How to Bet on Hockey
February 11, 2020

Betting Hockey is Fun and Easy

You know the teams, the players, and even the coaches but betting the world’s fastest sport may be a bit foreign to you. Well, that’s quite alright because you have plenty of company in that regard but it’s much easier than you ever thought possible. So, read on and find out how easy it is to get in the game and start putting all your knowledge to good use. You might find that in addition to having a great time, you could very well make a few bucks in the process.
You don’t need to be a mathlete to figure out how to bet hockey, all you need to know is the basics. The most popular way to bet the NHL or any other ice hockey league offered is to pick a team to win outright. When using what we call the money line, there is no point spread so you never have to worry about your team winning but not covering the point spread as in football or basketball. There is no better way to explain than by giving an example so let’s take a look at the NHL game between the best and worst teams in the conference, the Boston Bruins and the  Detroit Red Wings, on February 9, 2020.

Boston was a huge favorite despite playing on the road and in front of a hostile crowd at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena. The oddsmakers at many of the best online sportsbooks had the following money line on the game: Boston -350/Detroit +290. The money line is based on $100 increments and in this case, you would have to wager $350 to win $100 if you bet the Bruins to win the game. However, if you like big underdogs then you would bet $100 to win $290 on the Red Wings. Those who prefer to bet smaller would have to lay $35 to win $10 on Boston or $10 to win $29 on the Detroit. Ultimately, the Red Wings shocked the Bruins and drew away to a 3-1 victory which left the Boston bettors sorely disappointed but Detroit bettors ecstatic.
All of the top-notch sportsbooks also offer what’s called a puck line in addition to the money line. This is more like a point spread and if we return to the game in question, the puck line was Boston -1 ½ (-125) or Detroit +1 ½ (+105) which simply means that Boston had to win the game by more than 1 ½ goals in order to cash while those betting Detroit would get a 1 ½ goal head start so even if the Wings lost by one goal those who bet them + 1 ½ goals would win. Because the Bruins lost outright, the 1 ½ goals on either side didn’t matter but it saved those Boston bettors quote a bit of money because instead of losing $350 on the money line they only lost $125 because they had a 1 ½ goal handicap. Conversely, those betting Detroit +1 ½ would have won $105 because they were given a goal and a half advantage instead of the $290 they would have won without the advantage.

Best Sportsbooks for Wagering on Hockey

It’s one thing to know how to bet hockey but it’s another to know where to bet it. When researching the online sportsbooks make sure to do your homework and check out the very best of the best because not all sportsbooks are created equally. Remember, you want to be able to cash out anytime you feel like it with no questions, hassles, or hoops to jump. Remember, just because your buddy might like a certain sportsbook doesn’t mean much if he’s never tried to cash out his winnings.
Next time you’ve got a hockey hunch and want to bet a bunch (or a little) then check out all of the offshore books at Sportsbook Review and choose the one that’s right for you!