Hockey betting is not very unlike betting on football, basketball, or baseball, though it does have some peculiarities. For example, there is the goal line spread. An anomaly in the world of sports, the goal line in hockey is always set at 1.5 goals for every single game. This is due to the fact that, statistically speaking, the outcome of most hockey games is either a one goal difference or a tie. The team that has to cover the 1.5 goal line with a two-goal win or more is considered the favorite on the moneyline, while the team picked as having to win by two goals or more is not the favorite to cover the spread.
Another bet that is predicated on the overall outcome of the game involve the over/under. This is a very well known type of bet available for most sports and that requires no explanation. The same can be said for the simplest wager possible; that is, hockey betting on a team to win regardless of the score. However, there are other types of bets that can be made independently of the result of the match. These are called team or player prop bets and involve either individual or team accomplishments. For instance, the bettor may wager on which team will score the first goal; once that specific event has taken place the bet is over and the rest of the game has no influence on it.
Similarly, player prop bets hinge on individual performances, more often than not the number of goals and/or assists by a specific player. Player prop hockey betting odds are actually a hybrid of team prop bets and over/under bets. In other words, there is a number set for each player, and bettors wager on whether the player goes over or under that number. Currently, the NHL has just gone into the offseason, but that doesn’t mean there is no NHL betting; in fact, future odds for the following season are posted the very next day after the Stanley Cup Finals.