The NHL is back for the new season and just like in the past, many people will fancy a wager on the games that are taking place. The league is growing in popularity as a betting sport as more and more US states allow gambling.
Kevin Hayes #13 of the Philadelphia Flyers scores on Goalie Semyon Varalamov #40 of the New York Islanders
But where is the best place to start?
Luckily, you can keep your NHL bets very simple by using the three main betting lines that are on offer. These are the money line, puck line and totals line. Those who bet on other sports will know the first and third by name as they are called the same in other sports.
The second, the puck line, is simply what the handicap line is known as in ice hockey.
Here is a look at all three, the best situations to use them in and anything else you need to get started.
The NHL Money Line
Any new gambler looking to start betting on the NHL should start here. The money line is simply who wins the game, it doesn’t matter how they win it, this can be in regulation, OT or on penalty shots.
This is the easiest way to get your NHL betting career underway, and every bookmaker listed on freebets.co.uk will have this line available for you to use.
As the line covers all bases, the odds on offer here may be a little low sometimes, depending on who you are betting on. For this reason, it is a market that many accumulator gamblers use, putting together numerous teams throughout the night in their games, in the hope they all win.
As a complete beginner, the money line is the place to go.
Travis Konecny #11 of the Philadelphia Flyers scores
Puck Line Betting in the NHL
As mentioned, the odds on offer with the money line can be a little low for some people. If you are betting on a team that has some big dynamic scorers, such as those recognised by the NHL’s top forward list, you can use the puck line to place your bets.
This is a handicap line, usually set at 1.5, so if you expect a team to win big, this is where you can back them to do that. A -1.5 handicap means that the team has to win by two or more goals for your bet to be a success.
You can back teams on the other side, with an advantage, but this is a little more complex, and best saved for more experienced punters.
If you don’t want the lowest odds, and you think a team is going to win comfortably, the puck line is where you should be looking to bet in these circumstances.
Betting on Goals with the Totals Line
The totals line is popular with gamblers because it is the easiest market to use when you want to place a wager on the game, but you don’t want to pick a winner.
For example, when Tampa Bay won the Stanley Cup in 2020, there will have been many out there watching who didn’t want to pick a winner, or couldn’t because the games were too tight.
The totals line allows you to still place a wager, as you are betting on the number of goals in the game and not who wins.
Bookmakers create their line, it will be created with .5 at the end to ensure no tie, so for example, many hockey games have a line of 5.5.
You have two choices, over or under. Over means six goals or more in the game, under means five or less.
This shows how simple it is, and if you don’t want to pick a winner then this is the market you should look for.
You must be logged in to post a comment.