The National Hockey League doesn’t always get a ton of attention when it comes to the sports betting industry, but that shouldn’t be the case. Even though you won’t be looking at a point spread when betting on the NHL, there are still some terrific options available.
NHL betting is a bit different than some other sports, but that doesn’t mean that the options are any worse. Betting on this sport really starts to heat up when it’s time for the playoffs, but there are enough good options throughout the regular season as well.
Moneyline
A moneyline bet isn’t always popular with every sport, but it might be the best option when it comes to the NHL. This type of bet is simply picking the winner of an NHL game, and that’s about as difficult as you want to make betting on the league.
There usually isn’t a ton of scoring when it comes to the NHL, and it’s tough to predict if a team will win by at least two goals.
Puck Line
You won’t be betting against the spread when it comes to the NHL, but puck line betting is another option. As discussed above, it’s hard enough to pick winners in the NHL, and it’s even harder to predict that a team can cover a specific spread.
The puck line for NHL games is almost always set at -1.5, but there could be instances in which it is 2.5.
Totals
Totals is a type of bet that might be more popular in other sports, but it’s still a really good option when it comes to the NHL as well. The total number of goals in the NHL is still relatively low for most games, but it’s a good option.
This type of bet is also called an “over/under” and the lines for this bet are usually set at 5.5 or 6.5 goals. A totals bet can actually be parlayed with other bets as well, or betting the totals on each period is an option.
Player Props
Prop betting is of course big when it comes to the biggest NHL events of the season, but this is also an option during the regular season as well. When it comes to the NHL, player prop betting is where you will find the most options, and the most value.
Some of the most popular player prop bets to make when it comes to the NHL is the number of shots on goal for a player, or the number of player points. When betting on player props, looking for value in the betting odds is more important than looking for locks.
Parlays
Betting on each game of the NHL season can provide a solid payout, but you can increase your chance for a big payout by putting together a big parlay. When you go to put together an NHL parlay, you can use all of the betting options that are listed above.
The best way to attack parlay betting for the NHL is to look at moneyline options for each game, but you can get a bigger payout by adding totals or parlays into the bet.
Futures
The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs are extremely popular to wager on, and they are incredibly exciting to watch. Betting on every Stanley Cup Playoff game is obviously an option, but you can also place a futures bet before the action begins.
The most popular futures bet to make when it comes to the NHL is a bet on which team will win the Stanley Cup. You can also bet on the champion of each conference, or wager on the individual awards that will be handed out at the end of the year.
Live Betting
Live betting has become an extremely popular way to bet on any sport, but the NHL actually provides a really good opportunity here. Because there are long breaks at the end of each period, that time is a great time to get the live bets in.
Live betting odds for the NHL also don’t change quite as often as some other sports, and that could give you some time to do research. Obviously, the odds and lines will change with each goal, but that doesn’t always happen often.