People have loved hockey for years, but due in large part to the rise and the growing interest in sports gambling as more and more jurisdictions legalize gambling, the popularity of NHL betting, especially player props, has increased enormously in recent years.
In spite of this, there are still a number of distinctive and challenging aspects to betting on hockey.
First off, despite recent growth in hockey betting, big sports betting overall still places hockey as one of the least popular bets. There aren’t many casual bettors that are eager to go down on hockey, aside from your dedicated hockey hardcores. Football is and always will be the king. A close second is basketball. The game of baseball is far behind. Hockey is another sport. To put this disparity in perspective, a major Monday Night Football game may receive over 100,000 in total wagers, whereas a regular-season hockey game may be fortunate to receive 5,000.
Due to this, wagering on hockey offers very little in the way of contrarian value.
Why? due to a lack of viable opposition from the public. As a result, you immediately lose a competitive advantage that exists in other popular sports but not in ice hockey. Similarly, since NHL games are low-bet and have a smaller handle, positioning yourself on the house’s side is less crucial. Because of this, books are not nearly as liable for a hockey game as they are for a football or basketball game.
We can still get a good return on our hockey bets, though. All you need to do is practice self-control and pick your locations. Here are a few useful pointers.
Moneyline
You only need to choose which side wins the game; you don’t need to choose which team covers the spread (in hockey, the spread is referred to as the puck line). Favorite -1.5 and underdog +1.5 are the odds. But compared to the moneyline, it is not nearly as common a wager type.
Totals can be a good bet. In hockey, 6 is a typical total. There are more 6.5 totals than ever before due to scoring increasing in recent years, but it’s a fun bet to wager, as you don’t have to pick a winner, just cheer for a high-scoring game.
Is There an Edge?
- NHL home teams 54.9%, road teams 45.1%
- NBA home teams 59.3%, road teams 40.7%
- NFL home teams 57%, road teams 43%
- MLB home teams 53.9%, road teams 46.1%
Some believe that the design of the stadiums might be one of the causes of road team success. Contrary to other sports where the audience is right on top of you and nothing separates the players from the spectators, in the NHL the players are isolated from the crowd by high plexiglass that surrounds the perimeter of the rink. This makes it simpler for players to concentrate on the current game by removing noise and distractions. This evens the playing field and lessens the home team’s advantage.
Personally. I just believe the game moves too fast to allow for the crowd to play any sort of role in the outcome. In Football, crowd noise disrupts the timing of the snap, or makes it difficult for players on the opposing team to hear a play or change at the line of scrimmage. In baseball, the pressure mounts with crowd noise as a batter tries to concentrate, which is also similar to Basketball.
Live Betting on Hockey
Without a doubt live betting can be one of the best bets available. The odds of betting on a team down one, even two goals can be very appealing, and because of the fast-paced game and the ability to score quickly, no lead is safe in hockey.
NHL games are frantic and thrilling because a goal or a penalty might happen at any moment, turning the tide of the match. In light of this, NHL Live Betting is a fascinating idea. NHL Live betting is a wager made on a game that has already begun. You may wager on the game right up until the final seconds since odds and lines are updated in real-time as the action takes place on the ice. The key markets, including money line, spreads, totals, and a number of prop bets, will all be accessible, though the variety of markets won’t be as wide-ranging as it would be beforehand.
Hockey Betting Tip: If you are torn between one team or another pre-game on who to bet on, wait and live bet the game after the first goal. If one team comes out and dominates the first period, but finds themselves down 1-0 due to an unlucky bounce, consider betting on them for the comeback.
I have seen odds go from -110 pre-game to +130 once the first goal is scored. The odds will also increase as the game time expires. I make it my personal to never live-bet a team trailing beyond the 2nd intermission. You need enough time to sometimes mount a comeback.
NHL.com is actually an excellent source for studying which teams perform best with a lead, and which teams are known for blowing a lead. This can help you when making your decision to live bet on a game.
Link to NHL teams Leading/Trailing
NHL Futures
NHL future gets, as the name would imply, is a wager on a potential NHL event, such as the Stanley Cup Championship, To Win A Division, To Win A Conference, or select NHL Player Futures, such as the winner of the Hart Memorial Trophy, which is given to the league MVP. The majority of the time, you may place wagers on these markets far in advance, from before the start of the season all the way up until its conclusion or, in the case of some markets, the conclusion of the regular season. These bets can be more fun for cheering for a team to make the playoffs or to win their division.
