Hockey betting has always been down the list of priorities for both the bettor and the sportsbook. The good news when you bet on hockey is that the odds are ignored a great deal which can offer opportunities for weak hockey betting lines.
Hockey betting lines are set up very similar to the baseball money line in which the gambler will lay out minus money on a favorite or take plus money on a dog. For example, if San Jose is a minus-160 chalk against Phoenix, the hockey betting gambler has the option of laying $160 to win $100 or the 16/10 equivalent on the Sharks or betting $100 to win $140 or the 10-14 equivalent.
As is the case in the other sports there is also an over/under totals line on most all hockey betting games. One of the big changes in recent seasons has been the increased scoring. Goals are up and the hockey betting oddsmakers has made the totals higher. Remember that hockey totals are also based on money lines. You might see the total at 5.5 over and you would wager on over or under that total of 5.5.
As you bet on hockey you will notice that home ice advantage is not as important in hockey as is the case in either pro or college basketball as road teams winning in the NHL is not unheard of. You can’t automatically go against road teams since oftentimes teams like New Jersey or San Jose can go on big road winning streaks in hockey betting.
The most exciting time in hockey betting is the playoffs. This is when those that bet on hockey really get excited. It should also be noted that during the playoffs the totals will be lower since the emphasis shifts to defense for many of the teams. It is not quite as bad as it used to be but scoring is definitely less in the playoffs and the totals are slightly lower in hockey betting.
You can really take advantage of hockey betting odds if you take the time to handicap the games and get an insight into the teams. There is not a lot of line movement in hockey betting and you can oftentimes catch a team on a streak before the oddsmaker reacts. That is just one of the many advantages to making a bet on hockey at the sportsbook.