shouldn't settle for good. You want the best. That's why we put in the legwork to find out who's offering the best hockey betting lines and the biggest bonuses at the exact time you decide to sign up. To make the grade with us, sites have to pass the following tests:
- Offer a wide variety of bets with competitive betting lines.
- Feature cutting-edge software and mobile capabilities.
- Have a strong reputation for safety and security.
- Offer popular options for deposits and withdrawals.
- Licensed by an established regulatory body.
Start Betting on Ice Hockey Now
Take the first step right now by signing up with one of our top-rated online casinos and cash in on a valuable welcome bonus. You can make a small deposit and the casino will match it to kick start your betting bankroll right off the bat.
It's also never been easier to bet on ice hockey on your mobile device. All the top casinos and sportsbooks have designed their sites to work perfectly on smartphones and tablets. That means you're no longer glued to your computer when you want to set up your bets.
As long as you have a tablet or smartphone running a recent version of iOS or Android, you'll have no problem making ice hockey bets on your mobile device. That includes iPhone and iPad, Samsung Galaxy and Galaxy Tab S2, Google Pixel 2, Huawei P20 Pro and many more.
Interested to learn about the NHL backroom staff? Visit our NHL's Backroom Heroes page to discover how much they get paid and how many millions injuries are costing the NHL teams.
FAQs
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How does NHL betting work?
NHL betting is really similar to other kinds of major sports betting. Just select one of the top online sports books above, find the match you want to gamble on and place your bet.
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Is it legal?
Yes it's fully legal. You are not breaking any laws at all by betting real money on the NHL at international betting sites or on fantasy style gambling sites either.
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How do the odds work?
The odds for an ice hockey game will look something like this; Red Wings -140, Penguins +160.
The favored team in this match is the Red wings and if you bet $140 on them you will win $140 in profit. The Penguins are the underdog and if you bet $100 on them you will win $160 in profit.
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What do betting lines mean?
Betting lines refer to the different types of bets you can make and in NHL betting, the main two lines are the money line and the puck line.
The money line is a straightforward bet on who you think will win the game and the puck line bet is a spread bet where you're betting on how many points a team will win by.
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What games can I bet on?
Big name sports betting sites take ice hockey bets on every single game of the NHL season.
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Can I use a betting system?
Yes you can use a betting system but it's important to remember that although some betting systems may help you to win more, they do not guarantee you profits in the long or short term.
The best way to increase your chances of winning is to absorb as much information as you can about the two teams in the match you're planning to bet on.
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Can it be profitable?
Gambling on ice hockey can earn you a tidy profit, especially when something unexpected happens during a game.
Also make sure to look out for bonus offers and enhanced odds. These can both earn you more cash when you do win.
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What are the most popular ice hockey betting markets?
By far the most popular market is the NHL (National Hockey League) but you can also bet on the Western Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and various European hockey leagues.
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What is ice hockey handicap betting?
The moneyline and point spread are both ways that casinos and sportsbook handicap the better team for the purposes of gambling.
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How does the betting line work in hockey?
Betting lines are just another name for the different bets and odds. The moneyline, for example, is a straight bet on which team will win. The puckline is hockey's version of a point spread and gives the better team a points handicap to even the playing field.
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How do point spreads work for hockey?
Point spreads in hockey work the same way as in other sports except in hockey the spread is always 1.5 points. The favored team must win the game by at least two points to cover the spread while the underdog must not lose by two or more points to cover the spead.