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A Beginner’s Guide to Betting on Hockey

Publish Date: 29.04.2025
Fact checked by: Adan Cabal

If you love watching NHL, you must learn how to bet on hockey! Today, I’m going to guide you through the exciting world of hockey betting and tell you everything you need to know about wagering on this popular sport.

There are plenty of betting markets available for hockey at the best online sportsbooks, and you can often pick up a great bonus to help you along your way. So join me as I explain how to bet on hockey and how to have the best experience possible at a fantastic online sportsbook that offers hockey betting.

Hockey betting explained

Betting on hockey is a popular pastime the world over. Here at GameChampions, we’re often asked how to bet on NHL, and the truth is, this really comes down to personal preference.

At a great online sportsbook, you’ll find lots of different hockey markets, as well as competitive odds and even the chance to watch live-streamed NHL events and place bets in real time. Of course, you’re never guaranteed a win when you bet on any sport, but there are some tactics you can employ to ensure you have an enjoyable experience.

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With that in mind, here are some tips on how to bet on hockey games at a top online sports betting site.

🔍 Do your research

First things first, you must do your research if you want to give yourself the best chance of placing a decent bet. You may already be familiar with the rules of hockey, but you should also look into things like how NHL games are structured, how scoring works, and the latest stats and statistics.

If you want to place a bet on an upcoming match, look at how each team and its players have performed in the recent past. It’s also advisable to look at any injuries and benched players that could affect the outcome of the next event.

For example, if you wanted to know how to bet on soccer, the first thing I would do would be to tell you to research the Champions League and then some international competitions, like the Premier League, La Liga or Bundesliga and their most popular players. It’s the same for hockey! Doing your research always pays off when it comes to sports betting.

🏅 Pick a fantastic sportsbook

Part of betting on hockey is finding a great sportsbook that offers you an incredible experience. I’m going to go into the details of how to find a great sports betting site a little later on, but for now, keep in mind that you want a site that’s easy to use and that offers lots of odds and markets for you to choose from.

You also want a bookmaker with the highest odds, to give you the potential for decent returns.

💰 Manage your bankroll

Managing your bankroll is an essential part of betting on any sport. There are many betting sites that give you bonuses that you can use on hockey, but more often than not, you will end up betting with your own money.

Therefore, it’s important that you don’t overspend and that you manage your finances correctly so that you do not end up in any difficulty. Employing responsible gambling practices will help you with this, as well as keeping track of your bets, wins and losses.

⚖️ Always gamble responsibly

Responsible gambling is part and parcel of having an enjoyable experience at any online sportsbook. As well as managing your bankroll, you can use things like deposit and loss limit settings and game time reminders to keep track of not only how much money you spend, but also how much time you spend on a hockey betting site.

Choosing a great hockey betting site

As mentioned, if you want to know how to bet on hockey, one of the most important aspects is finding a great sports betting site that offers you a fantastic experience.

Selecting an online sportsbook ultimately boils down to a player’s personal taste, but there are some things that I think you should look for when considering signing up to a new sportsbook.

  • A wide selection of hockey events, leagues and matches
  • The most competitive odds
  • Live-streamed hockey events and in-play betting opportunities
  • A platform that’s easy to use and that offers a superb mobile experience
  • Solid banking options that include credit/debit cards, eWallets, voucher and pay-by-mobile options
  • Frequent bonuses and promos
  • 5-star customer service

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Now that you know how to bet on hockey games and what to look for in a great hockey betting site, it’s time to look at some of the most popular markets for hockey and what kinds of bets you can make.

Moneyline

The simplest bet you can make, moneyline simply involves picking the team that you think will win. This is a great type of bet for newcomers to hockey, as you can research historical data in order to make an educated guess, but it doesn’t require an in-depth knowledge of the game.

Puck line (spread betting)

Puck betting is hockey’s version of spread betting. This is where you choose how much a team will lose or win by. A standard puck bet will give you – 1.5 for the favorite and +1.5 for the underdog. This means that if you bet on the favorite, they must win by 2 or more goals for your bet to come in. By contrast, the underdog can either win the game outright or lose by 1 goal and your bet will still win.

Totals

Another very simple bet to get to grips with, totals is when you bet on the total number of goals scored by both teams combined. In hockey, this is usually set around 5.5 or 6.5. You never see a round number in totals betting, so you can always make a correct prediction. For example, if the number of goals is set at 5.5, you can bet on 4 or 6, but of course, not 5.5 itself because that can’t happen!

Prop bets

Prop betting tends to be the most fun type of market, as it covers anything to do with a game that doesn’t rely on the end result. You can bet on things like who will be the first team to score, the player to score the most goals, or even total shots by one player. Beyond that, some sports betting sites will offer a selection of very random prop markets, including whether there will be a fight or not!

Bonuses available at hockey betting sites

Part of betting on hockey at a great sportsbook is picking up a fantastic bonus to help you along your way. Each site will offer its players a wealth of promos to choose from, but here’s a quick rundown of some of the most common types of bonuses you’ll find at hockey sites.

  1. Bonus type
  2. What you get
  3. Free bets
  4. One or more free bets to use on a selection of leagues, matches and events
  5. Enhanced odds
  6. Enjoy better odds for a short period of time at a sportsbook
  7. Deposit match bonuses
  8. The sportsbook will match your deposit amount with a percentage of bonus funds
  9. Cashback
  10. Get a percentage of your net losses back from the bookmaker

Pros and cons of betting on hockey

Advantages
  • Lots of matches, leagues and events to choose from
  • Many bookmakers offer live-streamed NHL games
  • Chances for in-play betting
Disadvantages
  • Hockey markets may be limited on some sports betting sites

Betting on hockey – a great pastime with plenty of exciting potential

Betting on hockey can be a really fun way to enjoy the sport. With lots of different markets to discover, as well as bonuses, in-play betting and live-streamed events on offer at the best online bookmakers, there’s a world of possibilities out there for hockey fans.

Don’t forget to pick a great sports betting site, do your research, manage your bankroll and gamble responsibly. With all of these elements in play, you should have a great time betting on this exciting and popular sport!

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How to bet on hockey FAQ

🏒 How do I bet on NHL?

To enjoy betting on NHL, choose a sportsbook that offers a wide range of odds and markets across lots of NHL events. Also, look for sites that offer live streams, in-play betting, great deposit and withdrawal options and excellent customer service.

📳 Can I bet on hockey on my mobile?

Yes! All the best sportsbooks offer a great mobile gaming experience. Some may have a native app for you to download, while others will have a mobile-optimized version of their site for you to access via your smartphone or tablet’s internet browser.

🤔 What hockey bonuses can I get?

What type of hockey bonus you can get will depend on the sportsbook that you use. Bonuses vary from site to site, but you may be able to find things like free bets, enhanced odds and deposit match bonuses that you can use to bet on hockey.

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