Hockey Betting

Betting on hockey can be a great way to add excitement to an already exciting game. The most common pro hockey betting is on the National Hockey League (NHL). There are a variety of different bets that can be made; these are discussed in this course.

Best Hockey Bets

One of the most common hockey bets is the puck line wager. An example of this wager would be Philadelphia -1 1/2 -125 at Toronto +1 1/2 +135. In this case Philadelphia is the favorite, always denoted by a negative (-) number. A bet on Philadelphia would win if Philadelphia wins by at least two goals. A bet of $135 on Philadelphia would win $100. A bet of $100 on Toronto would win $125 if Toronto wins or loses by less than 2 goals.

Another popular hockey betting option is the straight bet or money line wager. The money line is similar to the puck line except without the point spread. An example of a hockey money line would be New Jersey -160 at Dallas +130. The bet will win depending on which team wins the game regardless of the score. A tie will result in a push and a return of the original wager. If New Jersey wins, a bet of $160 will win $100. If Dallas wins, a bet of $100 on Dallas would win $130.

When betting on hockey you can also bet on totals, or over/under bets. A total bet is a wager on the total number of combined goals during a hockey game. An example of a total bet would be Los Angeles at Chicago 4 1/2. The over bet would win if the combined goals of both teams equaled 5 or more, such as Los Angeles 3 – Chicago 2. The under bet would win if the combined score is 4 or less. Overtime goals count towards the combined total.

You can also bet on future hockey events such as league and division championships. Not surprisingly these are called futures wagers. The odd for this are usually expressed in simple 5 to 1 or 11 to 5 type odds.

Other hockey bets that can be made are parlays, match-ups, and propositions. A parlay is a combination of multiple bets on different games. Each individual bet must win to win the parlay. The payoffs for parlays are higher than single bets. Match-up bets are wagers on the performance of two competing players in a game. Proposition bets basically cover every other type of bet available.

The best way to win when betting on hockey is to stay informed. Keep up on player and team performance and look for skewed odds. Remember to bet according to an informed decision instead of simply picking the favored team or your personal favorite. Spread your bets around and don’t expect to win more than 60% of your bets.