What does it mean to bet the puck line? In this article, Canadians will find a comprehensive overview of puck line betting.
This article will explain how puck line betting works on hockey, how online sportsbooks create puck lines, and when betting the puck line is the riskier compared to the safer betting option.
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We will also cover in more depth how it is different than betting on the moneyline.
A quick overview of the difference between the two is the moneyline when betting on hockey involves picking the outright while the puck line involves picking a team to cover a 1.5-goal spread.
If you are looking for information on moneyline betting instead, check out our complete moneyline explained page.
HOW DO PUCK LINE ODDS WORK?
The purpose of a puck line is to handicap hockey teams and provide bettors with different odds when betting.
A handicap is a standard 1.5-goal handicap, with the moneyline favourite needing to win by 1.5 goals.
If Team A is a moneyline favourite has 1.72 odds, then at -1.5 on the puck line their odds are 3.00. If in the same game, Team B is a 2.15 hockey odds underdog on the moneyline, then their odds on the puck line at +1.5 are 1.42.
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It is important to note that in most moneyline and puck line scenarios, the underdog on the moneyline is the favourite on the puck line.
Odds on the moneyline favourite typically need to be between 1.35 and 1.01 for the moneyline favourite to be the odds favourite on the puck line still.
The information above is helpful when determining when to bet on puck lines. When the moneyline odds are very close, most bettors prefer to stick to betting on the moneyline.
When the moneyline between the two teams is further apart, the puck line is a more enticing betting option.
Bettors can also get puck line odds in fractional format. For the example above, Team A would have fractional odds on the puck line of 59/50, and Team B would have fractional odds of 100/141.
Both odds formats offer the same payout on correct wagers.
Puck lines betting odds were created as a way to handicap hockey games. Online sportsbooks follow a standard 1.5-goal handicap and adjust their odds.
The amount the online sportsbooks move their odds depends on how close are the moneyline odds. This is just one way how betting odds work on online sportsbooks.
Also, online sportsbooks will adjust puck line odds if the public is favouring one opposite much more than the other. You may see the odds on the puck line looking much further or closer together than usual. This happens when they are moving the puck line but keeping the moneyline consistent.
How do Bet With Puck Line Odds?
To bet on puck lines, the first step is to create an account with one of our recommended online sportsbooks.
When choosing an online sportsbook to create an account with, you should check the bonuses available on the account. Many of our top-rated partners offer bonuses to new users, which they can use to bet on puck lines.
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After you have created an account and claimed your bonus, you should next compare the odds of puck lines open for betting.
Comparing the odds available will help make your betting process easier. Once you have followed these steps, you can start betting on puck lines.
To bet on the puck line, go to the hockey section of the online sportsbooks. Pick the league you want to bet and look for the puck line on the game you want.
The puck line is typically the second option to bet, sandwiched between moneyline odds and the over/under line odds.
On a mobile site, you may need to select the puck line from the drop-down menu at the top, if the online sportsbook only shows one option at a time on their mobile site or application.
Puck line betting is available on every NHL game throughout the NHL regular season and playoffs.
They are also available on plenty of our hockey leagues in North American and around the world. Also, the odds offered online are comparable to Vegas odds on hockey games.
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Is Puck Line Betting Riskier than Normal Moneyline Betting?
Since betting on a puck line creates a handicap, it makes one betting option riskier, while the other betting option safer.
Betting the team that needs to win by more than 1.5 goals is a riskier bet. Many hockey games (especially in the National Hockey League) go to overtime every season.
Adding in one-goal games that end in regulation means and the times the moneyline underdog wins means picking A Team to win by at least 1.5 goals is a much risky proposition.
The reverse is said about picking the +1.5 underdog on the puck line. There is a higher chance of this bet paying off, but the return is less in the event they win the game.
Puck Line Betting and Parlays
Sometimes when looking at the betting line on puck lines, the odds may favour the option to parlay your wagers. Parlaying puck lines is easy.
All a bettor needs to do to parlay puck lines is bet more than one puck line on their betting card. The more puck line bets on a single betting card, the higher the potential winnings (although, the more puck lines bet at once increases the over risk assumed by the bettor).
Our free odds calculator tool is a useful way to judge potential winnings and risk before placing a bet.
Puck lines can be parlayed with other betting options as well, including NHL moneylines, NHL over/under lines and NHL game props. They can even be parlayed with other sports betting lines.
Best Places for Puck Line Betting in Canada
To find the best places to bet on the puck line in Canada, we recommend checking out one of our top-rated online partners.
All our partners know the Canadian market and provide Canadians with excellent hockey puck lines throughout the year.
Our partners also offer the best Stanley Cup odds.
They provide Canadians with the top puck lines on the games as well as excellent odds on everything else including NHL Stanley Cup futures, which update throughout the year.
Puck Line Betting in NHL Matches
Throughout the NHL season, we find the best puck lines to bet on the biggest hockey games of the week.
Check out our NHL odds pages to find the best puck line betting, as well as other great NHL betting lines on upcoming NHL games.
