NHL Betting Odds Explained

Thanks for visiting ExplainBettingOdds.com, where we will help you understand exactly how to read NHL betting odds. The NHL is a fast-paced sport, complete with a ton of action and wild entertainment. And with 82 games during the regular season, plus the playoffs, that provides both oddsmakers and bettors alike with a lot of opportunities when it comes to betting lines for the sport. The NHL has a number of different betting odds which are formed during the season for each matchup. Here on this page, we detail what types of lines you will see online sportsbooks come out with during the season, and explain them so that they are easy to understand. The NHL is definitely a different type of sport to wager on than for example the NFL. Actually, Major League Baseball betting lines could be compared most similarly to that of the NHL. So let's check out what betting lines you can expect to see formed for the NHL.

How To Bet On The Spread In The NHL

The NHL Goal line is a type of spread installed for each game on the schedule during the week. But unlike the NFL or NBA, the NHL goal line is a set number a 1.5 goals. A team will then be set in the role of having to cover that spread, which is always the team that is set as the favorite on the moneyline. We will get into the moneyline further down below. But for this purpose, consider the team that has to cover the 1.5 goal line with a two-goal win or more as the favorite to win the game out right. Every game is installed with this goal line, though most of the time the team picked as the one having to win by two goals or more is not the favorite to cover the spread. That's because statistically, the majority of hockey games are decided by one goal or less, or result in a tie. Payouts around the goal line can actually vary quite a bit, and you can see some big disparities between the team having to win by two or more goal, and the one that can still lose by a goal and cover.

Article: How To Read Point Spreads

NHL Moneyline Betting Odds Explained

Just like a goal line, every match up in the NHL is installed with a moneyline. This is a straightforward wager, where the bet is placed on the team to win the game outright, with no goal line or any type of spread involved. If you bet on the Canucks to beat the Islanders, the bet is won if Vancouver wins the game, no matter what the score is. This sounds easier right? Well it is. But you can see a disparity in the payouts. The favorite on the moneyline will obviously payout quite a bit less than a bet that would be made and potentially won on the underdog.

Here in this moneyline example, the Canucks are set as -300 favorites on the betting line. That means for every $3 wagered on Vancouver to win, a $1 profit is returned. In the role of the underdog, New York is going off at 2/1 on the payout.

NHL Over / Under Bets Explained

The goal total betting line is a game line set down with the total number of goals for a game between both teams. Oddsmakers will research the two teams, and then come up with an over/under goal total for the specific matchup. The wager is made on the actual scoring total of the game going higher, or lower, than the oddsmakers' prediction. Payouts for this wager are right around even.

Article: How To Read Over / Under Betting Odds

NHL Team Props Explained

NHL Team prop betting odds are lines formed for games and during the season that do not really relate to the direct outcome of the game. For example, a team prop in a specific game might be something like the first team to score a goal in the match up. The bet is placed, and once the first team puts one in the back of the net, the bet is closed. The rest of the game does not have any effect on the outcome of this particular wager. Prop betting odds reduce many of the variables in a game, and are smaller bets within a game. By smaller, we do not mean the amount that can be wagered; only that it's not a bet on the outcome of the game.

NHL Player Props Explained

Player prop betting odds for the NHL are just like team props, only related to specific players. Within a game, we could see as many as 30 or 40 prop betting lines set down for players. They range in nature, and typically revolve around the number of goals or assists, or a combination thereof for players during the game. The bet is made on the number installed for a player, whether it be one goal or 1.5 goals or whichever number. The wagered would then be made on the actual total going over or under that installed number from oddsmakers and online sportsbooks.

How To Read NHL Live Betting Odds

Betting live on sports is definitely something that is becoming more and more popular in this day and age. With the increase in technology and the accessibility of online sportsbooks, live betting is available right at your fingertips. As far as the NHL is concerned with live betting, it is available for games. Not every single game is available for live betting, but online sportsbooks will establish which ones are. From there, the available betting lines will also be shown. Alternate moneylines, team and player props are what are typically available. With live betting, odds are obviously changing every couple of minutes, making for a fun and exciting way to bet sports.

How To Read Stanley Cup Betting Odds

Stanley Cup futures wagers are a betting line which is formed during the season. In fact, these odds come out the day after the championship from the previous season is won. The bet is placed on the odds to win the Stanley Cup for the upcoming or current season. These odds are not set in stone, and do change during the season as teams do well, or fall out of contention.