Wagering on important ice hockey competitions can be a great way to engage with your favorite team and make the viewing experience even more entertaining
The most popular sports in America are clearly football, baseball, basketball, and soccer. However, you may be surprised to find out that professional ice hockey ranks high on the list as well as the NHL is one of the country’s major athletic organizations whose games are viewed by millions each year.
In fact, the Stanley Cup, one of ice hockey’s most important championships, was watched by a TV audience of over 2 million in 2020. Fans love to see their favorite players compete for the top spot in a sport that is as unique as it is vigorous. Hockey players exert a significant amount of energy during each match as gameplay combines speed, balance, hand-eye coordination, and shooting skills to successfully overcome opponents.
It’s no surprise then that hockey contains some of sport’s most devoted fans who comb through expert NHL picks year-round to place wagers on their preferred organizations and athletes. However, for the hockey enthusiast that is looking to get started in the sports betting world, it’s important to know what options are out there before diving in. Below we’ll take a look at a few of the most popular. After all, there’s never been a greater time to expand your knowledge since the season just kicked off this January.
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Money Line Bets
In hockey wagering, money line bets are hands down the most popular type of option. A common betting choice among other sports as well, money line bets stack up odds for the favorite teams and the underdogs and followers can choose between their preferred option. The organization that is unlikely to win will be shown with a positive sign where the teams with the highest odds will have a plus sign.
Values are given for each team as sportsbooks determine the money line and numbers depending on specific odds. Various factors are taken into account such as game location, roster, previous ranking statistics, and more. If you’re just setting out on hockey betting, this may be a great place to start.
Puck Line Bets
A more hockey-specific bet, puck line wagering refers to bets placed on a point spread of -1.5 goals for the favorite team and +1.5 for the unlikely winners. Because hockey is unlike football in the number of points scored, the spreads are lower than they are normally for other sports.
This type of betting is great for fans who are good at predicting scoreboard turnouts, but considering home field advantage and the talent / skill of goaltenders and shooters is extremely important. It’s vital that the bettor is aware of the current goalie superstars in the NHL and then he or she can make decisions accordingly.
Grand Salami Bets
Also specifically for hockey gameplay, grand salami bets are wagers that can be placed before a game and are true to their name in the sense that they are grand. This is because these types of bets are put on as many games as the bettor desires, wagering on total number of goals.
This type of bet is for the NHL fanatic who can’t decide on which competition to engage with. After all, only deciding to bet on your specific team is one of the biggest myths that exists in the industry. If you enjoy wagering across the league without being confined to one organization, this is the betting style for you.
Hockey is an intense, high-contact sport which lends it to have a variety of betting opportunities
Parlay Bets
Parlay bets are common in sports betting and if you’re familiar with the activity, you’ve probably heard of them by now. Because parlay bets combine most of the above types of wagers like money line, prop bets, and more, the bettor only wins if each bet is successful. For example, a fan could wager on the highly anticipated Stanley Cup game in addition to other competitions simultaneously. As you know, the Stanley Cup is one of North America’s most prestigious trophies, made out of silver and nickel, and every year, the winners become instant legends. In ice hockey, there’s no other contest that compares so for parlay bets, you almost certainly want to include a winner for the cup.
