NHL Betting – Top sites and Expert Guide
We’ve tried and tested all the legal NHL sportsbooks so we can recommend the very best ones to you. Our team are hockey fans that love to make a bet, so we know what you’re looking for. This guide will also explain the different types of NHL bets and important advice. So, what are you waiting for? If you’re ready to face off and start betting on the NHL, choose from one of our recommended sites below.
Best Sites to bet on the NHL
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MORE ABOUT SPORTS BETTINGHow to Bet on the NHL
To get started, choose your favorite NHL sportsbook from our recommended list above. We think they are all great but ultimately, it’s about your personal preference.
Once you’ve chosen, create an account and make a deposit. Be sure to enter a promo code if you need to and claim your welcome bonus.
Most sportsbooks will have an A-Z list of all the different sports and events that they offer bets for, this is usually found on the left-hand side of the page. Find Ice Hockey or NHL in the list.
Select the game or market you’re interested in and now you’re ready to get on with the action. Click the bet you want, and it’ll appear in a bet slip, usually on the right-hand side of your screen. Here you can check the odds, add your stake (the amount you want to bet) and check potential winnings.
If you want to go ahead with the bet, click to confirm. And that’s it. Welcome to the world of NHL betting!
Popular NHL Betting Options
The NHL is a fast-paced game with lots for fans to take in. Betting on the NHL is no different and there is a wide range of bets you can place.
We’ve broken down some of the most popular ones below, so you know exactly what they mean.
Moneyline
This is the most common NHL bet and you’ll see it at every online sportsbook. When you select an NHL game at a betting site, you’ll automatically be taken to the moneyline.
A moneyline bet is a simple wager on which team will win the game. The respective teams are priced in one of two ways. Favorites have a (-) sign next to a number, while underdogs have a (+) sign next to a number. E.g. Los Angeles -120 v Carolina +225.
With favorites, the number relates to how much you need to bet in order to win $100. A price of -175 means that you need to bet $120to win $100. If your bet loses you lose your $120 stake. Should it win you will receive $100 in winnings, plus your original $120 stake.
For underdogs, the number shows you how much you can win if you bet $100. A price of +225 means that you can win $225 from a $100 bet. If your bet loses you lose $100. Should it win you get back your $100 and also win $225.
Puckline
Puckline betting adds a point spread to an NHL game. Typically, that spread is 1.5 goals, with favorites marked as -1.5 or the underdog given +1.5.
This means that the favorite must win by two goals or more to overcome their -1.5 handicap. The underdog can lose by one goal and still be the winner of the bet.
Puckline betting can radically alter the odds from what is found on the moneyline. If there is a big favorite on the moneyline, they can be unattractive to bet on. The addition of a handicap boosts their price and poses a different question. Can they win by the required amount?
Over/under
Over/under bets in the NHL require you to predict the number of goals that will be scored in a game.
The total includes goals from both teams. If New York Rangers beat Boston Bruins by a score of 3-2, a total of five goals has been scored. If you backed over 4.5 goals in that match between the Rangers and Bruins, your bet will have won. A bet of under 5.5 goals would also be a winner, but over 5.5 goals would not.
There will be a number of different over/under options available, with different odds available for the range of possible total goals.
Prop
Prop bets refer to a proposition that you can bet on. These can refer to matches between teams, or the exploits of individual players.
Popular prop bets in matches include such side-propositions as – ‘Which team will win the first face-off?’ or ‘Which team will score the first goal?’
For individual players, you can have prop bets on subjects such as ‘Which goalkeeper will have the better save percentage this season?’ or ‘Which player will score the most goals?’
Futures
A futures bet allows you to make predictions on the NHL that are months, years or seasons away.
So, you can bet on which team will win the Stanley Cup, or on who will be the winner of the Hart Trophy that is awarded to the NHL’s MVP.
Futures bets are a great way to add some long-term interest to the NHL season.
Expert NHL Betting Tips
One word that you’ll keep seeing if you research NHL betting online is ‘value’. This refers to finding a value bet, which is when the odds are bigger than they really should be.
Experienced bettors may have a gut instinct for when a value bet is available, but for novices, it’s best to look for something tangible. Statistics can help you find clear evidence. There are lots of sites out there that provide hockey statistics and you can use them to prove or disprove NHL betting trends.
For example, if an NHL side is losing a lot of games, but not by much, they might be worth considering for a puckline bet. They lost their last 5 games so they’re not the favorites for the next one, but if you dig a little deeper and look at the stats, they only lost 1 of those games by more than 1 goal. This would be a great time to check the puckline market, and if you think they are good value, take the bet.
It’s not all about winning though. There will be losses and it’s important not to chase them. Chasing bets is when you place additional bets to try and win back the money you lost. This is a risky strategy and one that should be avoided
Think of the money in your sportsbook account as if it were money in a bank. You wouldn’t clear out your entire bank account on one transaction and leave yourself with nothing to spend. Apply the same sense when betting and limit bets to a small percentage – between 2% and 5% – of the total in your NHL sportsbook account.
This way you can bet for longer, be smart and keep things fun.
Is NHL Betting Legal?
Online gambling is a relatively new concept in the US, compared to European nations where betting sites have been around since the birth of the internet.
There is now legal online gambling in a number of states though. To check the current legal status of online gambling in your state, check out our interactive map for the latest updates.
Many other states are in the process of legalizing online gambling in the near future. The popularity and success of legal sportsbooks in the USA will surely convince more and more states to follow suit.
As long as you’re in one of the legal states, you can bet on the NHL safely and know you’re not breaking the law.
How We Found Our Top NHL Sportsbooks
You may be wondering as to how we selected our top NHL sportsbooks. We applied certain criteria when making the selections that our ice hockey betting experts consider to be the most important factors when ranking betting sites.
Here are our thoughts on what makes a great NHL sportsbook stand out from an ordinary one.
Great Odds
Betting Sites with good odds across the board and all bet types.
Security
Safety and security is paramount for an online sportsbook site you trust with your funds.
Promotions
Promotions such as free bets are the best way to explore a new betting site.
Consistently Good Odds
The value of this is obvious. With good NHL betting odds, you have the chance to win more money. The sites we selected are the best ones across the board and across all types of bets.
You may find specific bets with better prices on a puckline or futures bet at another site, but if you choose from our list you don’t have to shop around because the odds are always consistent.
Choosing an NHL sportsbook that has the best odds across a season or number of years is what really makes a difference to your bank balance. Not individual games.
Excellent Security
When you open an NHL sportsbook account, you are trusting them with delicate and important information. To keep these safe, leading US betting sites use multiple firewalls and encryptions.
We only recommend sites that we use ourselves and so rest assured, all your details and funds will be secure.
Quick Payouts
There are two things that need to happen in order to receive a quick payout. The first is that the bet is settled swiftly. That means that when the event is over, the sportsbook quickly determines whether your bet has been successful and pays any winnings back to your betting account.
The second stage is withdrawing money from your sportsbook account to your own bank or PayPal account. You want this to be an easy process, with your money quickly and safely returning back to you. All our recommended NHS sportsbooks guarantee to settle your bets quickly.
NHL Promotions and Free Bets
Sportsbooks use promotions and bonuses to lure in new users. The most common offer is a free bet. When you open an account, the sportsbook site will give you a small free bet for $10 or $20 that you can place on any event.
Risk-free bets give you the chance to win big. Sportsbooks will cover your bet up to large amounts such as $500. If it loses you get your stake back and if it wins, you have got off to a great start with your new sportsbook.
This is another major factor we considered when compiling our list of NHL sportsbooks as starting off with one of these offers is a great way to enjoy a new betting site.
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FAQs
How do you bet on NHL hockey?
To bet on an NHL game, just pick the team you think will win. Teams with odds that show a (-) figure are favourites and show a figure that reflects how much you need to bet to win $100. Underdogs have a (+) sign next to the figure, which shows how much you can win when you bet $100.
Where can I place a bet on NHL?
You can place an NHL bet at an online sportsbook – check out our list for recommendations. You can make moneyline, puckline, over/unders, prop and futures bets.
How do odds work?
For a regular moneyline bet on NHL there are two ways that you will see odds displayed. Favourites have a (-) sign followed by a figure, such as -125. This means that you have to bet $125 to win $100. Underdogs have a (+) sign followed by a figure, such as +150. This means that when you bet $100 you can win $150.
What is a 3-way bet in hockey?
A three way bet in hockey does not take account of overtime or shootouts, instead just concentrating on the result in the regular 60 minutes of play. This means that there are three possible outcomes, with the two teams able to win and the tie also being a possibility.
What is a puckline?
A puckline is a spread that is applied to a NHL game to make the betting more even. Generally, one team will be given a handicap of -1.5, or their opponents are given +1.5. That means that the teams with a -1.5 handicap will have to win by two clear goals to win the bet, while the team with +1.5 can lose by one goal and still produce a winning bet.
Tyler Peterson
Tyler graduated from the University of Texas (go Long Horns!) with a master’s in journalism. An avid sports fan from a young age, Tyler has combined his two favorite passions writing and games to bring you cutting-edge information on the betting world. When Tyler isn’t writing about sports, he likes to spend time with his golden retriever Chip and play fantasy sports in a private league with his friends.