NHL Odds – Moneyline

Example: Canucks (+205) vs. Devils (-245)

The simplest NHL wager is called the “moneyline” and all you need to do is pick the winner of a hockey game. If the team you bet on wins (including overtime), your bet is a winner and will be paid out.

You may be wondering what the NHL moneyline odds mean. If a team has positive (+) odds, they’re the team expected to lose and are called the “underdog”. When you bet on an NHL underdog, the NHL odds are how much you’d win on a $100 bet. For example, a $100 bet on the Canucks would pay $205 profit.

If a team has negative (-) odds, they’re almost always the favorite. If both teams have negative odds, the team with the higher number is a small favorite. When you bet on an NHL favorite, the NHL odds are how much you need to bet to win $100. You’d need to bet $245 to win $100 on the Devils.

NHL Odds – Puck Line

Example: Canucks +1.5 (-125) vs. Devils -1.5 (-105)

The NHL puck line betting market adds a goal spread to hockey games.

The team with a positive goal spread are the underdogs and the team with a negative goal spread are favored. A bet on the Devils at -1.5 on the puck line requires the Devils to win by 2+ goals for the bet to win, but at -105 odds (Bet $105 to Win $100), which is much better than moneyline NHL odds of -245.

A +1.5 puck line bet on the Canucks will win if the Canucks win or lose by a single goal.

Totals or Over/Under

Example: Flames vs. Rangers: Over 6 (+100) / Under 6 (-120)

The most common NHL over/under bet is the game total, which is where bettors need to predict whether a game will go over or under the posted total. In our example, the game total has been set at six goals.

If both teams combine to score 7+ goals, bets on the over will win. If both teams combine to score 5 or less goals, bets on the under will win. If exactly six goals are scored, the bet is a push (tie).

In the event of a push on NHL over/under bets, your stake (bet amount) will be returned.

Other NHL Odds – NHL Periods (1st, 2nd and 3rd)

Example: Kraken  +0.5 (-235) vs. Islanders -0.5 (+190) (First Period Only)

You can bet on every NHL period individually, but NHL first period betting markets are the most popular.

In our example, the Islanders are favored on the puck line (-0.5) and need to win the period for a bet on them to win. A bet on the Kraken will cash if Seattle wins or ties the first period.

There are more first period betting markets available. Those include puck line (-0.5/+0.5), 3-way lines (tie included), total, goal in first ten minutes, team totals, both teams to score and more.

Bookies will also release 2nd period and 3rd period lines during the intermissions. There are also some 2nd and 3rd period markets available pregame, such as the highest scoring period and more.

Alternate Puck Lines and Totals

Example: Kraken vs. Islanders – Over 6.5 Goals (+130)

In our example, the normal game total is 5.5 goals, but we can bet on alternate totals as well. If we expect a lot of goals, we could bet on over 6.5 goals (+130), which offers better payout odds.

In the NHL, you can also bet on alternate lines. Standard puck line bets are always -1.5/+1.5, but you can bet on alternate puck lines. The number of alternate options will vary by sportsbook.

There are also alternate game totals and alternate first period lines available.

NHL Futures

NHL futures are betting markets that feature season-long propositions. The most common NHL futures market is betting on which team will win the NHL Stanley Cup, which you can bet on year-round.

Here’s a list of some of the other popular NHL futures:

• Betting on a team to win their respective conference or division.
• Betting on a team to win X amount of regular season games (NHL regular season win totals).
• Betting on a player to accumulate X amount of goals, assists or points during the season.
• Betting on the winner of NHL awards (Hart, Vezina, Calder, etc.).
• Betting on the winner of the Presidents’ Trophy (Best overall regular season record).
• Betting on a team to make the NHL playoffs.

How to Bet on NHL Odds

The National Hockey League (NHL) is one of the most popular sports to bet on in the US. The NHL is also the most popular sport in Canada. Thousands of NHL fans wager on the sport on a daily basis.

We’re going to teach you the basics in our NHL betting guide.

You’ll learn how to understand NHL betting odds and how to bet on NHL betting markets.

NHL Odds FAQ