Hockey is a fast-paced and exciting sport that attracts a lot of betting interest, especially in countries where it is popular. Hockey sports betting was always big in countries like Canada, Finland or Russia: All three of them are well-known for their strong hockey teams that bring their homelands a lot of fame each season. However, for a long time this sport did not have a big audience worldwide and remained more niche compared to other popular sports such as basketball or soccer. But in the recent couple of years many bookmakers have noticed the rising interest in hockey gambling, particularly in betting on the National Hockey League in the US. This meteoritic growth of hockey betting popularity in this country is connected to the rapid development and a streak of wins of the Vegas Golden Knights. Whether you are one of the newcomers in the world of betting on hockey or an experienced bettor and a hockey fan who just wants to improve their wagering skill, this guide, provided by the Dexsport team is for you.

In this guide, we will cover the basics of ice-hockey betting, including how to read odds, understand different betting markets, and make informed decisions about which bets to place. We'll also provide some tips for maximizing your chances of success. We hope this guide will help you enjoy the thrill of hockey betting while making your decisions. So let's get started!

BETTING ON HOCKEY GAMES 101

To begin, the very first thing that someone who wants to try betting on hockey should understand is how the odds for each match of the season are determined. In each match one of the two teams is normally going to be considered the “favourite”, which means that they have a much greater chance of winning the game than the other team, while the second team is going to be considered the “underdog”, which means they have less chances to win. When you look at a matchup, the “favourite” team is going to have the negative number near their name, and the “underdog” team will have the positive number. If you bet on the “favourite” team’s victory, you will typically receive lower winnings opposed to placing a bet on the “underdog” team’s victory.

As an example if the game where the Florida Panthers play against the Montreal Canadiens you see a number -320 next to Canadiens name, that will mean they have more chances to win, according to a sportsbook, while Panthers with their +220 are predicted to lose the game.

But be careful! Don’t confuse those numbers with the three that you can typically see underneath the team’s name (for example, 16-23-5), as those mean a completely different thing and stand for the team’s wins, losses and overtime losses and have little to do with betting lines.

MOST WIDESPREAD TYPES OF BETS ON HOCKEY GAMES

Moneyline Betting

Just like in any other sports gambling, placing your bets on the moneyline remains the most popular and an incredibly easy way to gamble in hockey among sports wagerers. If you want to place this type of bet you should simply choose who, in your opinion, is likely going to win the match. But be careful while placing your bet and don’t chase the easy money! When it comes to ice-hockey, it’s important to know that unlike other sports it’s not typical for the “underdogs” to suddenly gain an advantage and win the game. So when betting on hockey it’s better to focus on the “favourite” team rather than the “underdogs”. While it might not be super profitable, it will help you cut your losses.

Puck Line Betting

The other type of bet that will be easy for newbies of hockey sports wagering to place is the puck line bet. In simple words, the puck line is just goal spread, which is very close to the runline bet in baseball. If a wagerer is placing a bet on the puck line, they can choose to bet on the “favourite” team with a spread of 1.5 goals or the underdogs with the same spread. If a bet is placed on the “favourite” team and they are listed at +1.5 goals, you will be able to collect your winnings if they win the game or lose by a single goal. On the other hand, if you bet on the “underdog” team, you will only win if they win by 2 goals or more.

Betting on Totals 

It’s very easy to understand how betting on totals work in hockey, even if you are an inexperienced bettor. When you wager on totals, the oddsmaker will try to predict the total amount of points in the game. You can either bet on the number being lower than that, or higher. But while it seems to be easy, don’t forget to pay attention to the betting lines from both sides! Unlike in moneyline betting, the “underdog” team’s odds are not going to be much higher than the “favourite” team’s, in fact, the odds on both sides are normally going to be equally low. 

Betting on Futures

Betting on futures in hockey refers to making a wager on the outcome of an event that will take place at a future date. In the context of hockey, this could include bets on the outcome of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the winner of the Stanley Cup, or the winner of an individual division or conference. Winning such a bet can bring you big winnings, because it’s one of the risky types of bets in which the outcome is not easily predictable.

ADVANCED TYPES OF BETS ON HOCKEY GAMES

Player Prop betting 

Player prop betting on hockey games is a wager that involves making a bet on the individual player’s performance within a specific game or over a certain period of time. These bets can be based on a variety of factors, such as the amount of points scored, the number of assists made, etc. To place a player prop bet, the bettor has to select the player and the specific statistic or performance they wish to wager on. 

Game Prop Betting

A game prop bet in hockey sports betting involves making a bet on the result of specific events or occurrences within a hockey match. Bets like this can be based on a wide range of factors, such as the number of points scored, the number of power play opportunities, and more.

Grand Salami Betting

A grand salami is a possible wager that involves predicting the overall number of points that will be scored in multiple games played on a single day. The grand salami is similar to betting on totals, in which wagerers try to foresee whether the complete number of points scored will be under a certain number or over it. Such a number is set by a sportsbook or a betting platform. The bettor then must decide whether they believe the number of points scored in all games on that specific day is going to be higher or lower than the number set by a sportsbook.

In conclusion, hockey is an exciting sport that continues to gain popularity for betting purposes. There are various kinds of bets that sports gamblers can place on hockey games. We hope this guide, provided by Dexsport will be able to help you get started placing your bets. And the best place to do it is our platform that makes it easy to start even for those who are new to hockey betting.