NHL Betting Guide: Puck Lines, Totals, and Moneylines Explained
Hockey is a low-scoring sport — most NHL games finish somewhere in the range of 5 to 7 combined goals — and that single fact shapes almost every NHL betting market. A one-goal swing means far more in hockey than a one-point swing means in basketball, which is why the moneyline, not the spread, is the default way most people bet NHL games.
Why the moneyline is the default NHL bet
Because goals are relatively rare and often decided by small margins, a traditional point spread doesn't fit hockey especially well — most games are simply too close to a single goal apart to make a wide handicap meaningful. Instead, most NHL bets are placed on the moneyline: simply picking the winner, with odds reflecting each team's implied win probability. This is different from the NFL and NBA, where the spread is usually the primary market.
The puck line: hockey's version of a spread
The NHL does have a spread-style bet, called the puck line, but it's fixed at 1.5 goals on almost every game rather than moving game to game the way a football or basketball spread does. Betting the favorite on the puck line (-1.5) means they need to win by 2 or more goals; betting the underdog (+1.5) means they win the bet if they lose by exactly one goal or win outright. Because the number itself doesn't change, the odds attached to each side move instead — a heavy favorite might be -1.5 at a much shorter price than a genuine toss-up game would be.
| Bet type | How it works in the NHL |
|---|---|
| Moneyline | Pick the straight-up winner; the default, most-used NHL bet |
| Puck line | Fixed 1.5-goal spread; odds move instead of the number itself |
| Total (over/under) | Combined goals, commonly set around 5.5 or 6 |
Totals in a low-scoring sport
NHL totals are typically set in a tight band, often 5.5 or 6 goals, since scoring is more consistent game-to-game than in a high-variance sport like basketball. That said, empty-net goals late in one-goal games (when a trailing team pulls its goaltender for an extra skater) are a well-known factor that can push a total over in the final minute of an otherwise low-scoring game — worth knowing since it's a distinctly hockey-specific quirk that doesn't have a clean equivalent in other major sports.
Overtime and shootout rules affect settlement
Regular-season NHL games that are tied after regulation go to a short overtime period, followed by a shootout if still tied. How a sportsbook settles a bet in this scenario depends on the specific market: moneyline bets typically pay out based on the final result including overtime/shootout, while some derivative markets (like "regulation time" moneylines, where offered) settle strictly on the 60-minute score. Always check a specific bet's settlement rules before assuming how overtime affects it.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the puck line almost always set at 1.5 goals?
Because NHL games are so frequently decided by exactly one goal, a fixed 1.5-goal line lets books adjust the odds on each side to reflect the actual matchup, rather than needing to move the number itself the way a football or basketball spread does.
What is an empty-net goal, and why does it matter for totals?
A trailing team late in a close game will often pull its goaltender for an extra attacking skater, leaving their own net empty. This creates extra scoring chances for the leading team and is a well-known way a total can go over in the closing minute of a game that looked like it was heading under.
Does the moneyline include overtime and shootout results?
Typically yes for a standard NHL moneyline bet — it settles on the final result of the game, including any overtime or shootout. Specialty markets like a "regulation time" line are a separate bet type with different settlement rules, so it's worth checking the specific market before betting.
Why does NHL betting feel less mainstream than NFL or NBA betting?
It's largely a market-size and media-coverage difference rather than anything about the sport's suitability for betting — hockey has a smaller US TV audience overall than football or basketball, which translates into a smaller (though still substantial and dedicated) betting market.