Ice Hockey is a winter sport that originated in Canada and which is considered a national game. Canada is a country that has immensely contributed to its development and popularisation throughout North America and Europe. All Canadians enjoy playing hockey and avidly watch all NHL games and their favourite players. NHL, as the world’s top ice hockey professional league, was first established in Canada and later evolved to cover the USA as well.

Beloved as ice hockey is, it comes as no surprise that ice hockey betting has grown onto many Canadians that hope to put the knowledge of the game to good use. All those who opt for ice hockey betting should get familiar with NHL and its format since no other ice hockey league can compare in size, importance, and the quality of the game. There are 7 Canadian teams in NHL that compete for the Stanley Cup title, which is the oldest professional sports title in North America.

Although it has been more than 25 years since a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup, Canadians are relentless in support of their hockey teams, and with a little bit extra charm ice hockey betting brings, they are in for a surprise and good time watching every game.

So, if you are looking to lift your ice hockey betting game to the next level, take a closer look at our concise guide that will advise you on where and how to place ice hockey bets.

You can’t hope of ever becoming an ice hockey betting expert without previously studying all the types of bets available to you. Different sportsbooks shower you with betting options which sometimes can be quite perplexing. Of course, it does not mean you need to use the most complex bets to win big. What you need in order to get started are the basics.

MoneyLine Bets

Moneyline bets are one of the most popular bets featured in ice hockey betting. It is a simple bet that allows you to choose the winners of the game at hand. It’s as simple as that. Or, is it? The main thing about moneyline bets is considering the odds. If you place a wager that the favourite will win the game, the odds for them winning are more significant, which means your potential wins are not going to be substantial and you would have to risk a lot to win smaller amounts of money. However, the odds for the underdog to win are not that great, so if you opt for the underdog in the hope of a surprise, then the potential win prospect is much larger.

Puck Line Bets

Puck Line bets are similar to moneyline bets, except that with these bets a team needs to win with by more than, let’s say, 2.5 goals, or lose by fewer than 2.5 goals. This type of bet is the same as handicap betting in football, when it is not only the win that counts but the goals margin as well. The favourites of the game are marked by a minus sign, while the other team has a plus sign next to the number of goal margin set for that game. What also makes Puck Line bets interesting is the profit which can be much larger than when betting only on the win. For this ice hockey betting type goes the following rule  — the more complex the bet, the bigger the success.

Over/Under Bets

Over/Under bet is a bet on the total number of goals conceded by both teams in a single game. You will need to choose if the number of goals will be higher or lower than the designated amount. In the NHL, that number usually hovers around 5.5 goals, but the payout odds alter to accommodate a particular game where the opponents are not so well matched, and so on.

Future Bets

Future bets are quite interesting as they are not focused on the game at hand, but rather on the outcome of the entire league, where early in the season you can choose the potential winner or the team that ends up first in their conference. This type of bet is a useful one to have in your ice hockey betting arsenal, as it can bring substantial wins.