How to bet on Hockey in 2020
Hockey is one of the fastest and most skillful sports in the world. The players are skating around the ice at top speeds while still being able to control the puck. The National Hockey League (NHL) has long been the pinnacle of the sport, bringing the best players in the world together in a single league. As a result of the fast-paced action in hockey games, a lot of people really enjoy betting on the sport. This goes for both pre-game and in-game betting. This guide looks at the ins and outs of hockey betting and what you can do to maximize your chances of being a successful hockey bettor.
Hockey betting: The basics
A lot of people have great memories of hockey. Growing up watching iconic movies such as the Mighty Ducks and classic NHL games brings a lot of young people into the sport. The NHL is currently the fifth wealthiest major sports leagues after the NFL, MLB, NBA and the English Premier League in terms of revenue. The league attracts the best players from around the world, with more than 20 nations providing players to the competition.
The league has been around since 1917 and it is made up of 7 teams from Canada and 24 teams from North America. The Stanley Cup is the crown jewel of the sport, with every team battling it out from the first game of the season to be crowned as world champion come the end of the season.
It is interesting to note that almost half of the players currently playing in the NHL are from Canada, with about 27% being from the United States. Other countries that contribute a significant amount of players include Sweden, FInland, Czech Republic and Russia.
In terms of hockey betting, you have all sorts of different markets, from over/under betting to betting on the spreads. All of the big sportsbooks will have a great variety of markets, with many of them also allowing you to live stream NHL games.
Examples of hockey betting
If you are looking at an over/under bet for the winning margin of an NHL game between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Boston Bruins, the given sportsbook has set the over/under at 1.5 goals. The odds for this happening is +110.
Winning example of hockey betting
If you place a $10 bet on the game win margin to be at least 32 goals and the Boston Bruins win by four goals, you will earn a $11 profit and also get your $10 stake returned to you.
Losing example of hockey betting
If you bet $10 on the over/under for the win margin of the game and the Bruins only win by one goal, this means that you will lose your $10 stake and not win any return at all.
Biggest hockey events for betting
The hockey season always has many ups and downs. There are some teams that consistently perform well, with other teams being dark horses that come out of seemingly nowhere and compete at the highest level. Here are the three biggest NHL events that take place each season:
Stanley Cup
Naturally, the Stanley Cup is going to be the biggest NHL game that takes place each year. The winner will be crowned as the champion for the season and receive the iconic trophy. This was first awarded in 1893 and there are many teams that are competing every year. In recent years, the likes of the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins have been very successful in the Stanley Cup.
Eastern conference championship game
The eastern conference teams will all be aiming to be in the championship match come the end of the season. There are 16 teams in total in the conference, with 12 of them making it into the play-offs. The top four teams will receive the advanced seeding. The final is always hotly contested, with the place in the Stanley Cup being up for grabs.
Western conference championship game
The western conference is made up of 15 teams and each team is trying to come out on top of the play-offs in order to gain that coveted spot in the Stanley Cup. There will be 16 teams as part of the western conference from 2021 onwards as the Seattle Kraken will be the latest team to join.
Placing a bet on hockey: Step-by-Step
As soon as you are ready to start placing bets on NHL games, you should get signed up for a sports betting account. You can do this is a very easy way if you want to follow the following steps:
- Step 1: Select a sportsbook: There are a number of licensed sports betting sites in those states where the activity is currently legal. To see the specific sites that are available to you in your state, there is a state checker tool at Betting Billy that you can use.
- Step 2: Create your new account: As you now have selected a sportsbook, you can start the registration process. Add in the information that is asked for and provide proof of address and proof of ID. This is a necessary step in this day and age for all licensed platforms.
- Step 3: Make a deposit: You can now add funds to this new account using one of the available methods. You can check the processing times and see if there is a promo code you need to enter at this time to trigger a welcome free bet offer.
- Step 4: Start wagering: You can now take a look at the different hockey markets available and identify a potentially profitable opportunity. You can simply add this bet odds to your betslip and enter the sum you want to be on the outcome.
Hockey betting spreads betting for beginners: How to bet
Beginners can run into a lot of problems when they are first starting out. This is why it is important that they can learn from the mistakes of others. Here are some tips that can be implemented by new sports bettors to make sure that they are setting themselves up for success in the long run.
- Tip 1: Focus on a niche: By narrowing down your focus, you will be able to build up your knowledge about the players in a given team or conference a lot more than if you were spreading yourself too thin.
- Tip 2: Manage your money: It is going to be a learning experience when you are starting out with hockey betting. You need to make sure that you are not going to blow all of your money in the first week of betting. Make smaller bets and always assess where they went right and where they went wrong and make your money last for some time.
- Tip 3: Do your homework: Research pays off with hockey betting. You can keep an eye on the minor leagues for example to see what players are ones to watch for the future. You can also watch social media to see breaking updates regarding injuries, suspensions and trades. All of this info can help you make better decisions when betting.
- Tip 4: Try different things: In the beginning, you can learn the ropes by experimenting with different types of betting. This gives you a proper insight of tools should be used in certain betting circumstances.
- Tip 5: Get access to expert picks: There are many ways to become a better sports bettor. One of those ways is having a look at what the experts are doing. Billy’s List is a free sports picks service that sees the NHL predictions going straight to your inbox on a regular basis.
Hockey betting for professionals: How to bet
Making a full-time living off sports betting is a reality for a lot of people across the country. They look at different sports, including hockey to achieve this. Here are some common trends that have been noticed from the activities of these bettors:
- Get the best odds: There is no excuse for not getting the best odds for a bet you are making. All it requires is having a free sports betting account with all of the leading sportsbooks and seeing which has the best odds for a given event.
- Don’t get cocky or emotional: If you let emotions or your ego get the best of you when betting, this is a recipe for disaster. You need to keep your emotions in check and not think that you have the sports betting game carried out. Things can turn on their head very quickly if you are not otherwise careful.
- Spot the value: Most money for NHL betting goes towards the bigger teams and rivalries. However, there is often more value to be had in the less popular games where people are not betting as much and those setting the odds may not have as much knowledge.
Hockey betting: Try it now at one of the top 5 betting sites
There are plenty of great hockey betting sites out there today that you can use to place your bets. Many of them allow you to live stream NHL games and wager during these games. Whatever your needs may be, there is a solution for these preferences. Starting with a sports betting account takes a couple of minutes and you can then bet on your favorite NHL teams and players.
This is going to change on a state by state basis. There are certain states that allow you to place bets if you are 18 years old. Then there are other states where you can be 21 years old or older and place sports bets. Use the state checker tool to see what your state’s rules are.
There are some sportsbooks that allow you to live stream sports. Sometimes you will have to place a bet on this given game in order to view the live stream. The NHL has a deal with a number of leading sportsbooks to offer a live streaming service, so it is something to keep an eye out for when searching for a sportsbook.
This is entirely going to depend on your circumstances. The key rule of thumb is only depositing a sum that you are going to be happy to lose. Never deposit above your means or else your debt can quickly rack up. This is why it is best to set deposit limits in a lot of cases so you don’t let your emotions get the best of you.
Most online sportsbooks will offer you in-game betting markets for hockey games. These markets will update in real-time, reflecting the current situation of the game. Some offerings will be better than others in terms of the selection of in-game markets and the viewing experience.
There is a geolocation feature that is integrated into mobile sportsbooks that means you can be tracked when you are logged into your account. Your exact address will not be disclosed, just the state that you are in. This is done to ensure that you are betting in a state where sports betting and that given platform is licensed.
