What are the NHL Betting Lines Called?

One of the most confusing aspects of betting on US sports for new punters is that often the betting lines are called something different for these sports than they are for others. This is the case when it comes to the NHL, and could be confusing for new punters who are unsure what it is that they are exactly betting on when they place their wager. Check this bookmaker list if you are looking cryptocurrency sportsbook.

If you have had trouble in the past, or you are new to NHL betting and you want to learn the names of the main four lines you will use then here is our guide to the NHL betting lines and their names.

The best place to start is the money line for two reasons. The first is that this is the easiest line to understand and the best place for beginners to start, and the second is because this is called the money line in many other sports, so you are likely to have heard it and possibly used it before. 

When you place a bet on the money line, this is for your team to win by any means. It doesn’t matter if they won 5-0 in regulation, or their victory requires overtime and penalties to decide the result. As long as your team wins, you win and this is why it is the best place for beginners to start betting on the NHL. 

When betting, you are aiming to win money and when it comes to placing a bet on the NHL then the money line offers you the simplest and easiest way to do that, without complicating things too much. 

The name NHL puck line is something that you will only see on ice hockey betting markets, so if you haven’t placed an ice hockey bet before then this line will be something you haven’t heard of. The good news though is that the line works in exactly the same way as something you may have used. 

This line is called the ‘spread line’ on NFL and NBA betting markets, and works in exactly the same way as those. The basics of this line is that it creates a fictional handicap between the two teams for you to use. This is only used for betting purposes, and adds another element to your bet that you need to check. Alongside looking to find yourself the best price on your bet with the bookmakers, you also need to check out what lines are on offer and make sure you get the best line as well as the best price. 

If you are looking to back a big favourite and you want to do something to add value for yourself and make the price bigger on them to win then this is the line for you. Instead of backing them to simply win you can use this line to back them to win by two or more goals for example, perfect if you think they are going to not only win, but win comfortably. 

This market is more complicated than the money line, as you are adding a new element into your betting with the handicap, but it is one of the most commonly used markets for NHL betting and certainly one you should know about. 

If you are looking to place a bet but you don’t like NHL puck lines on offer then many bookmakers will have a betting market that is called ‘alternative NHL hockey puck lines’. Here they offer different puck lines for you to choose from, and the best use for these is when you think a team is going to win very easily and you want to back them to win by a bigger margin than the standard puck line. 

For example, most puck lines are -1.5 for the favourite, so you are backing them to win by two goals or more. If you think a team can win easier than that, and you want to back them at a bigger price than the standard puck line then you can use an alternative line. A -2.5, -3.5 and more could be available for you to use, each offering a larger price because you are adding more risk into your bet. 

The -2.5 line means that your selection has to win by three goals or more for your bet to be a success. This sounds like a lot, but it will offer you a bigger price than the standard -1.5 line. If you are looking to enhance your puck line options then look for the alternative puck lines that are on offer. 

This is a line that doesn’t require you to pick who you think will win the game, and because of that it has grown in popularity with hockey punters. This is based around the total number of goals in a game, sometimes it is referred to as the points line or goals line in other sports, but it is known as the totals line in ice hockey. 

This line will usually have a .5 at the end of it, and while you can’t get .5 of a goal line bet in ice hockey, this is there to ensure a draw is not possible on the line. For example, the line may be set at 6.5, this means a bet on under the line is for six goals or less in the game while a bet on over is for seven goals or more in the game. 

Like with many other sports around the world, NHL punters are looking for a way to bet that doesn’t require them to choose the winner of the game and the totals line offers them this. While ever the is the main line to do that, you can expect it to continue being very popular with punters, with many people choosing to bet on goals in a game rather than the actual outcome and the team who is going to win.

If you interesting to get more NHL betting tips – read ice hockey betting guide.