To fully enjoy the vast array of domestic and international leagues in ice hockey, it is essential to find a betting site that covers all tournaments and not just the Stanley Cup finals. And with our recommended ice hockey betting sites, you can take advantage of various offers and bet on your favourite team with excellent odds and bonus deals for NHL events.
If you are searching for the best bookmakers for ice hockey betting, there are several factors to consider. Check out our checklist below for guidance:
Ice hockey offers various betting options, including simple ones with low potential profit and more complex ones with higher rewards. Explore the most common types of bets and choose the ones that fit your preferences and style.
League bets are wagers that predict the outcome of an entire league or tournament season. These bets can be high-risk, but they can also yield high rewards if you win. Examples of league bets include predicting the season’s champion team, the MVP, and other outcomes that take the entire season to determine. For instance, you can place a bet on the team you think will win the Stanley Cup at the end of the season.
A Moneyline bet is the most basic type of bet you can make in ice hockey. This type of bet involves simply predicting which team will win the game. For example, if the Maple Leafs are playing against the Golden Knights, and the odds are in favour of the Maple Leafs, a Moneyline bet on the Maple Leafs would mean that you are betting on them to win the game.
Puck line bets work similarly to point spread bets in other sports, with the spread value typically set at +/- 1.5, although it may occasionally be set at 2. To win, the chosen team must win by a score greater than the odds indicated.
For example, In a match between the Washington Capitals and NY Rangers with a puck line of +/-2.5, the chosen team must win by at least three goals for the bet to be successful.
A totals bet involves predicting whether the total number of goals scored by both teams in a game will be over or under the odds given by the bookmakers. The outcome of the game doesn’t matter, only the total score matters.
For example, in a game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Columbus Blue Jackets, you bet on the total score being under 7. If the final score of the game is 4-2 to the Blue Jackets, the total score is 6, and you win your bet.
A parlay bet combines two or more individual bets on multiple teams or outcomes into one wager, with the potential for higher rewards but also higher risk. This type of bet is also known as an accumulator.
For example, a parlay bet could consist of selecting the Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers, and Tampa Bay Lightning to win their respective matches. All three teams would need to win for the parlay bet to be successful.
A futures bet is a wager where the result is not decided by a single game but rather a series or an entire season. These types of bets typically involve predicting the winner of a league or tournament, or who will receive a particular award or title at the end of the season.
For instance, futures bets can be placed on the Season Champion, the season MVP, the best defense in the division, or top scorer. One of the most popular futures markets in ice hockey is predicting the Stanley Cup champion.
Prop bets, also known as proposition bets, are wagers that do not depend on the final outcome of the game, but rather on specific events or circumstances. These bets can add an extra level of excitement to watching the game.
For instance, some examples of prop bets include predicting the first team to score, identifying the player who will score the last goal, guessing the total number of shots taken in the game, and even betting on whether a specific player’s score will be over or under a certain threshold.
Live bets are also known as in-game bets because they are placed while the game is ongoing. The odds offered for live bets are constantly updated based on the current score, the remaining time in the game, and the overall performance of both teams. Live bets give bettors the chance to take advantage of momentum swings and other game-changing events that can occur during the course of a game. This type of betting can be exciting but also requires quick decision-making and a good understanding of the sport.
The grand salami bet can add some extra excitement to a full day of ice hockey games. Bettors can analyse the matchups and make a prediction about the total number of goals that will be scored across all games. This type of bet requires a good understanding of the teams and their playing styles, as well as a bit of luck to accurately predict the total score. It can be a fun way to engage with multiple games at once and potentially earn a significant payout.
For instance, if five games are scheduled for the day, the bookies may set the odds for over/under 38. To win an over bet, the combined score for all games must be at least 39, whereas to win an under bet, the total score for all games must not exceed 38.
Ice hockey betting is not limited to just one league or competition. Just like in most sports, bettors have the option to place bets on multiple leagues and competitions. Some leagues have a huge following and a large betting community and promotions, while others are smaller with fewer bettors.
Below are some of the most popular ice hockey competitions that you can bet on.
The NHL, or National Hockey League, is a professional ice hockey league that is the most popular in both the United States and Canada. It consists of 32 teams, with 25 from the United States and 7 from Canada. The NHL was established on November 26, 1917, in Montreal, Canada, after the National Hockey Association (NHA) was suspended. The league is divided into two conferences, the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference, and four divisions, including the Atlantic, Metropolitan, Central, and Pacific.
The NHL is known for its fast-paced, physical style of play, and is home to some of the world’s top players, such as Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin, and Connor McDavid. The regular season typically runs from October to April, with each team playing 82 games, followed by the playoffs to determine the Stanley Cup champion.
The championship cup awarded annually to the team that emerges victorious from the NHL playoffs is called the Stanley Cup. It is considered one of the most important trophies in ice hockey and is also the oldest trophy in North American sports.
Originally named the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup, the trophy was created in 1892 and was donated by Lord Stanley of Preston, the ex-Governor General of Canada, to the top amateur team.
Although the NHL is highly popular among ice hockey fans, there are other smaller tournaments that may appeal to bettors looking for less saturated markets.
The NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament, also known as the NCAA Ice Hockey Championship, is a college ice hockey tournament sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). First played in 1948, the tournament currently features 16 teams from various states. The Michigan Wolverines have won the most championships with a total of nine titles, while the latest champions are the Denver Pioneers.
Despite not being as popular as the NHL, many bookmakers offer betting options for NCAA Ice Hockey. As a result, the odds and lines for the league are often more favourable, offering greater potential for profit.
The AHL, or American Hockey League, is a professional hockey league that operates in the United States and Canada. It is known as a developmental league for the NHL, allowing young players to gain experience and develop their skills before potentially being called up to the NHL.
The NHL and AHL have an affiliate program, where each NHL team is affiliated with one AHL team. The AHL currently consists of 32 teams, with 26 located in the United States and 6 in Canada. The championship cup for the league is called the Calder Cup, named after Frank Calder, the first president of the NHL.
The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) is an international professional ice hockey league that was founded in 2008 and has its origins in Russia. It was formerly known as the Russian Superleague. The league consists of 24 teams, with 19 from Russia and one each from Belarus, China, Finland, Kazakhstan, and Latvia. Many people regard the KHL as the second largest professional ice hockey league globally, following only the NHL. The championship cup for the league is known as the Gagarin Cup, which is awarded to the winning team. Additionally, the Russian team with the highest ranking for the season is crowned as the Champion of Russia.
The professional ice hockey league of Finland is known as the SM-Liiga, which translates to “Finnish championship.” Since 2013, it is simply called the Liiga. The league comprises 15 teams that are all locally based. Among the top-performing teams are JYP Jyväskylä, TPS Turku, and Tappara Tampere.
The PENNY Deutsche Eishockey Liga, commonly referred to as the DEL, is the premier professional ice hockey league in Germany. Established in 1994, it was created to replace the former top-tier league, the Eishockey-Bundesliga. The league consists of 14 teams, all based in Germany. The EHC München, Adler Mannheim, and ERC Ingolstadt are among the top-performing teams in the league.
The National League (NL) in Switzerland is the country’s professional ice hockey league, formerly known as the National League A (NLA), founded in 1938. The league consists of 12 Swiss teams, and the tournament format involves a qualifier followed by playoffs that determine the champion through a best-of-seven series.
The IIHF World Championship is an annual men’s ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). It features 54 teams from five divisions, all of which are countries that are members of the IIHF. The World Championship is a significant event in the sport of ice hockey and offers ample betting opportunities, although it may not garner as much interest as the NHL.
