Interested in NHL odds or NHL lines? Maybe you want to bet on NHL spreads? Below you’ll see all the current odds for betting on the NHL. All NHL odds, lines and spreads are current and feature multiple sport books.
NHL Odds | Pucklines | Moneylines
NHL Odds | Spreads
NHL Odds | Totals | Overs/Unders
What Are NHL Odds and How Do They work?
The first thing you need to understand before you start letting on the NHL is how odds work. Before you make your bets, you can look at the wagers (or odds) that oddsmakers propose. These wagers typically have two parts. The first deals with the favorite, while the second deals with the underdog.
These odds are usually determined based on how interactions between teams are expected to go. A team with shorter odds is always likely to outperform a team with longer odds. Of course, oddsmakers need to do something to ensure that everyone doesn’t bet in the same way.
If everyone did, and such a bet were to be successful, then that oddsmaker would likely be out of business. Therefore, the pot is usually sweetened by offering significantly larger payouts to those who can successfully bet on underdogs.
For example, at the time of writing, the Boston Bruins rank first in the Atlantic division. On the other hand, the Detroit Red Wings rank eighth. Just one look at the match statistics of both teams would tell you that the Bruins would be the favorite in a match between the two.
Therefore, the odds that would be presented to you would provide a smaller payout for a Bruins victory and a larger one or a Red Wings victory.
What Are NHL Lines and How Do NHL Betting Lines work?
NHL betting lines are not all that different from NHL betting odds. In fact, many people who use the two terms don’t even realize that there is a difference. This leads to your hearing of both terms being used interchangeably.
Like odds, betting lines are also an expression of a wager presented to the public by oddsmakers. Again, short odds are for favorites, while long odds are for underdogs.
The good news is that you don’t need to be confused because both are almost the same thing. The difference is that betting lines have a much more focused view than betting odds do. Odds look at interactions in general while betting lines tend to be centered around a single event.
This is the reason why there are some people who refer to betting lines as “game lines.” Note, however, that both can change. The difference is that lines vary based on factors that are central to the event of focus.
What Are and How to Pick NHL Puckline and Moneyline Odds?
Moneyline bets are the most popular in the NHL. This is a selection of who you think is likely to win a game. Once that team wins, then you win your bet. However, the payout is not usually the same or the two teams that you can wager on.
To discourage people from betting on only the favorite, the payout for successfully choosing an underdog to win is significantly larger. In fact, the payout for the favorite is a fraction of the figure you wager, while the payout for the underdog is higher than the sum you wager.
Puckline bets are like moneyline bets since you choose based on which team you think is likely to win. The difference here, however, is that the winner must achieve victory with a margin of over 1.5 goals. Alternatively, you can win your bet if the team slated to lose does so by 1.5 goals or less.
Both these bets require that you have knowledge of the matchups. A favorite is statistically expected to win a match, but there are factors such as player lineups, game locations, etc. that can throw all that out the window. Also, you may want to stick with puckline bets, since they offer additional flexibility.
What Are and How to Pick NHL Goal Spread Bets?
With our goal spread bet, an oddsmaker establishes a number, which is set as a goal margin. This is like the margin that is set in a puckline bet. For example, the oddsmaker could set this margin to 2.5 goals.
If you’re wondering how a decimal gets thrown into the mix, it is simply used so eliminate tie possibilities. Like the puckline bet, you wager based on the margin that you expect in relation to the number established by the oddsmaker.
Using the same 2.5 example, if the team you bet on to win were to do so by more than 2.5 goals, then you win your bet. Similarly, if the team that you slated to lose does so by 2.5 goals or less, then you also can win it. The key here is that winning or losing the bet is not dependent on only a victory or a loss.
Before you make these kinds of bets, ensure that you collect the necessary information. Read reports, look at statistics, check out the reserve lists, familiarize yourself with the goaltenders, and think about the teams’ fatigue level.
What Are and How to Pick NHL Total or Over/Under Bets?
This bet type is one in which you bet based on a total number of goals across both teams. The oddsmaker establishes this number. Once established, if you think that the total amount of goals to be scored by both sides is likely to exceed this number, then you select the over bet.
Similarly, if you think the number is likely to be less, then you select the under bet. Once you can guess this correctly and make a wager, then you win your bet. Of course, there is a lot of room for error here.
The advice for making a correct choice here is the same as that of the previous point. The only thing you can do is to familiarize yourself with the teams and every variable possible. By doing this, you are better able to gauge what is a reasonable goal total for the game’s conclusion.
Do not make a total wager based on average goals for just any NHL game. Ensure that the choice you make is based on the factors established, plus the unique matchup between the two teams. If not, you’d be surprised at how far off you could be.
What Are and How to Pick NHL Futures Bets?
Futures bets are very unpredictable, but if you can get them right, then you have a big payday ahead of you. With this bet type, your wagers are not based on so much on the game’s outcome. Instead, you bet on other things that could happen throughout the game.
For example, you could bet on which team you expect to score first. Another example is that you could bet on the total score at half time. The point is you win your bet once you can correctly guess any of these things.
More than ever, your confidence level in your bet needs to be very high where futures bets are concerned. Without that kind of surety, your money is best spent on one of the other bet types, which is less specific.
