Hockey is a popular sport to bet on here in the United States. The NHL is a top four professional league in America, and Team USA has become a legitimate contender in International competitions. The game is fast-paced, action-packed, and great for betting.
On this page I will outline the best betting sites for US residents, explain the three most common hockey bets, and provide a simple three guide to getting your first hockey wagers placed online.
Where To Bet On Hockey in America
| Sportsbook | Bonus | Visit |
|---|---|---|
 |
50% up to $250 in Free Bets | Visit |
 |
100% up to $250 | Visit |
 |
100% up to $1000 | Visit |
These are our three top rated betting sites for US residents interested in betting on hockey online. All three of these sites are popular and trusted by American bettors.
Hockey Betting Options
There are typically three hockey betting options prominently displayed for each game. These include the money line (to win), puck line (spread) and the total points (over/under). Below I will explain each of these popular hockey bets using an example.
Money Line (To Win)
The most popular hockey bet is simply wagering on which team will win the game. This is called the money line or “to win” bet. The odds for each team determine the risk vs reward of betting on that team to win the game.
In this example, the Avalanche vs Lightning game is close to a pick’em. Tampa Bay is a very slight favorite with odds of -108. This means you would have to bet $108 to win $100 betting on the Lightning to win the game.
Puck Line
The puck line is typically a 1.5 goal spread. The favorite must win the game by 2 or more goals for a -1.5 puck line bet on them to win, while the underdog must either win the game outright or lose by 1 goal for a +1.5 puck line bet to win.
In this example the Avalanche -1.5 puck line has odds of +220, which means a $100 bet on Avalanche -1.5 would win $220 if they won the game by 2 or more goals.
The Lightning have puck line odds of +1.5 (-260), which means you would have to risk $260 to win $100 betting the Lightning to either win the game or lose by 1.
Total (Over/Under)
The total is a bet on the number of goals scored in the game by both teams. The oddsmaker will set a “total” and you can bet on whether the total goals scored will be over or under this amount.
In this example the total is set at 6 goals. If 7 or more goals are scored in the game the “over” bets would win, while if 5 or fewer goals are scored the “under” bets would win. If exactly 6 goals are scored in the game the over/under bets would “push” and wagers would be returned.
How To Bet On Hockey – 3 Step Guide
Follow these three steps to start betting on hockey online within minutes.
Step 1. Join A Betting Site
First you will have to open an account with an online betting site that accepts US bettors. I’ve recommended three popular and trusted betting sites for Americans above.
For this three step guide I will be using BetOnline.ag for the examples. They offer reduced juice betting lines for all NHL games, and are our top rated betting site for US residents.
Click here to visit BetOnline.ag, select ‘Join Now’ on the home page and complete the sign up form to open your account.
Step 2. Deposit Funds
You will have to deposit the money that you want to bet on hockey games. Log into your BetOnline account and click on the ‘Deposit’ button. Select your preferred deposit method, enter the deposit amount, and follow the instructions for your deposit method of choice.
BetOnline accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Bitcoin, Ethereum, other cryptocurrencies and various e-wallet deposits. You can use promo code BOL1000 when making your first deposit to opt-in to a welcome bonus equal to 50% of your deposit, up to $1000.
Step 3. Place Your Hockey Bets
It’s time to place your hockey bets.
- Click ‘Sports’ from the top menu bar.
- Open the ‘Hockey’ drop down menu and select the league or bet type you want to make (NHL for example).
- Select the odds of the bet you want to make to add it to your Bet Slip.
- Enter your Risk Amount on the Bet Slip and click ‘Place Bet’ to lock in the wager.
That’s it. You should now have your hockey bets placed online. Click here to visit BetOnline.ag.
Check out our sports betting guide section for more beginner articles to help you get started betting online.
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