The National Hockey League (NHL) is the world's premier hockey tournament, featuring teams from Canada and the United States. Each hockey game is expected to be very physical, which adds to the overall hype surrounding each contest. Betting on your favorite team to win, or on some of the game's more unique player props (such as how many times a particular player will be checked into the boards) can be done from anywhere in the world. The NHL consists of 31 teams from 6 different North American conferences. Each team competes in a 5-month, 82-game regular season in hopes of qualifying for the playoffs and (more importantly) the Stanley Cup Final.
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How Do You Bet on Hockey?
Get your blood pumping with NHL betting where chaos reigns supreme. When it comes to NHL betting, nothing is certain. You can go through game after game and make your picks based on who knows what. But if you don't understand the basics of betting, what's the point? We've compiled the strongest lines to bet on NHL games for this season and for as long as the NHL action continues, all the way up to the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.
- NHL Futures - You can place an NHL bet on the hockey team with the best odds to win the Stanley Cup before the competition even begins.
- This bet should be backed by the team's previous performance in last season's competition.
- Moneyline Explained - For bets on specific NHL games, you can pick the team with the strongest roster to win.
- NHL Picks and Parlays - each online bookmaker will offer odds on the most competitive games of the round.
- Select multiple hockey games to bet on with a single betting slip and watch the potential return on your bet grow.
- Puck Lines - this is the version of hockey handicapping where oddsmakers try to balance the scales by predicting the winner of the game as well as the score.
NHL Betting Tips
The National Hockey League runs from October to June each year. Players have plenty of opportunities to make up lost bets. The advantage of betting on hockey online is that you can get a good feel for how other bettors are betting. This is thanks to the numerous forums dedicated to NHL betting that pop up every day, offering advice on how to stay on the right side of the betting line. Our expert tipsters have figured out which bets are going to be, shall we say, humdingers, and which are going to leave bettors scratching their heads. They offer their services free of charge to help you place your bets and keep your head above water.
- To begin with, players should focus on a particular conference and gain a detailed understanding of the various teams that make up the competition.
- Betting on NHL point spreads is the most common form of betting you will find. Wager on NHL scores and watch your initial investment grow.
- Players need to understand the different segments of the game. A hockey game consists of three periods, each lasting 20 minutes. Bets can be placed on any one of the three periods or on all three if you are betting on the game as a whole.
- When placing your bets, remember to keep the NHL schedule in mind. Some teams struggle to get results when playing on the road, while others relish the chance to play in front of their home fans.
NHL Betting Odds
Online hockey betting is much better than betting at land based bookmakers. Betting on the NHL allows the use of decimal odds, which can be found on almost all top betting sites in Canada. Our example below shows how two decimal odds can be converted to the more standard American fractional odds often used in the US.
Pittsburgh Penguins (2.00) vs. Los Angeles Kings (1.50)
This indicates that the Kings are considered the most likely team to win a playoff series against the Penguins. If you placed a bet on the Kings to win this series and your bet amount was $100, then to figure out how much you could win if the Kings actually did win, you would simply multiply $100 by the 3/1 odds to get $300.
Here is a comprehensive list of the divisions within the National Hockey League that you will encounter when placing bets on the NHL at online sportsbooks: Atlantic Division Metropolitan Division Central Division Pacific Division
- Eastern Conference
- Eastern Conference Metropolitan
- Western Conference Pacific
- Western Conference
- Eastern Conference Atlantic
- Western Conference Central
Past Stanley Cup Winners
Here’s a list of the most recent winners of the Stanley Cup Championship:
| Season | Winner | Conference |
| 2022 | Colorado Avalanche | Western Conference |
| 2021 | Tampa Bay Lightning | Eastern Conference |
| 2020 | Tampa Bay Lightning | Eastern Conference |
| 2019 | St. Louis Blues | Western Conference |
| 2018 | Washington Capitals | Eastern Conference Metropolitan |
| 2017 | Pittsburgh Penguins | Eastern Conference |
| 2016 | Pittsburgh Penguins | Eastern Conference |
| 2015 | Chicago Blackhawks | Western Conference Central |
| 2014 | Los Angeles Kings | Western Conference Pacific |
| 2013 | Chicago Blackhawks | Western Conference Central |
| 2012 | Los Angeles Kings | Western Conference Pacific |
| 2011 | Boston Bruins | Eastern Conference Atlantic |
| 2010 | Chicago Blackhawks | Western Conference Central |
| 2009 | Pittsburgh Penguins | Eastern Conference |
| 2008 | Detroit Red Wings | Eastern Conference Atlantic |