Best Sportsbooks for NHL – Betting On NHL Games
While Hockey is hands down one of the most popular sports in Canada and in some pockets of the United States (ie Detroit, Colorado and Pittsburgh), it tends to have a smaller following than other major sports leagues.
The regular season tends to be a great time to be betting on hockey, however, it’s during spring where the action starts to really heat up – as the NHL Playoffs and Stanley Cup championship tend to generate more spark and interest for sports bettors.
Most books also offer up alternative hockey sports betting options as well, such as NCAA hockey, Junior and World Championships events – and the grand daddy of them all, Olympic hockey, which only comes around every four years. Popular options include betting the puck line, individual player prop bets and total goals, with most lines being similar to those you would find in Vegas sportsbooks.
For people looking for the best sportsbooks for NHL betting and other hockey types, we offer these up these top sportsbook selections below. Each are G666-approved and accredited with the safest technology backing them, as well as excellent customer support and player backends. It’s never been easier to bet at a premium sportsbook with our list below.
Recommended List of Hockey Betting Sportsbooks
Best Betting Sites for NHL Bets
Rank | Poker Site | Bonus | Bonus Code | Learn More |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | $900 Betting Bonus | n/a - use link | BetOnline Sportsbook | |
2. | $200 Betting Bonus | n/a - use link | Bovada Sportsbook | |
3. | $900 Betting Bonus | n/a - use link | SportsBetting.ag |
All if the betting sites on this page offer quality services for hockey bettors. Bet 365 has a diverse set of props bets, Bookmaker gives a great explanation of NHL specific betting and Bodog hockey news brings bettors up to date with current hockey events. All of these features can impact patrons’ bets. These three quality NHL sportsbooks handle their hockey betting services confidently, making them the best sportsbooks for NHL bettors.
Betting on NHL at an Online Betting Site
The NHL (National Hockey League) is the biggest ice hockey league in the world. With 30 franchises in the league, split between America (23) and Canada (7), the league has gone on to reach global recognition with players from over 20 countries represented in the current format. The NHL has been withstanding for nearly 100 years after it was founded in 1917 by the National Hockey Association (NHA).
The pinnacle of the NHL comes down to teams battling out to win the Stanley Cup, which is widely regarded as the oldest North American trophy. The Stanley Cup consists of teams entering a playoff section after the season proper. The winners of the Playoffs then enter the semi-finals and finals before a champion is crowned.
Popular Betting Markets for NHL
As the sport – and league – is so popular it probably comes as little surprise to hear that it is massive amongst North American bettors. The exposure around the world is pretty limited although most of the larger European bookmakers will often run lines for most of the NHL and Stanley Cup playoff games. There are several bet types that are popular amongst NHL bettors, and these are as follows:
- The money line is the most popular and simple form of betting; you basically select which team you think is going to win. The odds will be shown with a + or – sign next to a number. The + sign will represent how much you would win if you bet $100, the minus shows how much you need to bet to win $100.
- The puck line is basically a handicapping market where one team is given a hypothetical head start over their opponents. So when one team is a massive favourite over the other, they might receive a 2 goal deficit before the game starts to even it up. The odds will then reflect the handicapped amount.
- Betting on the over or under on the amount of goals in a game is another popular market. It’s pretty simple really; the bookmaker will set a line at say 4.5 goals in the game and you select whether there will be more or less goals than that line.
- Future betting is one of the most lucrative, but highest variance bets. It’s basically betting on an outcome that might not develop fully for a few months, such as the winner of the Stanley Cup or the MVP. Odds before the seasons tart will more than likely be at their highest for most teams.
NHL Betting Sites & Tips
A good place to start when betting on the NHL is to use reputable bookmakers. And by this we mean ones that you have heard of. With the interactions online these days and the sheer number of reviews out there then it’s pretty simple to get an honest look at how different bookmakers perform. If you can’t find a review for your bookmaker then alarm bells should be ringing.
Don’t be afraid to have more than one sportsbook account. By sticking with just one you massively limit yourself to the odds they churn out and the promotions they offer. By expanding to 2 or 3 then you can shop around for the best prices and essentially make you more money as you will be getting better odds in the long run.
Quick NHL Betting Summary
In summary, players should be looking at sites like the ones mentioned already, especially since most of these offer simple lines that are similar to the ones you’d see at most land-based casino sportsbooks. Remembering what type of bets to place is something that’s just as important as the team you’re going to be betting on.
Moneyline bets, for example, are the most common hockey wagers that are made today – but puck lines function similarly to run lines in baseball betting. Puck lines also allow bettors to take goals with the underdog team or lay goals against the favorite team. These types of betting options help make these websites really helpful when betting hockey.
What’s also unique about most online sportsbooks is the fact they also offer a scrolling list of betting lines ranging from the daily specific games to bets or different types of Futures wagers you can make. Links from within most hockey landing pages offer odds descriptions and an overview of things like the NHL playoff process that help familiarize bettors with the hockey structure in order for them to make the most informed bets during the postseason. NHL news articles are also available for patrons who want to read up on hockey’s current events to improve their bets or learn more about the sport.