All About Ice Hockey Odds

Ice hockey is probably the most dynamic sport in the world since the players literally never stop skating on the ice. What makes this sport very exciting is that teams, unless they are shorthanded, are constantly attacking the opponents’ goal, which is not the case with football for example.

Ice hockey games are played in three periods of 20 minutes or a total of 60 minutes and that is the case if the game does not end up in a tie. If it does, then an additional five-minute extra time is played and if the winner is still not decided, then there is a penalty shootout.

Details that make ice hockey unique are many. Flying substitutions are one of those. In ice hockey the tempo of the game is so fast that there are no stops for substitutions as is the case in football or basketball.

There are also penalty minutes that are most of the time 2 minutes but sometimes five. The penalty kicks are not taken from a specific spot like, for example, in soccer but the offensive player gets the pack mid-ice and then attacks the goalie.

Once the puck is dropped, everything happens at an incredible speed. Follow the matches live and be ready to react with a good bet.

Ice hockey spread

Ice hockey spread represents the goal difference between the two teams at the end of the game just like in any other sport. In ice hockey, this limit is usually -1.5 meaning that if you place a bet on the home team, it will need to win by two goals margin in order for you to win the bet. At the same time, if you place a bet on +1.5 for the visiting team, they will need to win or lose by no more than one goal.

Ice hockey goal line

Often newcomers to hockey betting opt for this line because it is easy to understand and you don't pick sides. Bookmakers place an average of 5.5 or 6.5 goals per game. You are here to bet on whether both teams will score more or less goals compared to the number offered or the bookmaker's prediction.

How to find the best ice hockey betting odds

As in any other sport, hockey betting tips are sometimes a real art. Namely, it is necessary to know which leagues and teams to focus on, as well as what kind of investments to have when betting on ice hockey.

It is extremely important to know all markets, as well as how much certain quotas represent value in relation to a certain payment. This is called stake evaluation, which can be crucial when placing bets, but also when determining which teams to bet on. We believe that this is one of the main knowledge you must have in order to be profitable in sports betting.

You also need to compare not just the ice hockey betting odds but the given ice hockey betting lines since there can be major differences between the best online bookmakers and others.

A lot of bettors prefer betting on the goal line and are not aware that there are many ice hockey online sportsbooks that also offer to bet on the individual total scored by a certain team.

Another difference is that some bookmakers offer only 3-way moneyline while there are those who offer 2-way moneyline.

Regardless of whether you are a beginner or have betting experience, hockey is an overlooked sport in many areas. But the specifics of this sport and betting on it should not be missed. All you need is a little inquisitiveness, reading and familiarity with the terms.

Many researches have shown that the favorites are more important in hockey than in other sports. Only 41.2% of underdogs won as opposed to baseball for example where they won 42.5%. It sounds like a minor difference, but that 1.3% difference makes a big difference in winning tickets.

It's also interesting how hockey doesn't place as much importance on whether teams play on "home ice" as it does in other sports. It has to do with the stadiums, because hockey players are quite isolated from the crowd unlike other sports and have fewer distractions. For the NHL, the home win ratio is 54.9% and the away win ratio is 45.1%.

The importance of the goalkeeper

Goalkeepers in ice hockey often get a day off, especially if their team has had a string of successful games. While it probably doesn't matter as much as the starting pitcher in baseball or the starting quarterback in American football, the difference between a team's starting goaltender and the backup can be significant.

So, it is important to pay attention to which goalkeeper will start the match before you put money in your bet.