NHL Puck Line Bets
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Regardless of the sport, no two teams can be perfectly evenly matched. There is always at least a slight difference in the competitors’ skills and current form that oddsmakers need to account for. One way to do this is through the point spread, which serves as a handicap between the opponents. Although this type of betting is available in different sports and follows similar principles, it has specific characteristics and different names in certain disciplines. For example, in baseball, the spread is referred to as the run line, while in ice hockey, it is called the puck line.
The spread indicates the margin by which a team must win or can afford to lose for a bet to be settled as a winner. Online bookmakers adjust expectations so that it is not always enough for the favorite simply to win. In the NHL, puck lines are almost always set at 1.5 because hockey games are often decided by narrow margins. Puck line betting can be advantageous for bettors because it may provide more favorable odds than the moneyline betting market.
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NHL Puck Line Bets Explained
If you plan to start placing NHL puck line bets, you need to be sure that you fully understand the concept of spread betting in relation to hockey. It may sound a little complicated, so let’s first look at an example.
| Winnipeg Jets | Puck Line | New York Rangers |
|---|---|---|
| +1.5 (-142) | -1.5 (+118) |
In the above National Hockey League game, the New York Rangers are considered the favorites with a puck line of -1.5. This means that if you place your wager on that spread and the team wins by 2 or more goals, your bet will be successful. In this case, you will win $118 on a stake of $100. If, however, the favorite wins by only one goal or loses the game, you will lose your stake. Those who decide to back the underdog with real-money bets have more ways to win. Wagers on the Winnipeg Jets will be successful if the Canadian squad wins the game outright or loses to the New York Rangers by only one goal.
Betting on underdogs can be appealing because NHL games are often decided by a one-goal margin. Under overtime rules, the first team to score wins, so games decided in overtime finish with a one-goal difference. Of course, a hockey team can still win by 2 or more goals, but when a close game is expected, backing the underdog at +1.5 may be preferable.
Odds Movement and Alternate Spreads
In brief, online sportsbooks aim to attract a similar amount of betting activity on each side of a game while including a small margin that allows them to make money regardless of the winner. As puck lines are usually fixed, one way to balance the action is to change the odds in an attempt to direct wagers toward one NHL team or the other.
This approach to encouraging or discouraging bets is not universally applied by all bookmakers. Many betting operators prefer to offer alternative spreads, and there are two ways to do this. Some shift the puck line once they notice that most bets are being placed on one of the options. Do not worry if the spread changes after you have confirmed your wager. Once your bet has been accepted, you remain locked into that particular puck line. Other bookmakers include several different puck lines in their selection of betting markets. Logically, the less likely a result is, the more favorable the odds will be. In the table below, you can see a comparison of three separate puck lines and their respective betting odds.
| Spread | Alternate Spread 1 | Alternate Spread 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winnipeg Jets | +1.5 (-142) | +2.5 (-260) | -1.5 (+470) |
| New York Rangers | -1.5 (+118) | -2.5 (+205) | +1.5 (-700) |
For Alternate Spread 1, the principle of bet settlement remains the same, with the only difference being the goal margin you need to consider. If you think the New York Rangers are in superb form and will record a decisive victory, you could bet on the -2.5 puck line. If the Rangers win by 3 or more goals, you will add $205 to your bankroll, compared with $118 for the original spread. The most lucrative payout comes with Alternate Spread 2, which represents the least likely result. For your bet on the Winnipeg Jets to be successful, the New York Rangers must lose by 2 or more goals.
NHL Puck Line Betting Tips
Whether you are betting on sports for fun or trying to improve your approach, the puck line betting tips we have prepared may help you make better-informed decisions instead of relying solely on intuition or luck. If you want to improve your chances of winning, you need to spend some time learning the basics of the National Hockey League as a competition on which to wager. Once you are confident in your knowledge, try putting it into practice by starting with small bets. If you follow the simple tips below, you can gradually become more familiar with NHL betting and puck lines in particular.
- Check the matchup history
Regardless of their current form, certain NHL matchups regularly produce high-scoring games. Other teams place less emphasis on attacking play and rely primarily on strategic play. There is no way to know for sure how an upcoming game will unfold, but reviewing the teams’ most recent meetings can give you an idea of what to expect. It is also helpful to consider their overall performance during the season and determine whether they tend to score frequently or concede too many goals. - Explore teams’ lineups
No trend lasts forever. It is extremely important to keep yourself informed about both teams’ lineups, as they may indicate how the game is likely to unfold. Although a particular NHL team may be considered the favorite, you should think twice before betting on its -1.5 puck line if a key scorer is unavailable. Even the best goalies experience periods of poor form and may make more mistakes than usual. If you have done your research and are aware of such information, it may be reasonable to back the opposing team at -1.5. - Make your own puck line predictions
This may not be a typical betting tip, but we strongly believe it is one of the most useful suggestions we can offer. Choose the NHL game you are interested in and use your own judgment to determine what the puck line should be. Then explore several online sportsbooks and look for lines that are equal to or more favorable than your projection. Driven by impatience, many betting enthusiasts allow bookmakers’ lines to influence their opinions. To avoid that mistake, do not check the spread options offered by your preferred bookmaker before making your own calculation.
Conclusion
Although NHL puck line bets are a relatively simple type of hockey wager, they can be useful for bettors who understand how the market works. This article has laid the foundation for understanding the specifics of puck line betting. Now that you have reviewed all the sections of our guide, you can combine the information provided with your own predictions and begin evaluating the puck lines available at online bookmakers.