Ice hockey betting has been growing with the rise of online sports betting sites. Nowadays, bettors love to place a good wager on international hockey leagues like the National Hockey League (NHL) in North America or Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) in Russia.
With so many punters looking for the opportunity to make some money on betting online, we have decided to create the ultimate Ice Hockey guide. Here bettors will have hockey betting explained to them in a manner that is easy to understand. They will also learn about ice hockey odds.
Hockey Betting Explained –Types of Ice Hockey Bets
Ice hockey betting works when you understand ice hockey rules . There are loads of bets available to make on a competitive hockey match:
- Outrights/Futures – these are bets made on who might win the league for a season. They can be placed at any point in the season, but hockey betting odds change as the competition begins to take shape. An example of this may include betting on who may win the Stanley Cup in the NHL.
- Match Result (End of Regulation) – a type of moneyline bet. Basically, bettors predict who will win the game in the regulation 60 minutes. If the game ends in a draw and needs to go into overtime, the bet is lost as the result is counted as a draw.
- Match Result Including Overtime – another type of moneyline bet. Again, bettors just select a winner, but this time the game can’t in a draw, so these bets are easier to win.
- Totals – these are bets made on the total score of the game. The sportsbook will set specific hockey betting lines involving the score that punters can either wager under or over.
- Puck Line Betting – these bets involve trying to beat the advantage that the sportsbook has given to win a specific match. For example, the favourites may be given a two-goal advantage, which will require them to win by two or more goals for any bets made on them to be successful.
- Odds/Evens – bets made on whether the final score of the game will be an even or odd number. Generally, in low scoring sports, it is common for odd numbers to have lower odds than even bets.
Hockey Betting Tips
Hockey strategies have to do with how punters bet on ice hockey. Always keep the following ice hockey betting tips in mind when placing a wager:
- Don’t Focus on Favourites – the one important thing to note in ice hockey (particularly, the world’s most competitive leagues) is that leagues are built with an equilibrium in mind. There isn’t all that much separating the worst teams in a league from the best. So, be careful of filling your betting slip with parlays that are based on betting on favourites.
- Line-Ups are Important – be sure to keep up with the starting line-ups of each team for a particular match you would like to bet on. It is particularly important to make sure that the team’s starting goalie is playing. If not, it could really mean a field day for the opposition.
- Shop Around at Sportsbooks – you don’t want to find out that you could have made more money on a bet at another sports betting site after having already placed a wager. It’s terrible when this happens. Thus, it is important to make sure that you shop around for the best odds.
- Pay Attention to Schedules – if a team has played three games on the road and looks to be going for a fourth, there is a good chance that they may suffer a loss against even the most unlikely opposition. So, make sure to check that the team hasn’t been on some crazy home-away match schedule. Also follow hockey betting trends.
Hockey Betting Lines
Hockey betting odds for a certain ice hockey lines event are displayed by sportsbooks. These ice hockey odds can be used to make wagers on the game. Ice hockey requires hockey betting odds to become profitable. Hockey betting odds can be compared using leading websites here. The hockey betting odds determine how much you win with a particular wager. Thus, your aim should always be on the lookout for the top hockey betting odds on a particular game.
What Affects Hockey Betting Odds?
What affects sports lines is the likelihood of a particular team winning a game. This is one major issue that affects hockey betting odds on ice hockey games (or any sport for that matter) and that is the law of probability. For example, if the team at the top of the league plays the team at the bottom of the league, sportsbooks are going to favour the team at the top because they have been playing well and have a proven success rate.
Bet on Hockey Leagues
There are loads of amazing ice hockey leagues around the world, such as:
- National Hockey League (NHL) – the NHL is widely known to be the most popular and competitive hockey league in the world. The North American league sees 31 teams compete for the chance to lift the prestigious Stanley Cup.
- Russian Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) – many consider the KHL to be the biggest ice hockey league in Europe. The league sees 25 teams (19 from Russia and 6 from across Europe and Asia) battle it out in the hopes of one day being able to showcase the Gagarin Cup in their trophy cabinet.
- SM-Liiga – Finland’s premier ice hockey league is thought to be the second strongest in Europe. With the rising success of the national squad, many avid hockey fans are now beginning to pay attention to it, with some even seeking to place a good wager on it.
- Swedish Elite League (SEL) – Sweden’s premier hockey league has begun to receive a lot of international attention for pretty much the same reason as Finland’s. The other interesting thing about the league is the fact that it makes use of a promotion and relegations system, meaning that new teams always have the chance to win the league.
Hockey Betting FAQs
How do you make money betting on hockey?
To make money betting on hockey requires you to pay attention to the strategy you use. This includes knowing more about the team, their schedule, and types of wagers.
How does betting line work in hockey?
When betting on hockey the squad that you bet has to cover the spread.
Where can I bet on NHL games?
Sportsbooks that accept wagers are BetNow, BetOnline, and Bovada to name a few.
How do you win a hockey bet?
You need to research the teams and know how the schedule looks. Live bet at the best sportsbooks after selecting your wager.
What is the spread in hockey?
Spread in hockey means that the team you wager on needs to cover the goal spread. The club that is favoured has to win by more than the stated goals and the underdog will get a head start.
How often do NHL games go overtime?
Over the previous three seasons, the average a team in the NHL has gone overtime is 21.1% of its matches.
Can an NHL hockey game end in a tie?
A hockey match cannot end in a tie. Should the game be a tie there will be an additional 5 minutes added (overtime).
