Hockey Point Spread Betting
Hockey point spread betting works the same as point spreads in all sports. Hockey betting sites use point spreads to make both sides of every bet attractive to potential bettors. The goal here is to get an equal amount of hockey betting action on both sides of every hockey bet.
Best Hockey Betting Sites For Point Spread Bets
In a hockey point spread bet, the sports betting site specifies that the favored team must win by X number of goals for bets on that team to win. The underdog can lose by up to X points and still be considered the winners. The payouts are the same for both teams, so the only thing you have to consider is whether each team can cover the spread.
Pure hockey point spread betting is actually somewhat rare today. Most hockey betting websites use puck lines and moneylines to facilitate wagers on hockey games. The hockey puck line, which is a combination of point spreads and moneylines, is the most common type of hockey bet online.
Hockey Point Spread Betting Example
Here’s what typical hockey point spread wagers look like. This example is just made up to illustrate the idea. Most hockey betting sites today do not offer straight up point spreads for wagering.
- Toronto Maple Leafs +1.5
- Washington Capitals -1.5
In this hockey bet, the Capitals are giving 1.5 points to the Maple Leafs. This means that the Capitals have to win by at least two goals for any bets on the Capitals to be considered winners at online sports betting sites. If you bet on the Capitals and they only win by one goal, you will lose the hockey bet.
If you want to bet on the Maple Leafs, you’ll be receiving 1.5 points. At the end of the game, you win your bet if the Maple Leafs win outright or only lose by one goal. A simple way to look at it is that you add 1.5 points to the final score of the Maple Leafs to determine whether or not your bet is a winner.
The half point is used to prevent any possibility of a push (bet is considered a tie and nobody wins or loses). In that case, the sportsbook would just refund everyone their bets. This is not a desirable income so you will usually see half points in hockey spread bets.
Point Spreads At Hockey Betting Sites
Online sports betting sites rarely offer pure hockey point spread betting. Instead, most hockey betting sites offer puck lines. In a puck line, there is a point spread like we described above but they also use a moneyline to alter the payout odds. Hockey is a low scoring sport overall, so this setup works the best for real money bets.
In a hockey puck line bet, each team still must cover the spread for bets on that team to be considered wins. But instead of offering even money payouts, the bettors are paid according to the moneyline for that game at the hockey betting site.
You’ll find the best hockey point spreads (puck lines) by visiting any of our top recommended hockey betting sites. These online sportsbooks have strong reputations for security and fairness, so you can place your wagers with peace of mind. These online betting sites are large operations that allow for bets on every NHL game of the season.