If you are a veteran when it comes to betting on the NHL then you can use the information outlined here to sharpen your skills. And if you are new to this way of enjoying this sport, then you’re about to enter a whole new world!
Money Line Wagers
Here you’ll just be tasked with choosing the winning team. The odds assigned to each one will tell you how much of a payout you can expect and bets on the underdog will provide a larger return than stakes on the favourite.
In a game between the Boston Bruins at +150 and the Montreal Canadiens at -170, for example, the successful wager on the Canadiens will pay out significantly less than the same bet on the Bruins. You’d need to stake 170 on the Canadiens to win 100, but that same wager on the Bruin would net you a 250 payout if they managed the upset!
Futures Bets
This group of stakes includes any wagers where the outcome is only determined over a long period. Examples include Which Team Will Finish the Season With the Most Points, Which Team Will Win a Specific Playoff Series, and Who Will Win the Stanley Cup.
Over/Under Stakes
These wagers do not factor in the specific outcome of a game but rather take the total amount of goals scored by both teams into account.
Oddsmakers set an amount and you’ll then bet on whether you think the actual number will be Over or Under this total. For example, if the Over/Under is set at 6.5 goals for a game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Philadelphia Flyers, an Over will payout if both teams manage to score 7 or more goals. An Under will see you collecting a return if 6 or fewer goals is the final tally.
Sometimes the Over/Under number will be a whole numeral, like 5 or 6. In these cases, Over/Under stakes will push if that’s the final tally and your money will be returned.
Props Wagers
Prop bets are those which are not directly affected by a game’s outcome, and this group of stakes is steadily becoming more popular with bettors interested in match details. Typical options here include Which Team Will Score First, Who Will Win the First Period, Which Team Will Register More Penalties, Which Player Will Score Next, and Will a Player Register an Assist. The sky’s the limit in this category, with sportsbooks bringing every NHL statistical category you can think of into play.
Puck Line Bets
Puck line staking is very similar to Run Line wagering in Major League Baseball Games or Spread betting in National Football League matches. The favourite needs to win by a set number of goals to for a stake to pay out and the underdog must either win or lose by a specific number of goals for wagers on them to see a return. NHL Puck Lines are almost always 1.5. So the favourite needs to win by at least 2 and the underdog must win or lose by 1.