Betting Hockey

Of course, it wasn't like that a year and a half ago. In the old NHL - pre-lockout, that is - if a team had a one-goal lead, even if it was in the first period, you could flip off the TV and be reasonably confident knowing who'd win.

Only sadomasochists and Toronto Maple Leafs fans bothered to sit through the boring, regular season garbage that passed as hockey. No doubt some people turned to NHL hockey as a cure for insomnia.

Thank God - or at least Commissioner Gary Bettman - that all changed with lockout. With a new set of rules and strict enforcement of the existing rules, the fastest game on ice was saved from a slow, painful death.

The speed is back, the scoring is back, the excitement is back. Not only are NHL games now enjoyable to watch, they are a hoot to bet on.

Leads are no longer now safe. So if you're team is down by a couple of goals in the third period, you still have a chance of cashing in. On the flipside, if you're team is leading, better wait until the final horn rings before you buy the bar a round.

Whether you're new to hockey betting, or you're just coming back, there are plenty of ways to get some action down on the NHL. Let's examine some of the common hockey betting options offered by most online sportsbooks.

MONEYLINE BETTING

Moneyline bets are likely the most common types of hockey bets. In a moneyline bet, the team that is expected to win is called the favorite; the team that's expected to lose is the underdog.

Moneyline odds in hockey are usually expressed using American odds. In terms of the favorite, these odds will show you how much you have to bet in order to win $100. For the underdog, the odds will indicate how much you would win on a $100 bet.

Odds for the favorite are preceded by a minus (-) sign. For the underdogs, the odds are preceded by a plus (+) sign.

Let's look at an example:

Detroit Red Wings -210
at Pittsburgh Penguins +180

This means you must bet $210 in order to win $100 by betting on the favored Red Wings. On the other hand, if you bet $100 on the underdog Penguins, you stand to win $180.

In the old NHL there were a lot of tie games, As a result, a lot of moneyline bets would result in "no action" - money would be returned to the bettor.

In the new NHL, with the use of the shootout, there are no longer any tie games. Thus, every moneyline NHL bet now results in a win or a loss.

PUCKLINE WAGERS

The puckline - sometimes called American line or goal line - is basically hockey's answer to the pointspread.

Here's how it works. If you bet on the favorite, the puckline is the number of goals the favorite must win by in order for your bet to payoff.

If you bet on the underdog, the puckline is the number of goals the underdog can lose by in order for your bet to payoff.

Like in the moneyline, puckline odds for the favorite are preceded by a minus (-) sign. For the underdogs, the puckline odds are preceded by a plus (+) sign.

Traditionally, the puckline was simply a half-goal. This would enable bookmakers and bettors to avoid "no action" bets caused by scoring ties, which were commonplace in the old NHL.

To clarify, let's look at an example using the same teams as above:

Red Wings -1/2
at Penguins +1/2

This means, if you bet on the favored Wings, they must win in order for your bet to payoff.

If you bet on the Penguins, however, they could tie the Wings and your bet would still pay off. Of course, if you bet on Penguins and they won outright, your bet would win as well.

When betting with an online sportsbook, the payoff on a puckline bet is usually based on a moneyline of -110. In other words, you would need to bet $110 in order to win $100.

Since there are no longer any tie games in the NHL, the puckline, in its traditional sense, is rarely available. In fact, the puckline has been slowly fading in favor of the next betting option.

CANADIAN LINE WAGERING

The Canadian line, or split line, is typically referred to as the puckline by many online sportsbooks.

The Canadian line basically combines the moneyline and the puckline. So this is how you would probably see the matchup above at an online sportsbook:

Red Wings - 1 ½ +195
at Penguins +1 ½ -235

This means if you bet on the Red Wings, they must win by two goals in order for you to win. And because 1 ½ goals is a fairly big spread in terms of hockey, the payoff is bigger. Therefore, using the moneyline odds, a $100 bet would net $195.

If you bet on the Penguins, they could lose by a goal and your bet would still win. However, because they are being given a significant head start (1 ½ goals), the payoff is smaller. Thus, you'd have to bet $235 in order to win $100.

BETTING HOCKEY TOTALS

In hockey, you can also bet on whether the combined score of the game will go OVER or UNDER a total set by an oddsmaker.

For example, in the matchup above, an oddsmaker may set the total at six goals. Thus, if you bet on the UNDER, the combined goals scored by the Wings and the Penguins must be below six in order for your bet to payoff (e.g. 3-2).

If you bet on the OVER, the combined goals scored by the two teams must be above six in order for your bet to payoff (e.g. 4-3).

When betting with an online sportsbook, the payoff on a total bet is often based on a moneyline of -110. In other words, you would need to bet $110 in order to win $100.

However, if the oddsmaker feels that a game has a better chance of going OVER or UNDER, he will add a premium.

For instance, if he feels the Wings-Penguins game has a slightly better chance of going over six goals, the payoff on an under bet might be reduced to -135. In other words, you would have to bet $135 to win $100 on an OVER bet.

Meanwhile, the UNDER bet in this scenario would have a bit better payoff, like say +115. So, a $100 bet on UNDER would payout $115.

Note: Overtime and shootouts are typically included in the total. One additional goal is included in the total regardless of how many goals are scored in the shootout.

HOCKEY BETTING SUMMARY

Most online sportsbooks offer three bets for hockey: moneyline, Canadian line (usually referred to as puckline) and total.

And right now is a great time to bet on hockey not only because of the increase in the game's excitement, but also because there are plenty of great opportunities to make some cash if you know your pucks.

Traditionally, sportsbooks don't spend a lot of time and effort on setting their hockey lines because they're so concerned about their football and basketball lines.

As a result, hockey lines are sometimes soft, meaning they don't accurately reflect reality.

A careless linesmaker, who's not really paying close attention to how teams are performing, may have a team favored by too much or too little, or he may have a total pegged way too high or much too low.

These mistakes are even more likely to take place currently since some online sportsbooks have been slow to adjust their lines to reflect higher scoring games in the new NHL.

The preceding article written by Ben Holmes, editor of Puckline.net, a website devoted to hockey fans and bettors. Be sure to check out Puckline.net for the latest NHL news, information, odds and statistics.

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