Hockey Betting Sites
When it comes to betting on major sports and sporting events, Hockey gets considerably less attention than their more popular counterparts such as Football or Basketball. Even Baseball has a bigger following among the average gambler out there. You can liken it to taking some random “alternative” band and trying to put them up against, say, the Rolling Stones.
Many people like hockey. Heck, talk to a hockey fan and they’ll tell you all about how much they love hockey, but this doesn’t change the fact that it’s out of the spotlight. And hey! This could actually be very good for you and we will get to why that is in just a moment.
How do you know someone is a hockey fan? Just wait a couple of minutes, they’ll tell you!
If you’re an NHL fan and you want to use your hockey knowledge to make some money betting on the games, this page will get you started.
If you’re already an experienced sports bettor and want to dip your toes into hockey betting, you will find just about everything you need below. I will describe how to bet on hockey along with the types of wagers you can place at the Top Hockey Betting Sites. I will also give you a few tips to help you get the most out of your experience.
The Top 3 Sites For Betting On Hockey
BetOnline
5 words when it comes to BetOnline.
Reduced Juice On The NHL.
It’s some simple math here. Over at BetOnline you can get Reduced Juice on NHL games ensuring that you are going to win and save more money on your hockey action than you will anywhere else!
“What exactly is Reduced Juice” you may be asking. It’s when the odds get changed a little bit and work out in your favor!
Here’s an example from a Tampa Bay at St. Louis game.
Odds from another site:
- Lightning -110
- Blues -110
- Over 5.5 (-110)
- Under 5.5 (-110)
And the same game over at BetOnline:
- Lightning -106
- Blues -106
- Over 5.5 (-108)
- Under 5.5 (-108)
No matter which side you are on, you will most likely get a better prize over at BetOnline for your NHL wagers.
If you don’t know what those numbers mean yet, that’s okay! Just keep on scrolling down!
And then there is also the What The Puck? promotion where if one NHL team covers the Over all by themselves, your Under bet will be refunded up to $50.
Don’t forget that if you decide to check out BetOnline, you can always get a 25% Reload on your account with the code LIFEBONUS!
If you would like to see all of the bonuses that BetOnline is throwing around right now, take a look here.
Make sure that when you are checking out BetOnline that you take a look at their hockey specific promotions, such as What The Puck?!
SportsBetting
Going along with solid, reliable sites that have some hockey specific action, it’s SportsBetting!
If you want to place some bets on hockey, you are really going to want to pay attention to this special promotion that you’ll only find there, the “Shoot Out, Shoot Ouch” Promotion!
When you take advantage of this, you can place your NHL bets to your heart’s content. If a goalie that is really on his game shuts out your team in a shootout and ends up shutting down your NHL bet, you will earn a refund on your wager!
It’s not every day that you will essentially get your money back when facing a loss!
This is good to get up to $100 per bet refunded and you are able to take advantage of this just as many times as you would like. There are no limits as to how many times you can do this!
Not only that, you remember that Reduced Juice option that was listed just above for BetOnline? It’s also available at SportsBetting!
And lastly, as far as the promotions go that I am going to list here, you can also get a 25% Reload on all of your deposits for life with the code LIFEBONUS!
To see all of the promotions that SportsBetting currently offers, click on this link here.
It’s sure not very often that you’ll get your money back for a losing wager, but you can over at SportsBetting!
Bovada
It’s not a secret that Bovada is usually my number one choice for my personal gambling needs. They didn’t make number one this time because while the previous 2 books have some hockey specific promotions, you won’t find any at Bovada.
What you will find, however, is one of the most honest and transparent sportsbooks around! There is fantastic customer service for those that end up needing it, and the US players are welcome, (for the most part – there are exactly 5 states that are excluded) and their credit card acceptance rate is well above average.
While you’re there, you will definitely want to take a look at the $250 Welcome Bonus which is actually $750 if you happen to use crypto. This may not be the biggest bonus in the history of online sportsbooks, but it comes with some of the most relaxed rules and terms ensuring that you are able to actually clear said bonus!
While it’s not highlighted, you will find some fantastic hockey action over at Bovada! It’s right there on the main page when you arrive, at the top and almost all the way to the right!
Betting Site Offers For NHL Hockey
Why You’ve Got Incredible Opportunities Betting On Hockey
The indifference that most bettors will show toward the NHL betting sites is going to present some unique opportunities for you! Sometimes you’re going to see the “gaps” in the odds of the games you’re checking out!
Here’s why. The oddsmakers are going to try to divide the action as evenly as they can between both sides of a game. They will do so by establishing a line that appeals to as many people as possible. Splitting things up evenly will ensure that the sportsbook is still going to earn a profit on the juice.
When there is a ton of action on an upcoming event, say, the Super Bowl, this can be accomplished rather quickly. Thousands of bets are going to come in and help the oddsmakers set their lines quickly with minor adjustments to keep things balanced.
But, when the action is sparse, like it is with most hockey games, that process is going to take more time. The bets are coming in, but at a trickly. The sportsbooks can make the adjustments they need to, but it is going to happen more slowly. If you are doing your research and get in early enough, mainly when the odds are still skewed, your chances of winning are going to increase.
With that said, I am in no way suggesting that betting on hockey games is going to deliver a profit. If that were the case, everyone would do it and we would all be millionaires.
There is still risk involved and the point is that you will see more opportunities with NHL betting that are less common than with football or basketball wagers.
The Basics Of Betting On Hockey
Most of the hockey wagers placed in the US are placed on NHL games. Once in a while you will see European matches listed at the top sportsbooks, but because there just aren’t that many US players that are familiar with the teams and the players in those leagues the matches receive very little action. Few US friendly sportsbooks will even offer them.
The Moneyline
Betting on NHL is based on the moneyline. This serves the same purpose as a point spread: the lines try to make both sides of a wager attractive. The difference between a moneyline and a point spread is that the former is only interested in the winner of a game.
The idea behind a moneyline is that each hockey game has a favorite and an underdog. Since most people are going to just bet on the favorite, (with all other variables remaining the same) the sportsbook will try to entice bettors to put action on the other side. This is why bettors are required to put more money at risk when wagering on the favorite than when wagering on the underdog.
Here’s an example of how lines may appear:
- Anaheim Ducks +140
- Los Angeles Kings -150
In this (hypothetical) match between the Ducks and the Kings, the Kings are the favored team. This is indicated by the minus sign beside their name. The plus sign by the Ducks tells us that they are the underdog.
If you wanted to bet on the favorite in this situation, you would need to risk $15 for the chance to win $10. However, if you were looking to back the underdog, you would only need to risk $10 to win $14.
This is a key element in understanding how to bet. The lines may be confusing at first but after placing a few bets this all becomes second nature!
Types Of Wagers Offered
- Straight Moneyline
The most common type of wager you are going to find with hockey is the Straight Moneyline Bet. I covered how the moneyline works right above this. You are basically betting on the team that you think will win. In the example match putting the Ducks against the Kings…
- Anaheim Ducks +140
- Los Angeles Kings -150
one of the key points is to remember that the favorite pays out less than the underdog.
- Puck Line
Another type of wager is the Puck Line Bet. This type of bet is less common, but it is still a good idea to understand how they work.
Puck Line NHL betting is similar to run line betting in the MLB. You give a 1 ½ point spread to the favored team.
Let’s use an example, here. Let’s say you are betting on a game between the Detroit Red Wings and the Nashville Predators. The puck line may look like the following:
- Red Wings +1.5 (-220)
- Predators -1.5 (+210)
If you were to place a bet on the Red Wings you would win your bet if the team won or lost by a single goal. You would need to put up $22 to win $10.
If you were to bet on the Predators, the team would need to win by at least 2 goals. Here, you would win $21 for every $10 you wagered.
I admit it, this can be confusing. That’s a big part of the reason straight moneyline wagers are far more popular at betting sites.
- Totals Bets
You can also place Totals Bets which are also known as Over/Under Bets. These are much simpler than puck line bets. Here, you are betting on the total number of goals scored during a match. The oddsmaker will choose a number, such as 4.5. To place an Over/Under bet, you would predict whether both teams will score a combined number of goals above or below that 4.5.
Here’s an example of a totals bet:
- Oilers versus Wild o4.5 (-140)
- Oilers versus Wild u4.5 (+130)
You can place a bet that the Oilers and the Wild will either score a combined total of 5 or more goals, or score fewer than 5 goals. The odds will work in the same manner as a typical moneyline bet. For 5 goals or more, you would need to wager $14 to win $10. For fewer than 5 goals, you would wager $10 to win $13.
- Grand Salami
If you enjoy placing Over/Under wagers, you may want to consider betting on the Grand Salami. A Grand Salami is unique to hockey betting.
It is a wager on the total number of goals scored during all of the matches on a given day.
- Proposition Bets
As with most major sporting events, you can also place Proposition Bets. These are wagers on events that have nothing to do with the outcome of the game in question.
For example, you could bet on whether the Oilers will have a higher score than the Wild at the end of the second period. Or, you can wager that the Wild will be the first team to score.
These types of bets will vary greatly by sportsbook.
And speaking of “tips”, here’s Parayko picking up some pointers from someone that played Pee wee hockey!
3 Quick Tips To Use At Hockey Betting Sites
- First off, don’t bet blind
You are going to have to do some research and do your homework to learn about the team you are betting on. Find out how they have done in the past in specific venues, how they have matched up against other teams. Find out if certain players are hurt or on the bench. Are any players dealing with personal issues that might affect their individual performance? Things like that.
Your hockey betting is like any other betting – The more you know, the more informed your wagers will be!
- Pay special attention to the goalies
If you are even a casual NHL fan, you already know how important the goalies are to the outcome of any game. Their performances alone can mean the difference between winning and losing.
You are going to want to learn as much as you can about the goalies specifically in the game you want to bet on.
- Shop the lines
I cannot stress this enough.
You are going to want to get used to shopping the lines between 2 or 3 sportsbooks. The lines set by bookmakers and used by the sportsbooks tend to vary. You want to make sure that you find the best lines possible before committing to a bet.
Conclusion
If you are just getting started out with NHL betting, I recommend registering an account at each of the sportsbooks listed on this page.
Naturally, you want to learn about the sport, and learn all you can about it, but you also do not want to wait too long before getting some practical betting experience.
After you have placed a few wagers, you just might find that you enjoy it more than betting on football, basketball, baseball, or any of those other usual money-makers!
