How To Wager On NHL Hockey Games

Betting on hockey can definitely be fun and exciting. The fact that there are 82 games during the regular season, plus the playoffs, certainly provides plenty of chances for hockey fans and bettors alike to get in on the action. Here on this page, we give you the rundown of everything NHL betting.

Find out the different betting types that are available for the NHL, and find out how to wager on NHL games using your computer and the Internet. For starters, the betting sites listed on this page are amongst the elite and with them you will already be a leg up when it comes to all the things that hockey bettors need in an online betting site.

NHL Wagering Tips & Advice

Below we have listed some tips to consider when it comes to betting on the NHL. Check these out and use them in your betting choices, hopefully culminating in a bunch of wins during the year!

Understand the home-team bias in professional hockey

Year in and year out, oddsmakers favor the home team to the point that you can gain an advantage by betting against line favorites. Look at your book's lines for hockey--you're not likely to find more than one or two road favorites even on the busiest days of the season. The guys setting the NHL lines give way too much advantage to the team on home ice. Smart NHL bettors look for road teams that, by all available stats and performance ratings, really should win. The definition of value in sports betting is any game where your return potential outweighs your risk. NHL road team bets offer some of the best value wagers in all of professional sports, by virtue of a strange tendency for books to favor the home team.

Know when to bet the puck line

Sports bettors unfamiliar with hockey tend to shy away from puck line wagers, but there's no reason to avoid puck line bets if you know when and where to wager on them. The situation in the NHL that provides the most favorable puck line bet is when a game features a major favorite AND you can't find much value in the longshot underdog. If you bet the puck line on the clear favorite, meaning a team that should win by two or more goals, you can bet the favorite at a much reduced price compared to a straight-up bet.

If you're going to bet on NHL totals, consider The Grand Salami

The Grand Salami is a sports bet only available in the NHL. Knowing when and how to bet on The Grand Salami can give you a significant edge. The Grand Salami is a single bet on the over/unders for every game on a given day of the NHL schedule. Generally, every game in The Grand Salami will have an over/under five or six goals. That means you need to pay attention to team schedules before placing this NHL-specific wager. Teams on a back-to-back run are going to be more tired than well-rested teams, which has a bigger impact on their defensive skills than their ability to score. Understanding a team's schedule is a big part of placing smart Salami wagers.

MORE: Sports Betting Laws

Different Ways To Wager On NHL Games

There are several different types of betting odds when it comes to the NHL when breaking it down. However, there are two main categories. Those two categories are straight bets, and parlays. Right below we give a brief rundown of the two types of lines, as well as what bets are offered within those lines, particularly in straight wagers.

  • Straight Bets - These are your basic game lines, including goal lines, money lines, and goal totals.
  • Parlay - A parlay wager on the NHL links two or more bets together, with all bets needing to be a winner for the parlay to win
  • Goal Lines - The goal line in NHL betting establishes a favorite and an underdog, with the line set at 1.5 goals.
  • Moneylines - The money line is a wager made on a game picking the straight up winner with no spread
  • Goal Totals - A wager made on the total goals scored in a game between both teams
  • Props - Team and Player props are formed for every match up, and are a variety of bets formed outside of the game lines.
Best Sportsbooks for Betting On NHL

Online Sportsbooks form a ton of betting lines for the NHL. But when looking to bet no the NHL, it is important to visit the best and most trusted online sportsbooks for legal online sports betting around. Fortunately for you, we have played and reviewed just about all of them. Below, we have two of the top online sportsbooks for NHL betting.

Bovada - Bet On The Pre-Season Through The Stanley Cup Finals

Bovada Legal Online Sports BettingBovada Sportsbook offers some of the most comprehensive NHL betting odds of any online sportsbook in the industry. Every game during the season is covered, on through to the Stanley Cup Finals. Bovada offers players 50% up to $250 on the deposit, and other bonuses during the year. And when it comes to making a deposit, Bovada is very accommodating by offering a lot of options for their players. Betting on the NHL doesn't get any better than at Bovada.

Bovada Deposit Bonus: 50% Up To $250 On First Deposit - Claim It!!!

BetOnline - Great Bonuses & Bet Types For Hockey Wagers

BetOnline Legal Online Sports BettingIt doesn't get any better for online sports betting than at BetOnline. And they have all the NHL betting lines available. Check out NHL game lines, props, and futures at BetOnline. Also take advantage of their 25% bonus up to $900 on sportsbook deposits made at BetOnline. And for depositing and cashing out, Betonline gives plenty of options to their players. BetOnline is safe, easy, and reliable, and will suffice all of your NHL betting needs.

BetOnline Deposit Bonus: 25% Bonus To $900 For LIfe - Claim It!!!

Legal Sports Betting Sites Sportsbook Bonuses Available During Hockey Season Visit Online Sportsbook
Bovada Legal Online Sports Betting
Bovada 50% Match Bonus Good To $250 Free Visit Bovada Sportsbook
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BetOnline 50% Bonus up to $1,000! Visit BetOnline Sportsbook
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BetDSI 100% up to $500 Visit BetDSI Sportsbook
5Dimes Legal Online Sports Betting
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More Help With Wagering On NHL

The NHL season plays a ton of games, with a bunch of betting lines formed. And it's not just game lines, it's also prop odds and futures wagers on online sportsbooks as well. But for the latest NHL matchups on the schedule, our interface further down below on this page has you covered. Get the current games and betting odds for the NHL season, as well as receive matchup analysis.