Popular NHL Bets

The National Hockey League already has more than a century under its belt, with long-standing traditions and many avid fans across the US and other parts of the world. In terms of sports betting, it is still not as popular as football or basketball, but interest among online bettors has increased significantly in recent years.

The nature of ice hockey allows for various types of bets covering different elements of the game, such as teams, players, goals, and periods. This variety is one of the main reasons a growing number of betting enthusiasts are turning to NHL wagering. To help you navigate the available options and choose the betting market that best suits your preferences and current knowledge, we have provided comprehensive explanations of the most popular NHL bets below.

Best Rated Bookmakers for United States

• 
  Claim
  $1000
  Match Bonus
  9.7
  REVIEW
  GET BONUS
  18+ New customers only. 100% match bonus up to $1000. Min deposit $50. 10x rollover requirement. Promocode: MYB100
• 
  Claim
  $250
  Match Bonus
  9.4
  REVIEW
  GET BONUS
  Join Bovada, make your first deposit and instantly receive a 50% Sports Welcome Bonus up to $250.
• 
  Claim
  $500
  Match Bonus
  9.3
  REVIEW
  GET BONUS
  Get a 100% Bonus, up to $500, to wager in the Xbet Sportsbook when you sign up and fund your new account with minimum of $45. Be sure to use promocode XB100 to claim this offer on your first deposit. 7x rollover requirement prior withdrawal.
• 
  Claim
  $200
  Match Bonus
  9.2
  REVIEW
  GET BONUS
  The bonus and the deposit need to be rolled over 4x at min. odds of -200 (1.5) before a payout is possible Max. $200 of every bet count towards the rollover.
• 
  Claim
  $150
  Match Bonus
  9.1
  REVIEW
  GET BONUS
  Get a 150% Bonus, up to $150, to wager in the BetUSR Sportsbook. Deposit minimum $100 and wager at least $500 within 30 days of registerening your account and you will automatically qualify for $150 CASH BONUS with just 1x wagering requirement.

NHL Moneyline Wagers

Moneyline betting is the most popular type of sports wagering and is familiar even to people who have never placed a bet. Moneylines are popular because they are simple enough for novice sports bettors to understand and use properly. With the right strategy, they can also generate profits, making this betting market popular among experienced bettors. The only thing you must predict is which NHL team will win the game, regardless of the exact score.

The moneyline betting market is invariably included in the selection offered by online sportsbooks, along with spreads and totals. As soon as you visit your chosen bookmaker’s website and head to the NHL section, you will most likely see a table resembling this one:

From the previous articles in our guide, you already know that the minus sign in front of the odds indicates the favorite, while the plus sign identifies the expected underdog. If the numbers are far apart, the game is unlikely to be closely contested. If they are closer together, the teams are more evenly matched. The favorite’s negative odds also show how much you need to wager to win $100. The positive number assigned to the underdog indicates how much profit you would receive from a successful $100 bet. No matter how close the betting odds are, there will always be some difference that leads to different payouts.

To place successful moneyline bets, you must learn to use your knowledge to identify odds that may not accurately reflect the actual probability of an outcome. One possible approach is to bet primarily on favorites, which may seem like the most logical decision at first. However, because you can almost never completely ignore the underdogs, it is extremely important to be selective about the favorites you back. If a particular game comes with odds of -112 and +125, you may be better off avoiding the risk. Odds of -112 represent a 52.8% implied probability, indicating uncertainty on the bookmaker’s part. Even if the prediction turns out to be correct, the eventual profit would be minor and may not justify the risk. Due to the volatility of hockey, it is often better to look for favorites without indicators like these. In the absence of obvious external factors, an NHL matchup with a significant difference between the favorite’s and underdog’s odds may offer a clearer choice.

If you want to be a successful bettor, you must learn to avoid traps. Do not be fooled by suspiciously favorable odds. If a bet seems too good to be true, it usually is. It is important to conduct your own research rather than blindly following factors such as changes in the odds before a game. Understanding what the odds indicate is an integral part of your betting experience, but make sure you can find your own reasons to support each bet.

NHL Over/Under Bets

Also known simply as totals, Over/Under wagers on National Hockey League games are among the most popular ice hockey betting markets. They provide additional flexibility by allowing you to bet on the game’s scoring, regardless of which team wins. The straightforward format makes this type of betting attractive to beginners. In the Totals column of the table above, you can see two numbers preceded by “O” and “U,” respectively. They show that bettors must predict whether the total number of goals scored will be above or below 6. Payouts vary according to the expected probability of each outcome. These bets can be a suitable option if your research indicates that a game will be particularly offensive or defensive. If an upcoming matchup is expected to be more tactical or defensive, the wiser decision may be to bet on the under. In such games, teams often focus on limiting their opponents’ scoring opportunities rather than prioritizing offense.

In low-scoring sports such as hockey, baseball, and football, the total is often a single-digit number. As a result, bookmakers have fewer options when adjusting the lines. Many prefer to leave the totals threshold unchanged while moving the potential payouts in one direction or the other.

NHL Prop Bets

Proposition bets are among the most entertaining and, at the same time, trickiest forms of wagering, regardless of the sport. In the NHL, they are generally divided into player props, team props, and game props, with various options available in each category. The table below shows a small selection of the proposition betting markets featured by leading online sportsbooks.

The shots betting market is arguably one of the easiest player proposition bets to predict. It involves fewer variables than the goals market, where external factors such as cooperation with teammates and the opposing goalkeeper’s performance can affect the outcome. Shots may still go wide or be blocked, but they are generally more predictable based on a player’s usual shot production. Checking the statistics can help you decide whether to wager on the Over or Under option.

If you are an avid fan of a particular National Hockey League team, team props may be a suitable betting option. This type of bet may appeal to you if you know the team well and believe you can predict how it will perform but are unsure how effectively the opponent will respond. The bet can be successful regardless of whether your favorite team wins because the wager concerns elements such as the number of goals scored by the team during the entire game or one of its periods.

The final category of NHL proposition bets is game props, whose diversity reflects the way hockey games are organized. The three periods, overtime, and shootouts provide the basis for numerous game proposition wagers. Market availability differs among online sportsbooks, so if you plan to place prop bets, check the website’s NHL section in advance. Game props include, but are not limited to, Will There Be Overtime, 1st Period Total Goals, Highest Scoring Period, and Total Odd/Even.

NHL Futures Bets

As their name suggests, these bets are placed well before an event takes place. This type of wager is most often placed on the team that will win the Stanley Cup or on other season-long outcomes. With the right prediction, placing a bet before the start of the season can result in a much larger payout than betting near the end of the season. We have mentioned line shopping before, but it is especially important when placing futures bets. Making accurate predictions is already difficult, but when important details such as players’ physical condition and coaching changes remain unclear, oddsmakers may produce significantly different numbers. The table below provides an example of odds offered on the New York Rangers to win the 2022 Stanley Cup.

As the season progresses, futures odds change as teams demonstrate whether they are likely to qualify for the playoffs. Odds may change almost every week as teams move up and down the standings. If you are confident about the team you want to back, the most reasonable approach is to compare a few trusted online bookmakers and wager through the one offering the most favorable odds. We advise sticking to smaller stakes on markets with noteworthy value. The Stanley Cup winner is not the only option for NHL futures bets. Bookmakers also allow wagers on teams to win their respective conference or division titles, as well as on the Most Valuable Player (Hart Memorial Trophy), Coach of the Year (Jack Adams Award), Regular-Season Points Leader (Art Ross Trophy), Best Goaltender (Vezina Trophy), Rookie of the Year (Calder Memorial Trophy), and other awards.

NHL Parlay Betting

As with any other sport, betting enthusiasts can place NHL parlays containing more than one selection. The odds for all selections in the betslip are multiplied together. A parlay may contain as few as two different bets or as many as the respective online bookmaker accepts. Although betting rules vary slightly among wagering platforms, every selection within the parlay generally needs to win for the bet to be successful. If you place a four-game parlay and only one of your predictions fails, the entire ticket loses.

A selection may occasionally result in a push. In this case, the parlay can still be successful if all the other bets win. The final payout is calculated without the odds of the selection that resulted in a push. Although the payout would be lower, this is still a better outcome than a loss. NHL parlay betting does not necessarily include only one type of bet. Combining different types of NHL wagers in a betslip is the most common way to place a parlay. Combining markets such as the moneyline, puck line, and total allows online bettors to include several predictions in a single parlay ticket.

Conclusion

In the past, sports betting often involved simply predicting the winner of an event. Over time, the field has developed significantly, and bettors can now wager on nearly every imaginable aspect of a sport. In this article from our NHL betting guide, we have outlined the most commonly used hockey bet types so that you can decide which one is most suitable for your current level of knowledge. Puck line bets undoubtedly belong in this category as well. However, we believe they deserve additional attention, so we have dedicated a separate part of the guide to them. Let’s move on.