From the Habs, Sens and Leafs to the Jets, Flames, Oilers and Canucks, NHL hockey is central to Canadian identity. Hockey betting is about to become an even bigger part of that identity with widespread NHL odds hitting private online sportsbooks.
While NFL and NBA betting see most of the heavy betting action south of the border, NHL betting will rule in Canada. Below we’ll show you how to bet on the NHL online in Canada.
Best NHL Betting Sites in Canada
|
Operator
|
Bonus
|
Features
|
Claim Now
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
100% Match
Up to 600 $ |
|
|
|
Welcome package:
|
|
|
|
100% Match
Up to 23000 $ |
|
|
|
100% Match
Up to 1800 $ |
|
|
|
100% Match
Up to 900 $ |
|
|
|
100% Match
Up to 3000 $ |
|
|
|
100% Match
Up to $100 |
|
|
|
100% Match
|
|
|
|
100% Match
Up to 92200 $ |
|
|
How to bet on the NHL online in Canada
Private online sportsbooks and sports betting apps can now offer virtually any kind of NHL bet under the sun. And they bring fair-market NHL odds with them.
The very first step of placing bets on the NHL in Canada is signing up for an online sportsbook. Creating a new account can be done in a few easy steps on either a computer or phone, so you can be placing bets on NHL games quickly. Take the following steps:
- Go to the signup page for the sportsbook of your choice.
- Fill out all required information (email, address, upload photo ID) to create your new account. This takes just a few moments and will activate your account.
- Deposit into your new sportsbook account.
- Once your account has been filled, your balance can be used as you begin placing bets.
Best NHL bets for beginners
While there’s little chance you’re new to the NHL, there’s a good chance you’re new to NHL hockey betting. That means you should probably stick to the basics. Here are some NHL bets we recommend for beginners.
Stanley Cup futures
Stanley Cup futures bets are great for beginners. You can pick a team in the offseason or early season, and the prices are almost always good, even on the real favourites. Good futures prices give you the chance to win a lot for very little and give you bets to sweat all season long.
- Win In Regulation: Just like it sounds, a win in regulation bet, the 60-minute line, is a bet on a team to win in regulation. Overtime and shootout wins don’t count, so the team you bet on must get it done in three periods. This alternative to the standard moneyline bet offers better prices, making it a little easier to bet on big standard moneyline favourites.
- No Scoring: Bets on a shutout in regulation time often pay well and can be good for beginners when two defensive-minded teams match up. It’s not a basic bet per se, but only basic research is required, and even small bets on both teams failing to put the puck in the net offer decent paydays.
- Totals: Starting out with over/unders (for a period, game or team) is recommended because they are very simple bets to understand and follow along. When betting moneylines, many new bettors gravitate toward favourites, which can be costly. Betting on totals means using much more modest lines and not risking as much compared to moneyline favourites.
- Shots On Goal: This is an under-the-radar prop bet that is easy to understand. Many Canadians that may not have started single-game betting could be interested in fantasy hockey, and shots on goal is a category that fantasy players are likely know well and could enjoy.
- First Period Unders: The first period of nearly every NHL game comes with a total of 1.5 goals. When two starting goaltenders are in net, especially when the teams are strong defensively, taking the under can be a valuable bet. It also doesn’t require beginners to watch the entire three-hour game. The wager covers only one period.
NHL puck lines/moneyline/totals
- Puck Line — Win bet — Lock in currently posted odds on favorites (-) or underdogs (-) — Pays at odds posted when you place your bet
- Moneyline — Win bet with a puck line, or spread, factored into the final score — Lock in currently posted odds on favorites (-) or underdogs (-) — Pays at odds posted when you place your bet
- Totals — Total combined score bet — Opens equal on both sides with small vig — Pays at odds posted when you place your bet
How does moneyline betting work in hockey?
Moneyline bets are simply on which side will win a game. Regardless of the score or anything else, all moneylines require is the team you selected to emerge victorious.
When reading moneyline decimal odds, use the number 2.00 as a line of demarcation between favourites and underdogs. Most games will have one team with odds below 2.00 favourite and one team with odds above 2.00 (underdog). The higher the odds go, the larger the potential payout.
When oddsmakers feel the two sides are equal, it is possible for both sides to have odds slightly under 2.00. But in many cases, the favourite and the underdog will be clear by looking at the odds.
In our example, the Winnipeg Jets are the favourite with 1.67 odds. This means that a $1 risk wins $0.67 in profit for a total of $1.67. If you wanted to risk $100 on the Jets, you could win $67 in profit for a total of $167.
The Senators are the underdog at 2.40, which means a $1 bet can win $1.40 in profit and a total $2.40. If betting the same $100 on Ottawa, the bettor can win $140 and gain a return of $240 in total.
Unless otherwise noted, moneylines in hockey involve regulation time along with any potential overtime or shootout. And the same thing goes with baseball. Unless stipulated, all moneylines include extra innings.
How does puck line betting work on NHL games?
Puck lines are the hockey betting version of a point spread. So even if some Canadians haven’t heard that exact terminology, understanding the puck line is simple if you grasp the point spread in other sports.
The puck line represents how much a team must win or lose by in order to win the wager. The favourite has a negative symbol next to its puck line, and the underdog bears a positive sign.
What separates puck lines from point spreads, however, is the fact that puck lines don’t change. In other sports, like the NFL and NBA, the spread could be four points for one game and nine points for another game, and payouts are similar on both sides. But when betting on hockey, the favourite is always -1.5 goals, and the underdog is always +1.5 goals. Oddsmakers account for the difference between NHL teams by altering the odds that accompany the puck line, rather than the line itself.
Favourites need to win by two for a successful wager, and the odds are enhanced compared to moneylines. In our example, the Jets play this role at -1.5 (2.65). A $100 bet on Winnipeg means winning $165 in profit and earning a full return of $265 into your sportsbook account, if the Jets can win by two or more goals.
Underdogs can lose the game by a goal and still win the wager. The extra goal on the puck line can make for a safer bet while also making the odds a bit worse for the bettor. If taking Ottawa +1.5 (1.54), you win if the Senators are outright winners or lose the game by just one goal. A $100 bet would bring back $54 in profit for a total of $154 returning to your balance.
Many Canadian online sportsbooks will also offer alternate puck lines. These are essentially prop markets that allow you to buy or sell goals in exchange for modified odds. This is where bettors can sell goals and take either team -2.5 or -3.5 goals for a much larger payout. Or you can play it safe and buy goals on a +2.5 or +3.5 line and get lesser odds.
How do I bet on totals in hockey?
Totals, also known as over/unders, are relatively simple bets to understand. All bettors are required to do is guess whether the combined score of the game will be over or under the total set by oddsmakers. In most situations, both sides of the total will have similar odds and potential payouts.
In our Jets-Senators game, the total is set at six goals for both sides. A wager on the Over 6 (1.95) means winning $.95 in profit for every $1 wagered. For example, a $10 bet would win $9.50 in profit for a total of $19.50.
On the other side, an Under 6 (1.87) bet involves winning $.87 for every $1. This means a $10 bet could earn $8.70 in total profit, giving you $18.70 in total.
Betting on NHL props & futures
NHL futures and props start with picking the Stanley Cup winner but extend well beyond that. Here’s a look at some of the most popular NHL futures and prop bets:
- Win Totals: Bet on a team to win more or fewer games than the line set by oddsmakers in the offseason.
- Division/Conference Winner: Bet on a team to win its division or make the Stanley Cup Finals by winning its conference.
- Playoffs: Bet on a team to make the playoffs or win a series.
- NHL Awards: Bet on who will win an annual NHL award, including:
- Hart Trophy Odds | MVP
- Art Ross Trophy Odds | Points Leader
- Rocket Richard Trophy Odds | Goals Leader
- Norris Trophy odds | Best Defenceman
- Vezina Trophy odds | Best Goalie
- Calder Trophy odds | Rookie of the Year
- Selke Trophy odds | Best Defensive Forward
- Lady Byng Trophy odds | Most Gentlemanly Player
For NHL props within a single game, look for:
- 1st/2nd/3rd Period Moneylines, Spreads and Totals
- 1st/2nd/3rd Period Correct Score
- 60 Minute Moneyline (three-way ML including ties)
- Goal Scorer (First, Last, Anytime)
- Player Shots On Goal (Over,Under)
- Player 1+, 2+, 3+ Points
- To Score First & Win
- Team Total Goals (by period & full game)
NHL Playoffs and Stanley Cup betting
The playoffs are one of the most exciting spectacles on the sports calendar. When they arrive, betting sites see an increase in action. As teams push for Lord Stanley’s trophy, sportsbooks prepare by offering even more betting options than during the regular season.
In addition to the many single-game markets outlined above, each playoff series comes with its own slate of futures betting options, including the following:
- Series Winner
- Exact Series Outcome
- Total Games In Series
Of course, you can also bet on the Stanley Cup champion and the Conn Smythe Trophy winner for MVP of the playoffs throughout the postseason.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs is a set bracket format consisting of four best-of-seven series. The top three teams from each of the four NHL divisions in two conferences make up the first 12 playoff teams. The other four spots are filled by the two teams with the next best records in each conference, regardless of division.
The first round sees the division winner with the best record in each conference play the lowest-seeded Wild Card team. The division winner with the next best record in each conference plays the other wild card, and the teams finishing second and third in each division play each other. Teams advance through the bracket headed by their respective division winners. Home-ice advantage goes to the team with the best record in each series.
Live betting on NHL hockey games
In-game NHL betting is the evolution of NHL betting. It takes game-watching to another level by allowing you to bet in the middle of the action. You place your bets at odds that change on the fly with the action on the ice. For the most part, the betting happens inside the same markets you bet on before the game, at constantly changing odds. However, in-game wagering also opens up an increased number of props.
It’s a fun and exciting way to bet on the NHL. But most of all, it’s fast, making it hard to get a bet down without the use of a betting app on your mobile phone. Live sports betting odds can change that fast.
Can I bet on NHL hockey fights?
Fighting is a part of hockey, but it’s not really a part of NHL betting. That’s mostly because fights are not sanctioned or scheduled. That said, there are penalties for fighting, and you may be able to find props on penalty minute totals.
Does overtime count for hockey betting?
In the NHL regular season, tied games go to overtime, and if they’re still tied after that, they go to a shootout. A win in OT or a shootout is still a win and an official result, meaning this counts in most NHL bets. Of course, you can bet on a team to win in regulation. Then, OT and shootouts don’t count.
Hockey betting rules
Sportsbooks publish rules for how they handle all NHL betting. Read them. Plus, peruse this list of basic hockey betting rules to see how most books work when it comes to NHL wagering:
- Only official NHL statistics and results count.
- Overtime goals count for totals and player props.
- Shootout wins are equal one goal.
- Trades, teams moving and changing names in season do not void futures.
Why should you choose legal betting sites in Canada?
With Canadians betting up to an estimated $14 billion on sports through illegal channels every year, you may have placed an NHL bet with an offshore online sportsbook before.
Betting with offshore online sportsbooks means zero consumer protection. That means nowhere to run to if you have an issue and the possibility these books could close up and disappear with your money overnight. With illegal offshore online sportsbooks your money and personal information are never safe. With legal and licensed sportsbooks, the provincial and federal governments guarantee security.
Try these strategies and see if they work for you. Visit one of our recommended sports betting sites and start betting on hockey today.
