How Does Hockey Betting Work?

Hockey betting is a great way to win money if you are familiar with the game. With 1,312 games each regular season, there are plenty of opportunities to place bets.

A few common types of hockey bets include moneyline, puck line, totals, and parlays.

Moneyline

Betting on the moneyline is the most common type of betting in hockey. When betting on the moneyline, players pick who they think will win the game. For this type of bet, the team favored to win is usually listed with a negative amount (ex. -120), and the underdog is listed with a positive amount (ex. +110). In this case, if someone bets $100 on the underdog and is correct, they would earn a profit of $110. However, they would need to bet $120 on the favored team to earn a profit of $100. People strategically pick and choose games to bet on the underdog in hopes of earning a higher payout.

Puck Line

A puck line bet is made based on how many goals a team is expected to win or lose by. In the NHL, puck line bets are usually made on a standard of plus or minus 1.5 goals. The favored team is given a -1.5 goal disadvantage, while the underdog is given a +1.5 goal advantage. This means that when you bet on the favored team, they must win by two or more goals to win the bet. If you bet on the underdog, they must lose by no more than one goal or win the game outright to win the bet. For example, if you bet on the underdog team and the puck line was +1.5 (-230), if they lost by one goal or even won the game, a $230 bet would earn a profit of $100.

Totals

A total bet is made based on the predicted total number of goals scored in a game. These bets are placed either over or under a certain number of total goals. For example, the total could be 4.5 goals with an under of -130 and an over of +110. In this scenario, if a $130 bet was placed on the under (4 goals or less) and was correct, the bet would earn a $100 profit. On the other hand, if a $100 bet was placed on the over (5 goals or more) and was correct, the bet would earn a $110 profit.

Parlays

A parlay is a bet that requires several correct outcomes to occur in order to win. Parlays essentially combine multiple bets into one. Each selection, or individual bet, within a parlay is known as a leg. In order to win a parlay, you must win every leg. For example, a parlay bet on two moneylines may be made on two different teams playing the same night. If both teams win their respective games, the parlay bet hits and earns money. However, if only one of the two teams wins, the bet is lost and no money is won. Parlay bets are riskier than many other types of bets but since they have lower odds of success, they generally provide higher payout amounts. The more legs in your parlay, the higher the payout will be.

Futures

Futures are bets placed on something that will happen in the future, such as winning a championship or an award. Futures bets can be placed on players or teams. Player futures bets usually involve winning an award (MVP, best defenseman, etc.) at the season’s end, while team futures usually pertain to winning a championship or division. For example, a bettor can place a bet on the New York Rangers to win the Stanley Cup or Alex Ovechkin to win the Hart Trophy for league MVP.

Prop Betting

Prop betting, short for proposition betting, involves betting on an outcome that doesn’t relate to the final result of a game, for example, a player’s individual stats. In hockey, popular prop bets include the number of goals scored by a specific player, predicting the exact score of the game, or whether or not there will be overtime. Prop bets can also be combined into parlays on most sportsbooks.

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