Best NHL Sportsbook
Updated: January 1, 2024 by Bill Burniece
The NHL season is rolling and sports betting has never been bigger in the United States.
Most U.S. states have legalized sports betting – including betting on mobile apps.
Millions of people place bets on NHL games and other major sporting events every year.
On this page we’ll look at the types of NHL bets you can make and how a hockey sportsbook works.
Types Of NHL Bets
NHL Moneyline Bets
Moneyline Bets are the simplist of bets since all have to do is pick which team you think will win the game. Odds are assigned to each team based on their perceived likelihood of winning.
So, if the New York Rangers are playing the Colorado Avalanche, the moneyline might look like this:
New York Rangers: +120
Colorado Avalanche: -140
The “+” indicates the underdog team (Rangers). So if you place a $100 bet on them you would win $120 if they win the game. The “-” indicates the favorite team (Avs) in this matchup. So, you would need to bet $140 to win $100 if you choose the Avalanche to win.
NHL Prop Bets
Prop bets cover specific events within the game that don’t directly affect the final outcome.
Examples include betting on which player will score the first goal, the number of saves a goalie will make, or the total number of penalties that occur in the game.
NHL Over/Under Bets
Over/Under (or Totals) Bets focus on the total number of goals scored in the game by both teams combined.
The sportsbook sets a line, and you bet on whether the total goals will be over or under that set number.
NHL Futures Bets
Future bets are long-term bets placed on events such as which team will win the Stanley Cup or who will win the MVP or Conn Smythe trophy.
The odds change as the season progresses based on each teams and players performances.
NHL Puck Line Bets
Puck Line Bets is hockey’s version of the point spread. Typically, the puck line is set at 1.5 goals. The favorite needs to win by more than 1.5 goals, while the underdog needs to lose by 1 goal or win the game outright.
For example:
Boston Bruins: +1.5
Tampa Bay Lightning -1.5
If you bet on the Lightning, they need to win by 2 or more goals. If you bet on the Bruins, they need to either win the game or lose by only 1 goal.
NHL Live Betting
Live Betting allows you to place a bet on NHL games while they are in progress.
Odds and lines are adjusted in real-time based on what’s happening in the game.
NHL Parlays
A parlay is a single bet that links together two or more individual bets together for a higher payout.
For a parlay to win, all of your bets within it must win.
How Do NHL Sportsbooks Work?
An NHL sportsbook operates by offering a variety of betting lines and formats for NHL hockey games.
Here’s a brief overview of how and NHL sportsbook works:
For starters, you need to live in a U.S. State that has legalized gambling – including via mobile apps. As of this writing, the States where sports betting is legal are:
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- Washington D.C.
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
Once you know you are legal you have 7 betting models to choose from.
We went into them in detail above.
Again they are:
- NHL Moneyline Bets
- NHL Puckline Bets
- NHL Over/Under Bets
- NHL Prop Bets
- NHL Future Bets
- NHL Live Betting
- NHL Parlays
Vig or Juice: This is the term used for the fee that sportsbooks charge for placing a bet on their platform. It’s typically associated with puck line and over/under bets.
For example, if the over on a game is set at -125, you need to bet $125 to win $100.
Sportsbooks present odds in different formats (American, Decimal, or Fractional), depending on their location and audience.
- American odds are most common in the United States
- Decimal odds are prevalent in Europe and Australia
- Fractional odds are used in the United Kingdom
In addition to these standard bet types, NHL sportsbooks may offer various other betting options and special promotions, making NHL betting an engaging and potentially profitable activity for fans of the sport.
Who Has The Best NHL Sportsbooks?
My pick is Bovada.
Bovada is a high-quality online sports betting site that has always given me a positive user experience.
Their interface is easy to use and they offer everything I need as a bettor.
They cover all major sporting events around the world including the NHL.
Best NHL Sportbook Conclusion
Looser gambling regulations have opened up the floodgates to sports gambling.
Adding fuel to the fire is the number of online gambling apps that are now available.
Online betting apps have changed the landscape of gambling adding convenience and accessibility. Plus you can track NHL betting trends and statistics.
Pick your own NHL sportsbook and get in the game now.
Just keep it in check and never gamble any money you can’t afford to lose.
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