NHL puck lines are a great way to bet on hockey.

Key Points

• Understanding NHL puck lines is the first step in having success in betting the puck line in hockey.
• Bettors need to do their homework when making a betting decision on NHL puck lines.

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The three most popular ways to bet on sports involve the moneyline, point spread, and game totals. Hockey offers all three forms of betting though the sport varies a bit from others like football and basketball.

The puck line is the point spread in hockey, a sport where scoring is not as prolific as many other sports. Since scoring is so low in hockey, the puck line is typically set a 1.5.

In order to have success betting on hockey, it is important to have an understanding of NHL puck lines.

NHL Puck Line Example

A typical hockey bet may look like the following example. 

                        Penguins         -114     -1.5 (+184)      O6

                        Flyers              +104    +1.5 (-225)      U6

The bet shows all the markets available - moneyline, puck line, and total. The Penguins are the favorite in this case. Favorites will have a line with a minus “-” in front of it. In this case, Pittsburgh is a -114 favorite on the moneyline and is favored on the puck line as well.

To win a NHL puck line bet on the Penguins, Pittsburgh would have to win the game by at least two goals. If that ended up being the case, a $100 bet on the Penguins would pay out $184 as indicated by the “+184” in parentheses.

A Flyers win on the puck line would occur if Philadelphia loses by one goal or wins the game outright. The odds of -225 mean that a $225 wager is necessary to win $100. Maybe this concept of sports betting is a little advanced for you. You might want to check out our free picks.

How to Bet the Puck Line

In betting the NHL puck line, bettors need to do some homework. But the best sportsbooks to bet hockey will provide you with tips and strategy information.

However, when looking at tips to win more bets, they need to be part of your betting strategy. A quick look at the daily injury report is a good place to start. Key players that are out can give bettors an indication of which side of a bet to be on.

Matchups are another indicator of performance. This is especially true of goaltenders. Always look to see if a starting goaltender will be in net or if he will be rested and replaced by his backup.

Deep Dive Into NHL Puck Line Stats

Some bettors may dive a little deeper and look at some statistics.

One to look at is Corsi percentage. This is essentially a measure of how often and how long a team controls the puck in an opponent’s zone. Teams with higher Corsi percentages tend to score more often. This would be a statistic to look at when assessing matchups.

Rest is another key factor when studying hockey scores and odds. NHL teams will play on back-to-back nights and teams that are fatigued often do not play as well as they could if rested. Look at the rest factor when comparing two teams as well as their scoring and defense numbers when figuring out whether to bet on the puck line or not.

To have success betting NHL puck lines, first make sure you understand the bet. Then, do your homework and find the best puck line value.