NHL Betting Tips
NHL Betting Tips
Whenever you hear someone giving out NHL betting tips, they usually talk about the odds for individual matches, match day after match day.
There are many betting options when it comes to NHL betting and this can be quite confusing for even the most experienced punters who know everything about Ice Hockey, NHL and betting on the NHL.
Many bookmakers offer many markets for NHL betting which makes it even more complicated to bet on NHL games.
We are here to simplify NHL betting for you and the first NHL betting tip we can give you is to understand the most important NHL bets
Types of Bets in NHL Betting
1×2 bets in NHL betting
Just like in other popular sports like football,the vast majority of bets in the NHL are are regularly played in the three-way market where you bet on the following three outcomes of a game:
- Win
- Loss
- Draw
Do NHL Games ever end in a draw?
But there is one essential difference when it comes to 1×2 football bets and NHL tips, the fact that most NHL games since the 2003-04 season never end in draws. At the end of this season the rules were changed to ensure games don’t end in a draw.
Usually after regulation time (normal playing time) if an NHL game ends in a tie, the game goes into overtime which is an additional 5 players. Overtime is played with only 3 players which creates a lot of scoring opportunities.
The first team to score a goal is declared the winner, in hockey terms this is called sudden death.
If no team manages to score during overtime, the game goes into a shootout.
Money Line bets in NHL Betting
Money line bets are also called 2 way bets. In these kinds of games you decide which of the two teams wins. Essentially, there are only 2 outcomes, one team wins, one team loses and there is no draw.
As we mentioned above, NHL games never end in a draw. A winner is determined in every match, even if it is only in the penalty shootout.
Since there is no draw, it increases your expected ROI as it effectively takes 1 potential out of the picture, that outcome being a draw.
This simple fact can make NHL betting more profitable in theory compared to say Association Football where draws can be quite common.
The betting odds differences between regular playing time and overtime are quite small. You only have to accept a small loss of profit.
Over / Under bets in NHL Betting
Over/ Under betting is common in many popular sports like Association Football and the same holds true for NHL betting.
Over/ Under bets are bets where you bet that the total number of goals in a game will be over or under a certain number.
For example let’s say you are betting on an NHL game between Los Angeles Kings and Colorado Avalanche and you believe over 5.5 total goals would be scored in the game.
You would go to the bookmaker and bet on over 5.5.
According to some of our writers in Canada and the USA who follow the NHL religiously, compared to other Ice hockey leagues, NHL tend to have fewer goals because the teams are set up to have a strong defence.
Over Under betting tips in NHL
Here are some tips for over under betting in the NHL
- The average number of goals in 2005-06 peaked to 6.2 goals per game. That number had been on a steady decline since then and reached 5.5 goals per game.
- But in recent years the NHL has become a high scoring league, with games with over 5.5 goals being very common.
- Many games in the NHL are decided by 1 goal
- If you are betting on over 5.5 goals,6 goals need to be scored in a match
- Regardless of these statistics we recommend you to be careful when betting on over 5.5 goals in NHL games.
- If a match is being played by the top teams or top division teams and the teams on the bottom of the table and if you have analyzed the scores of the teams in their past 10 games and spotted that at least 6 goals will be scored,betting over 5.5 goals might be a good idea
- Always check the past 5 meetings of the team you are betting on to predict on how many goals might be scored in the game and then select an over/ under bet accordingly.
GG/NG bets in NHL
The term GG in GG/NG bets means that you predict both teams to score in the game.The term NG means you either one team or both teams will not score in the game. We recommend you to include this as part of a combo bet while betting on NHL games.
Handicap betting in NHL
Many bookmakers offer handicap bets for NHL games just like they do for other sports. These bets are offered both in European and Asian formats by bookmakers and sportsbooks. Handicap betting in NHL works pretty much the same way as it does in other sports, that is, a team goes into the game with an advantage of a few goals.
The handicap tips for the NHL tend to be in the lower sector due to the balance of the team , often at +/- 0.5 or +/- 1.5.
Double Chance Bets in NHL
If you place your NHL bets in regular time, you can secure your bets with a double chance . Once you do this you have the following options:
Double Chance bet 1x: home win and tie
Double Chance bet 2x: Tie and away win
Double Chance bet 12: home win and away win
Correct Score Bet in NHL
Predicting the total goals scored in an NHL game tends to have the highest odds. But this type of bet is also very hard to win because it is very hard to predict the number of goals can vary wildly unlike association football games.
We do not recommend you to include this bet as part of a combination bet, but you can choose to use this bet as a side bet while betting on an NHL match.
Winning Margin Bet in NHL
This is a type of bet in NHL betting where you bet the margin of goals by which a team will win the game. These have good odds but can be risky if you include them as part of a combination bet. We recommend you to look at statistics when you place this bet and avoid the temptation of using it as a combination bet for a game.
Overtime bet in NHL Betting
In this kind of bet you bet on whether there will be overtime in the game because the teams might tie during regular time.It could be a good idea to use this bet if one and especially both teams tend to have a history of finishing games in overtime.
The best sports betting providers for the NHL also have player tips on offer. There are betting odds for two possible uses:
1. Does the player score a goal?
2. Will the player be awarded a point in the Canadian ranking (assist or goal)?
Occasionally it is possible to bet on the goalkeeper’s shout-outs (result to zero).
NHL Outright Betting – Who Will Win the Stanley Cup?
The NHL bet par excellence can be found in the area of long-term offers. The tip on the upcoming Stanley Cup winner, i.e. the champion of the National Hockey League, is a must for almost every ice hockey fan. Each team receives a betting odds before the season. The offers are adjusted up or down by the bookmakers depending on the season.
Division and conference tips for NHL betting
In the long-term betting markets for the NHL you can but on who will win the Stanley Cup. But there are several other cool options for outrights betting in NHL:
- Who will win the title in the Eastern and Western Conference?
- Which teams will win the four divisions in the regular season?
- Which teams move into the playoffs?
- Which player scores the most goals in the season and / or in the playoffs?
- Which NHL pro will win the Canadian scoring?
- Which goalkeeper conceded the fewest goals over the course of the season?
- Team special bets
But that still does not mean the end of the NHL long-term betting flagpole . The team special bets are attractive. Before the season starts, you can bet on how far your team will come in the coming months. Does she have to give up after the main round? In which playoff round does the end come? How many points or goals (over / under) are earned or scored in the NHL season?
Live betting on the NHL
NHL ice hockey bets are an integral part of every bookmaker’s live center. There is no good, reputable sports betting provider that does without the live tips. The betting markets are similar to the pre-match offers. You can bet on the result, the next goal, the number of hits or a wide variety of handicap versions.
Similar to football, there are live remaining time bets for the NHL. Regardless of the market, a score of 0: 0 is always assumed when placing bets. Only the following game events on the ice are then included in the betting evaluation.
Betting on the NHL Draft
A typical American peculiarity are the NHL draft bets. Before the season starts, clubs can secure the services of new players. In the draft are the top talents from the lower, national ice hockey leagues. The worst teams of the preseason have the right of first refusal in the draft in every round, which means – they can sign the strongest players. The last team in the NHL Draft is always the Stanley Cup preseason winner.
With this special rule the National Hockey League tries to create a balance between the teams. However, a draft does not necessarily mean that the players in the A-Team will be on the ice in the coming season. Each club in the NHL has its own farm team that is hunting for points in either the AHL or the ECHL. The club owners often consider the commitment of new, potential stars to be long-term.
After the draft comes the free agent phase in the NHL , in which players without a current contract can be signed. In many cases, the American and Canadian clubs also use the best European ice hockey leagues. The players from Sweden, Russia, Finland and the Czech Republic have been among the defining figures in the NHL for decades.
You should also know that the NHL is a closed professional league system. The clubs receive their eligibility to play in the franchise system , similar to American football in the NFL or baseball in the MLB. There are no relegated teams in the National Hockey League.
The odds for the NHL bets
The betting odds are, of course, essential for the success of your own NHL tips . Only high and valuable quotes bring the desired plus of your own betting strategy in the long term.
If you decide to bet on the NHL as an ice hockey fan, you are definitely in safe waters. Due to the high level of customer demand, the bookmakers provide the NHL with the highest betting odds compared to ice hockey, and this by a huge margin. The competitions and championships in Europe have significantly low mathematical payout approaches.
Quota keys for the games in North America between 94 and 96 percent are not uncommon, but the absolute standard. With the NHL playoff bets in the decisive phase, it even goes even higher.
NHL betting strategy & 8 tips for NHL betting
If you want to play your bets on the NHL successfully in the long term, you should stick to a few basic rules and observe the peculiarities of the league. We have put together the most important NHL tips & tricks for you:
Tip 1: Do not overestimate the table
The table can only provide the first basic assessment for the bet. Since the teams sometimes play across the board in the conferences, the level of performance cannot always be read precisely.
Tip 2: Exercise caution while analyzing team form
According to our NHL experience, you should be cautious while analyzing a team’s form.Due to the extreme stress during the season, there is no club that wins all matches. Each team has several good and bad phases per season. It is impossible for a team to successfully complete all 82 regular season regular season games without defeat.
Tip 3: Check out head-to-head comparison
The head-to-head comparison of the teams should always be included in the betting consideration. It is known that individual clubs have their favorite opponents and cannot get a foot on the ice at all against other teams, even though the team is significantly worse placed in the table.
Tip 4: Compare bookmaker odds
The betting odds comparison for the NHL tips is part of every bet. Always look for the highest odds or an offer from the bookmaker landscape that is roughly on par with the market leader.
Tip 5:Keep an eye out for free bets and bookmaker bonuses.
If you can, you should incorporate the NHL actions of the betting providers into your own strategy. For example, if there’s a free bet, you should take it, as long as the qualification criteria are compatible with your own NHL betting system.
Tip 6: Special features towards the end of the regular season
It gets really complicated with NHL bets mostly on the last match days of the main season. When assessing your bet, always consider the importance of the game. If a team has already secured the playoffs, it may be that they only play at half their strength .
On the other hand, it is conceivable that teams from the lower table regions will also “give away points” in order to secure a better position for the drafts of the next season.
Tip 7: NHL playoff bets are a different ball game
The NHL playoff bets are then under a new light of their own. The main season games can be more or less neglected in the betting analysis. With the playoffs, the NHL season almost always gets a restart .
Tip 8: keep an eye on secondary betting markets
Don’t just bet on victory and defeat and draw . Always look at the betting odds and options in the side area. The secondary betting markets are often easier to calculate. With the two-way tips you limit the risk of loss.
Stanley Cup winners since 2009
The popularity of the NHL in North America is also reflected in the number of viewers. On average, the games are attended by over 17,000 spectators. The record champions of the NHL are still the Montreal Canadiens, who have won 24 titles. The list of the champions of the past ten seasons shows the balance of the league. Only one team managed to defend its title:
2009 : Pittsburgh Penguins
2010 : Chicago Blackhawks
2011 : Boston Bruins
2012 : Los Angeles Kings
2013 : Chicago Blackhawks
2014 : Los Angeles Kings
2015 : Chicago Blackhawks
2016 : Pittsburgh Penguins
2017 : Pittsburgh Penguins
2018 : Washington Capitals
2019 : St. Louis Blues
2020: Tampa Bay Lightning