Hockey betting is accessible thanks to dozens of bookmakers that accept real money bets. In these gambling sites, you don’t just get access to a sportsbook where you can bet on a team or outcome. Here, you’ll also access ice hockey betting tips, tricks, and strategies that can boost your chances.
Ice Hockey Betting Explained
Just like basketball and soccer, betting on ice hockey has been growing in popularity. The industry’s steady growth can be attributed to at least two things: the popularity of ice hockey leagues and tournaments and the increasing numbers of casinos and sportsbooks that accept real money bets. The most popular tournaments and leagues in ice hockey are the National Hockey League (NHL), the Winter Olympics, and the World Championships.
General rules and game objective
This fast-paced game is played between two teams with six players each. Of these six players, five are outfield players, and one serves as the goaltender. The objective of the game is simple: each team must score more goals than the other team. A team can collect goals by hitting the rubberized puck using the stick into the goal. Each game normally lasts an hour, and each game comes with three 20-minute periods.
Each period begins with a face-off which involves a player from each team trying to control the rubberized puck after it’s dropped on the ice by the referee. Just like in soccer, the team’s aim is to win the match by scoring more goals. There will be a lot of running, hitting, and physical contact during the match, which makes it exciting. This sets up an action-packed ice hockey betting environment where punters can count on plenty of betting opportunities.
Getting started in ice hockey betting
Similar to soccer betting, you can also play the Outright Winner, First Goalscorer, Both Teams to Score, Over/Under, Correct Score, and Winning Margin. In ice hockey, there are two popular ways to place your bets: pre-match and in-play betting. In the former, you will place your bets before the start of the match, like playing Over/Under or the Correct Score. On the other hand, the latter lets you place your bets while the ice hockey match is ongoing. In in-play betting, you’ll get access to odds that change over time and a live stream of scores or matches to help you make an informed bet.
Whatever type of betting you choose, you must sign up first with a trusted bookmaker. You can use your account to access the sportsbook, browse the available ice hockey betting lines, and make your selection. Don’t worry if you’re just a beginner in hockey betting. Our guide on ice hockey betting and NHL hockey bet tips can help you get started.
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Your journey to a successful and lucrative online hockey betting experience begins with selecting the right bookmaker. So how do you compare and ultimately pick the right website for your needs? When faced with options, you can start with verified bookies that operate with approved remote licenses. The best online bookmakers today are licensed by the Gambling Commission, Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), and the Governments of Costa Rica and Curacao. Some Asia-focused websites are also licensed to operate by First Cagayan in the Philippines.
Aside from the license, you’ll also need to pay attention to the site’s commitment to safety and security. The website should be fully encrypted, and it strives to provide quick yet secure payments through popular banking options. Also, these verified bookies should provide a variety of contact options that are available 24/7. You’ll never know when you’ll need help in online betting, so you want a site that delivers instant assistance.
Alternatively, you can check our site for complete ice hockey betting coverage. We’re a team of experienced sports fans and punters, and we review the leading online betting websites today. We check and test these sites to come up with professional and up-to-date reviews. So when you pick a sportsbook from our list, you can count on a premium betting experience with complete support.
- Parimatch Pros:
- Plenty of ice hockey matches
- Ice hockey allows you to test some of the features
- You can use different odds formats while punting on ice hockey
- Parimatch Cons:
- The available promotions won’t work if you use them on ice hockey
- Bet365 Pros:
- The number of ice hockey events you can bet on is impressive
- There is a promotion that punters can use if they wager on a specific ice hockey league
- More than enough markets to choose from
- Bet365 Cons:
- Specific ice hockey promos require you to punt on a particular league
- 22bet Pros:
- You have access to numerous statistics while punting ice hockey
- 22bet gives you the option to wager on live ice hockey matches
- You can avail yourself of various markets, even if you don’t punt on the NHL
- 22bet Cons:
- 22bet does not provide promotions for ice hockey
- William Hill Pros:
- William Hill’s guide will help inexperienced ice hockey bettors
- You will find good betting markets
- The odds for betting on ice hockey at William Hill are among the best
- William Hill Cons:
- Using William Hill’s platform by a non-UK resident is not always possible
- 888Sport Pros:
- Extensive ice hockey coverage
- You can use 888sport’s features while punting on ice hockey
- Usually, the available events provide people with enough betting options
- 888Sport Cons:
- You can’t test any ice hockey promotions
- BetWinner Pros:
- You can bet on every big ice hockey league worldwide
- Sometimes, the number of markets is mind-blowing
- The platform offers different features for ice hockey
- BetWinner Cons:
- There aren’t any ice hockey bonuses
- 1xbet Pros:
- You can bet on live ice hockey matches from all over the globe
- An Impressive number of betting features for this sport
- There are loads of markets you can put to the test
- 1xbet Cons:
- Accessing 1xbet’s site isn’t always as easy as it seems
What Betting Markets are Available?
You’ll find a wide selection of betting markets available for ice hockey, and some of these are unique to the sports. Before you start betting on real money, make sure you review these NHL bet types.
Tournament Winner (Outright)
An outright bet means you’re betting on a particular ice hockey team to win a specific competition or league. In a season, there are different outright betting options that you can consider. For example, you can bet on the team that will win in the end at the World Championships. Also, you can play this bet during the Winter Olympics, and you’ll get on the team that will win the gold. At the club level, there are several outright bets that you can play in ice hockey. For example, you can bet on the winner of the Eastern and the Western Conference finals.
Match Winner (Money line)
This type of bet answers the question: who will win the game? Money line bets cover the whole game, including the overtime and penalty shootouts if the regular time ends in a tie.
Total goals – Over/Under
In most hockey betting sites, you can bet on the total number of goals both teams can score. To be successful in this betting market, you’ll need to know the teams’ backgrounds or if they have high-scorers in the mix. For example, if you think that the match between Team A and Team B will end up with a score of 3-2 or a scoreline that doesn’t exceed 5, your bet should be -5.5. But if you think that it’s a high-scoring game and the totals scored exceed 5, then your wager should be +5.5.
Handicaps
This is similar to spread betting that’s popular in other sports like soccer. Just like in spread betting, there’s a point spread applied to the underdog and the favourite. In most ice hockey betting sites, the puck line is set at 1.5. This means that the underdog will get a +1.5 goal puck line handicap. So if you put your money on this team, it should not lose by two or more goals for you to win the wager. The favourite in the match-up gets a -1.5 goal puck line handicap. This means that if you back them, they should win the match by at least 2 goals for you to win the wager. According to some hockey betting tips, you should consider several factors like starting line-up, home advantage, or how fresh or tired the team is.
Period markets
As mentioned, an ice hockey match features three 20-minute periods. In the period betting markets, you can bet on the team with the best score at the end of the first, the second, or even the third period. The period betting markets are popular in in-play hockey betting.
Goalscorer markets
In the goalscorer betting markets, the primary focus is on players’ goals during the game. Now, there are specific NHL betting picks that you can consider when playing these markets. One popular option is to put your money on the player who’ll score the first goal in an ice hockey game. This is an easy betting option for punters who read team history and statistics. Another option to consider is to bet on the player who’ll make the last goal in the game. In most NHL betting websites, you can also put your money on the player who scores the most goals in a game. To be successful, you’ll need to research more about each player, his stat, and recent form.
Double chance
This type of bet is a variation of the popular moneyline bet. Here, you place your bet on two of the three possible results at the end of the game. This means that you can wager on a home draw, and away and draw, or either team to win. Compared to other types of ice hockey bets, the double chance increases your odds of collecting a win.
Winning margin
In winning margin betting markets, you’ll pick which team will win the match and by what goal difference. Here, you’ll need to consider the team’s form, recent play history, and match-up records to confidently bet on the winning market. For example, selecting the Bruins to beat the Capitals by 2 goals winning margin means that you expect the latter to win by exactly 2 goals.
Correct score
If you’re passionate about the teams and confident about their performance, then you can bet on the game’s correct score. This is a simple approach to betting where you’ll bet on the exact score at the end of the game.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Ice Hockey Betting
- Pros
- There is a lot of statistic for teams and matches.
- There are various hockey betting bonuses.
- Various betting options are available.
- You can use a betting strategy.
- Cons
- You need to follow the news and stay informed in order to succeed.
- You should manage your bankroll wisely.
Betting on ice hockey opens up a world of opportunities for fans and punters alike. One of the best benefits of hockey betting is that luck isn’t the main determining factor when playing. Compared to online casino games like slots, betting on hockey games requires knowledge of the rules, statistics, and strategies. If you know how the game is played and pay attention to team form and statistics, you can make informed bets.
Ice hockey betting also allows you to support your favourite team and collect lucrative payouts along the way. You can even get a percentage of what you have lost in a losing bet on some ice hockey betting websites. Finally, betting on ice hockey is now advantageous to players thanks to countless ice hockey betting tips, strategies, and tools available online. You can simply read these betting guides and tips to make a solid betting selection, even if you’re just starting. To help boost your betting experience, most betting sites now offer tools like Live Stream, Live Scores, and Odds Calculators.
Although the potential payouts can be enticing, ice hockey betting has its disadvantages too. Firstly, it gives punters that feeling of false self-control. It’s easy for punters to become confident and think that they’ll win based on their information. As such, they end up betting more money than they should. In reality, anything can happen in a hockey match, and even the favourites can lose in a game. For these reasons, players must be disciplined and should stick with the identified bankroll strategy.
Finally, the idea of betting on sports skews the operators. Sports betting is still a business, and operators will strive to keep the hockey betting lines competitive, looking to benefit the house in the long run. It is recommended that players adopt a betting system to limit their losses.
Ice Hockey Betting Tips and Things to Consider
In online hockey betting, the unpredictability of match results comes into play, affecting the player’s success when betting on hockey. But this doesn’t mean that you can’t win or be successful in online hockey betting. You can still improve your chances by following these hockey betting tips and recommendations below.
The goaltender or the goalie is the player tasked to prevent the rubberized puck from entering the team’s net. If the goalie successfully prevents the puck from entering the net, he prevents the other team from scoring. When betting on the correct score or even the Money line, researching the quality of the goaltender can help. If a specific team has an excellent goalie while the other fares poorly in defence, the former has a better chance of winning the game.
As a responsible punter, you’ll need to study the form of the teams, particularly their performance at home and on the road. Most hockey teams are stronger at home, thanks primarily to the passionate support of the fans. It’s difficult to go against a team playing at home and supported by a noisy pack of fans. Also, a losing home team will have their fans on their backs; thus, they become easy prey to favourites on the road.
Research on the players who’ll join the starting line-up. The success of a hockey team depends on the condition and well-being of its top players. Suppose the top players of a team are injured or still recuperating from injuries. In that case, it can affect the team’s overall performance.
A solid understanding of the game’s rules is essential if you want to succeed in hockey betting. Learn how the game is played, the rules inside the ice rink, and the different NHL hockey bets. It’s also important to remember a few realities in hockey betting. For example, the team’s schedule and recent form can affect future results. If a team has been playing for consecutive nights, then there’s a big chance that they will fall in the next game. Also, a winning or losing streak will always end no matter what.
Why should you consider betting on the NHL?
The National Hockey League (NHL) is hockey’s most popular league. Suppose you’re looking for exciting betting action. In that case, you can consider the betting markets for the NHL, especially when the playoffs start. Betting websites become particularly busy during the second-round series. The favourite teams are solidifying their status, and spoilers are taking shape.
During this time, you’ll find many sportsbooks updating their promotions and free bet offers. If you do your homework, you’ll find bookies that accept cashback on losing NHL bets. Also, making a bet during this time becomes easier and more exciting, thanks to expert tips and betting recommendations from sports enthusiasts. Furthermore, the NHL futures odds are updated in real-time as the league progresses, thus helping you make informed bets along the way.
Is it worth it to bet on Ice Hockey?
Ice hockey may not be as popular as basketball and soccer in many markets. However, it still delivers plenty of betting opportunities. You can choose from dozens of popular betting markets like correct score, over/under, and outright betting. There’s also a wide variety of leagues and tournaments to choose from, like the Winter Olympics, NHL, and World Championships.
More than the comprehensive betting markets available, the industry also boasts an endless list of tools and resources that you can use to improve your chances in ice hockey betting. For example, most sportsbooks today carry updated news about the teams, betting tips and guides. In short, betting on ice hockey is now made easier, and if done right, you can collect huge potential payouts.
FAQ
Which are the top hockey betting sites?
There are dozens of online hockey betting sites available right now and offer lucrative betting bonuses and competitive odds to attract players. We have reviewed some of the best betting sites, and it’s listed here on this site.
What is the best hockey bookmaker for novice players?
There’s no specific site that can be considered the best for beginners. However, novice players can get better services from a safe, verified operator and offers a wide selection of betting bonuses. It also helps if the website offers betting tools and NHL betting tips.
Can I place my hockey bets using my mobile phone?
Yes, most online bookies today offer native apps that you can download and install on your preferred iOS and Android devices. With this app, you can easily track scores or place your bet using your smartphone anytime, anywhere.
What popular bonuses and promotions can I get when I sign up for a sportsbook account?
Like online casinos, betting sites also reward their customers with a wide range of sportsbook bonuses and promotions. Popular bonuses that you can collect are the sign-up bonus, reload bonus, boosted odds, and free bets.
What are the popular NHL hockey bets that I can play online?
Some of the NHL best bets are Money line, correct score, over/under, and outright betting.
What’s the difference between pre-match and live hockey betting?
In pre-match betting, you’ll place your bet selection before the game starts. But in live betting, you can browse the online hockey betting lines even when the match is ongoing.