NHL Betting Explained

There are many ways in which you can bet on the NHL with a long list of markets available on every game of the season. The main three markets on the NHL and the most popular markets are Money Line, Puck Line, and Goal Totals.

Money Line is the simplest form of NHL betting whereby you're picking which team you think will win.

Puck Line or NHL against the spread, is taking a team at -1.5 or + 1.5 goals, where the odds change rather than the spread like in the NFL or NBA.

Goal Totals is an over/under market on how many combined goals will be scored in the match.

Here at Pickswise we analyze every game of the NHL season and give our expert NHL Picks on which side of these lines we like, and why.

NHL Betting Today

The NHL action comes thick and fast throughout the regular season with each team playing 82 games, totaling 1,271 total regular-season games. Here at Pickswise, we are here to bring expert NHL Predictions and betting analysis for every single game of the NHL season. We address all of the popular NHL betting markets such as the Money line, Puck Line or Against the Spread, Goal totals and select player and team prop bets. Our picks across all these markets are eligible for our NHL Best Bets, but only our most confident predictions make the cut.

NHL Betting Online

Betting on the NHL online is a quick and easy process and due to the popularity of NHL betting, you can get a wide range of markets and competitive odds at any Top Online Sportsbooks. All of the online sports betting sites will have the main three NHL markets in the money line, spread and totals as well a selection of NHL Player Prop Bets and NHL Team Prop Bets which can range from goal scorers, point scorers, to team goals, period winners, or even betting on the correct score. There are so many ways to bet on NHL online and the Pickswise experts are here all season long to provide the best free insight and analysis into every game, including all of the breaking NHL News and analysis to consider.

Types Of NHL Betting

There are countless ways in which you can bet on an NHL game, from the winner of the match to very specific player stats. Check out some of the more popular types of NHL betting markets below.

Money Line Betting

Money Line Betting is the simplest way in which you can bet on an NHL game. A bet on the Money Line is simply a bet on which team will win the match. With no option of a game ending in a tie (overtime and shootouts played) in the NHL, then there are simply two different outcomes in an NHL Money Line market, Team A to win or Team B to win. That also means your bet will either win or lose, with no pushes or ties possible.

Puck Line Betting

NHL Spread betting is known as the Puck Line when dealing with NHL-specific betting markets. It is most similar to the MLB run line, where the favorite will be given typically a - 1.5 puck line and the underdog a +1.5 puck line, with the odds, rather than the lines changing as they do in the NFL or NBA. Here you are betting on either the favorite to win by 2 or more goals, or for the underdog to win, or to lose by 1 goal. The Puck lines can change from game to game, with some being +/- 0.5 goals and others +/- 2.5 goals, depending on how favored one team is over the other. The puck line will always have a .5 on the end to stop there from being a tie or a push. One side will always cover and the other will lose.

Over/Under Betting - Totals Betting

NHL Over/Under betting, colloquially known as the NHL Totals markets, is a bet on the total number of goals scored, combining the two teams’ goal tallies, in a given game. The line will be set by the sportsbooks and will typically range anywhere from Over/Under 4.5 goals right up to over under 8.5 goals. Of course, there are cases where the line can fall out of these parameters, as each game and the expected number of goals will be different. If you bet the overs on a 5.5 goal line, you need there to be 6 total goals scored to win, if you bet the under on the same line, 5 or fewer goals in the match will see you cash your ticket. The NHL Over/Under market is a great way to bet on a game if you don’t like either side of the spread or money line, or if you see a high/low-scoring game on the cards.

Player Prop Bets

Player Prop Bets are a type of bet in which you are betting on the proposition of an occurrence or non-occurrence of a specific player-based stat or performance. As with most sports, points and goals largely shape a player's performance so you can bet on either of these in the NHL, as well as things like assists, shots, or even saves from a goaltender. There are countless ways to get involved in an NHL game with Player Prop Bets. Check out some of our favorites from tonight's games on our NHL Prop Bets page.

Team Prop Bets

Much like NHL Player Prop Bets, NHL Team Prop Bets are a type of bet in which you are betting on the proposition of an occurrence or non-occurrence of a specific event. With NHL team prop bets you are betting on one team or another, rather than the performance of both teams, such as the spread, points total or money line. One perfect example of this would be the Team Goals Total markets, here you're betting on an over-under points total for one team. This added flexibility allows you to bet on one team if you like them, but are unsure on the spread, or unsure if the opposition team will score enough points to take the over. Other examples could be the Team To Score First or a team to Win The First Period.

NHL Parlays

All of the above NHL betting markets can also be combined into a single wager, known as an NHL parlay, giving bettors the chance to boost their potential payout by linking several picks together. Instead of placing individual bets on multiple games or markets, a parlay allows you to group moneyline, puck line, totals and prop bets. How many you group into your parlay is up to you, but keep in mind all legs need to win for the ticket to cash. This means parlays increase the risk, but also the odds, and therefore the potential rewards. Parlays a popular choice for NHL fans looking to maximize value on a single bet slip

Live Betting

NHL games are fast-paced and exciting with the possibility of a goal or a penalty at any second, the game can flip on its head in an instant. With that in mind, NHL Live Betting is an exciting proposition. NHL Live betting is a bet on a game once it has started. With odds and lines updating in real-time whilst the action unfolds on the ice, you can bet on the game right up until the dying seconds. While you won't see as extensive a range of markets as you would pregame, all of the top markets such as money line, spreads, totals, and a selection of prop bets will be available.

Futures Betting

NHL Futures Betting, as the name would suggest is a bet on a future NHL outcome such as the Stanley Cup Championship, To Win A Division, To Win A Conference, or select NHL Player Futures such as the Hart Memorial Trophy winner awarded to the MVP of the league. You can usually bet on these markets well ahead of time, from before the season begins, right through until the end of the season, or the end of the regular season for specific markets.