How to Place Successful Bets on the NHL
The first step to placing a successful bet on the National Hockey League (NHL) is doing research. You’ll find that there’s plenty of information online about the league, but it might seem like a daunting task. However, once you start looking into things, you’ll realize that there are actually quite a few resources out there to help you along the way.
If you follow everything laid out here, you should be able to make a good profit off of your bets without having to worry too much about getting burned.
Betting on an underdog can provide significant winnings if they manage to pull off an upset. With so many regular season games, it’s important to be aware of how teams are trending and equally, to pay attention to who is playing from each team, particularly the goalie. Look for save percentage and goals against average for goalies and know whether or not a team is starting their backup goalie to help decide which team to bet on.
The Hockey Sports Betting Basics
When it comes to sports betting odds, there are three main categories: money lines, totals, and spreads. Money lines are used to predict how much one side will win compared to another. Totals are simply the total amount wagered on each side. Spreads are bets placed on whether the home team will win outright, or cover the spread.
Money Lines
In hockey, money lines are typically set up as follows: -260 Underdog +240 Home team +220 Away team +180 Draw
Totals
A total is simply the sum of the money lines on both sides of a particular matchup. So, if the total was 3 points, the money lines would look like this: -3 Underdog +2 Home team +1 Away team
Spreads
A spread is the difference between the money lines of both teams. If the spread was 3 points, the home team would be favored over the away team by 5 points.
If you’re interested in learning more about sports betting, check out our guide here.
Basic Bets
If you want to place a simple bet on the outcome of an upcoming hockey match, there are three basic types of bets you could make. These include moneyline bets, parlays and teasers. A moneyline bet is one where you choose whether to side with the home team or away team. Parlay betting involves placing multiple bets on different outcomes. Teaser betting is similar to a parlay, except it doesn’t involve a second bet.
Are Negative or Positive Odds Better?
Betting on sports is one of the most popular forms of entertainment around the world. But it’s also one of the most dangerous because there’s always a risk involved. Sportsbooks take bets every second of the day, and some people just don’t understand what happens when they place a wager.
Negative numbers are reserved for the favorites on the betting line and refer to how many dollars you need to stake to earn $100. For example, if the favorite is listed at -200, that means you need to put down $200 to win $100. If the favorite is listed at +150, that means you need only $50 to win $100. So if you’re sure the team will win, negative odds are probably best for you. However, if you think the team will lose, positive odds might be better.
Conversely, positive numbers are attached the underdogs and refer to how much you could win if you placed $100 on the underdog. If the number is listed at +120, that means you could win up to $120 if you bet on the underdog. And if the number is listed at -170, that means you’d have to bet $170 to win $100. Again, if you’re absolutely certain the team will lose, the positive odds are better.
If you or someone you know suffers from a gambling addiction, call the National Problem Gamblers Helpline at 800-522-4700 or visit ncpgaming.org/chat to talk with a counselor.
