The general public's indifference to hockey serves bettors well as oddsmakers are less diligent when coming up with hockey wagers compared to football, basketball and baseball.
HOCKEY WAGERS
Hockey wagers require at least 55 minutes of play to have 'action'. Overtime counts. Wagers on any hockey match that is postponed or cancelled before it is 'official' (55 mins) are considered 'no action', unless the outcome of the wager has already been decided at the time of cancellation - like a proposition wager on 'which team will score first' will have 'action' once there has been a score in the game.
In the US, hockey wagers resemble baseball wagers (baseball run lines are similar hockey puck lines). In Europe, hockey wagers resemble soccer wagers (you can bet on the "Draw").
Hockey may not be as popular as football, basketball or baseball. But hockey wagers may prove to be the most profitable wager among these popular sports.
There are thousands of hockey matches happening all over the world, even in some countries from South America, Africa and the Middle East. The International Ice Hockey Federation has about 74 members, to date.
Hockey is one of the main highlights of the Winter Olympics. Even players from various professional leagues (like the NHL, KHL and SHL) play for their respective national teams and participate in the winter Olympics.
If you can't wait for the next Winter Olympics (which happens every four years), you can watch out for the annual World Championships where the top 16 national teams compete. Like the Winter Olympics, many star hockey players participate in the World Championships.
Of course there are the different professional leagues in different countries across the globe where hockey wagers are readily offered:
- National Hockey League (NHL, United States)
- International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF, International)
- Kontinental Hockey League (KHL, Russia)
- Swedish Hockey League (SHL, Sweden)
- American Hockey League (AHL, United States – minor or developmental league of the NHL)
- Czech Extraliga (ELH, Czech Republic)
- Liiga (Finland)
- NLA (National League A, Switzerland)
- DEL (Deutsche Eishockey Liga, Germany)
- EBEL (Erste Bank Eishockey Liga, Austria)
- Slovak Extraliga (Tipsport Extraliga, Slovakia)
In the US, hockey wagers are also offered on college (NCAA) hockey games.
The general public's indifference to hockey serves bettors well as oddsmakers don't spend the same diligence in coming up with hockey wagering odds compared to football, basketball and baseball.
Betting limits on hockey wagers are also generally lower compared to those in football or basketball - a sign that sportsbooks are cautious in accepting hockey wagers.
NHL Game Wagers
| Date | Team | Puck Line | Money Line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Apr. 20, 05:00pm EDT |
New York Islanders at | (+1.5) -147 | +201 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | (-1.5) +127 | -227 | |
| Sat, Apr. 20, 08:05pm EDT |
Toronto Maple Leafs at | (+1.5) -240 | +109 |
| Boston Bruins | (-1.5) +200 | -123 | |
| Sun, Apr. 21, 12:35pm EDT |
Tampa Bay Lightning at | (+1.5) -180 | +147 |
| Florida Panthers | (-1.5) +160 | -165 | |
| Sun, Apr. 21, 03:05pm EDT |
Washington Capitals at | (+1.5) -145 | +199 |
| New York Rangers | (-1.5) +125 | -225 | |
| Sun, Apr. 21, 07:05pm EDT |
Colorado Avalanche at | (+1.5) -275 | -106 |
| Winnipeg Jets | (-1.5) +230 | -106 | |
| Sun, Apr. 21, 10:05pm EDT |
Nashville Predators at | (+1.5) -205 | +129 |
| Vancouver Canucks | (-1.5) +175 | -145 | |
| Mon, Apr. 22, 09:35pm EDT |
Vegas Golden Knights at | (+1.5) -240 | +114 |
| Dallas Stars | (-1.5) +200 | -128 | |
| Mon, Apr. 22, 10:05pm EDT |
Los Angeles Kings at | (+1.5) -190 | +143 |
| Edmonton Oilers | (-1.5) +165 | -161 |