Ice Hockey & NHL Betting

Ice hockey is one of the fastest team sports in the world, with passing, moving and goal scoring all done at lighting speed. Ice hockey, both in the North American ice hockey NHL season (National Hockey League) and international ice hockey, is action-packed, fast-paced, and provides a range of interesting betting options.

Whether you are new to online sports betting, or new to betting on ice hockey & NHL, our easy guide shows you just how quickly you can start betting on ice hockey games in any league around the world. We highlight four great ice hockey betting strategies, which you can try out at our leading ice hockey betting providers.

Ice Hockey & NHL Quick-Facts

• Ice hockey provides a number of excellent betting opportunities.
• Ice hockey is played all over the world, with major areas including North America (USA & Canada), Russia, Scandinavia and Europe.
• Goal bet opportunities such as number of total goals are popular bets in ice hockey.
• Handicap bets are popular in ice hockey betting.

Ice Hockey – Essential Strategies and Bets

Ice hockey is a massively popular sport that is followed all over the world. However, it is particularly popular in Russia, the USA, Canada, Europe and Scandinavia. With such popularity, you can be sure of finding plenty of markets and betting action at most good online sports betting providers. While ice hockey is considered a winter sport in the strictest terms, today’s hi-tech stadium means that you will always be able to find plenty of hockey games to bet on, regardless of the season.

Ice hockey is an extremely fast and highly demanding sport, it requires a combination of athleticism, skill and accuracy, tenacity and speed. From a betting point of view, a keen eye, plenty of research and the ability to bet comfortably in both pre-match and live betting markets is a must.

If you choose to start betting in ice hockey, both in the NHL as well as international arenas, you will need to:

1. Equip yourself with a thorough understanding of the game
2. Perform intensive research into current team statistics
3. Consider the following 4 ice hockey betting strategies

Ice Hockey Betting Strategy #1 – Handicap Betting

Handicap betting is a popular betting option that is found in many sports including soccer, American football, basketball, baseball and ice hockey. Essentially, handicap betting, also known as favourites/underdog betting, is when the sportsbook will extend the number of goals the favourite needs to win by. This gives the outsider (underdog) a fighting chance of beating the favourite, at least on the betting slip. While putting your money on the favourite is often a ‘sure thing’, you can expect lower odds than putting your bet on the outsider. You’ll need to decide game by game which is the right decision based on your research of the teams playing.

Ice Hockey Betting Strategy # 2 – Goal Betting

Goal betting is another one of the most popular betting options found across many sports including soccer and of course, ice hockey. Since ice hockey is such a fast-paced sport, anything can happen, and it often does. Goal scoring is a big deal in ice hockey, which is why you will find a lot of ice hockey bettors will go for the Over/Under bet. Here, you will need to predict whether the total score at the end of the game will be over or under a goal line set by the bookie. Ice hockey is the ideal live betting sport, and you will often find more value on the In-Play markets than pre-match. Make your pre-match bets but be sure to switch over to your live betting platform when the action starts to heat up.

Ice Hockey Strategy #3 – Keep Your Eye on the Playoffs

Ice Hockey, particularly in the NHL, is all about playoffs. After all, this is how champions are determined. Ice hockey is divided into various conferences and teams in each conference compete towards the playoffs and, ultimately, the championships. This is where research pays off, and knowing what each teams’ current strengths and weaknesses are can go a long way. As ice hockey NHL teams get closer to the playoffs, coaches may reserve their best players, or key players may suffer injuries, knocking them out of contention. These factors can count in your favour when it comes to pre-match betting.

Ice Hockey Strategy #4 – Draw in the Period

While hockey games usually don’t end in a draw, thanks to overtime periods in the event of a draw in regular time, you can still bet on a draw in each period. An ice hockey game is divided into three periods of twenty minutes each. Betting providers will often post odds for a tie in each period, which can carry odds of around 3.0 for a correct prediction.

Final Thoughts on Ice Hockey & NHL Betting

Ice hockey and NHL betting can be extremely rewarding. As long as you do your homework and research all of the teams that play in the league (or leagues) that you choose to bet in. Ice hockey betting presents enough betting markets to suit all levels of experience, from absolute novices up to pro-level ice hockey bettors. Check out our recommended sports betting providers for great ice hockey & NHL betting promotions and bonuses.