NHL odds are available at sportsbooks in legal states across the country. Hockey betting is popular thanks to the sport’s dynamic play style. Finding NHL odds is just the first step. On this page, we’ll tell you what those odds actually mean by offering explanations in layperson’s terms, plus helpful examples to illustrate the key things to know. Read on for your comprehensive NHL odds guide.
Types of NHL Odds
Let’s dive deeper into the most common types of NHL odds and how they work. Below, find primers on NHL odds alongside real-life examples from top sportsbooks.
Moneylines are a great place to start if you’re new to NHL odds. All you have to do is pick a team to win. Moneyline odds are determined by each team’s roster, past performance, and other factors. The favored team might have a higher chance of winning but a lower potential payout, while the opposite is true of the underdog team.
NHL Moneyline Example
- St. Louis Blues: +130
- Seattle Kraken: -156
These odds tell us that the Seattle Kraken are the favored team, thanks to their negative odds. The Blues, on the other hand, are the underdog. However, these odds are relatively close. Some moneylines show much greater disparities.
Puck line odds are the same as point spread odds for other sports. One team is given a disadvantage in the form of adjusted goals, while the underdog is given a slight advantage. Hockey is a low-scoring sport, so most puck lines are around 1.5. You might find different lines, but those are by far the most common.
NHL Puck Line Example
- Boston Bruins +1.5 (-205)
- Florida Panthers -1.5 (+168)
In this example, the Bruins become the favored team when you factor in the puck line. They are given 1.5 adjusted goals to add to their final score. If the Bruins beat the Panthers with the extra point and a half added to their final tally, the bet wins. For example, Panthers 4, Bruins 3 would result in the Bruins puck line winning.
The Panthers, meanwhile, need to win by two or more goals because 1.5 adjusted goals will be subtracted from their total. A final score of Panthers 4, Bruins 1 means the Panthers cover, and their puck line wins.
In totals betting, you don’t necessarily have to worry about the winner (or loser). Instead, you just have to track the total number of goals scored in the game. Totals odds are also called “Over/Under” because you’re betting on the final score exceeding or not meeting a certain threshold.
NHL Totals Example
- Chicago Blackhawks vs. Utah Hockey Club
- Over 6.5: +106
- Under 6.5: -130
These bets are fairly simple from this point. If more than 6.5 goals are scored, the Over hits. If fewer than 6.5 goals are scored, the Under hits. It doesn’t matter who scores the goals. In theory, the final score could be Blackhawks 8, Utah 0, and the Over would still hit because eight total goals were scored. If the final score was Chicago 4, Utah 2, the total is 6, which means the Under hits.
NHL Futures odds are attached to long-term outcomes in the future. The most common NHL Futures odds are for a team to win the Stanley Cup, but you’ll find many others, such as a team to win the playoffs or a player to win the Hart Trophy for the season.
Because Futures odds have massive pools of possible picks, the odds offer high potential payouts, but they’re inherently riskier overall.
NHL Futures Example
To Win The Stanley Cup
- Edmonton Oilers: +850
- Florida Panthers: +1000
- New Jersey Devils: +1100
- Colorado Avalanche: +1100
- Dallas Stars: +1100
- New York Rangers: +1300
The odds go on to include every team still in contention, though the likelihood of each team to win further down the list takes a nosedive. For example, the Columbus Blue Jackets are at +40000 to win the Stanley Cup at the time of this writing.
A parlay combines more than one wager into a single ticket. Each constituent bet is called a “leg.” The catch? For a parlay to win, all the bets within it must win. You could place a five-leg parlay, and if just one of those legs fails, the whole bet is a bust. Parlays have higher odds than the individual bets within them, but they’re harder to win.
NHL Parlay Example
- St. Louis Blues vs. Seattle Kraken Under 5.5: +114
- Pittsburgh Penguins Moneyline: +115
- Colorado Avalanche +1.5: -275
- Calgary Flames moneyline: +176
- Total odds: +1631
The potential payout of this parlay is significantly higher than any of the bets that comprise it. However, all four outcomes need to be successful in order for the parlay to hit.
Many sportsbooks allow you to place same-game parlays as well as multi-game parlays. Same-game parlays combine wagers from a single game into a larger bet.
Prop bets are wagers based on outcomes that aren’t inherently tied to the game’s final score. For example, you can bet on individual players to log a certain number of shots on goal. You can also place bets on a player to score a goal anytime within the game. NHL odds on prop bets are plentiful.
NHL Props Examples
- Auston Matthews 5+ Shots On Goal: -152
- Cole Caufield Anytime Goal Scorer: +170
- Oilers vs. Canadiens — Both Teams To Score: Yes (-1800), No (+940)
Those are just a few prop examples. There are dozens of others available from our top sportsbook sites.
NHL Live betting allows you to place bets while a game is in progress. Thanks to hockey’s low-scoring nature, live betting is a prime option for fans of the spot who want to place bets. There are advantages and disadvantages, as with any other type of bet. For example, you might see the moneyline odds on a team skyrocket if they’re trailing early. Maybe the team could mount a comeback, and the bet would pay significantly more. On the other hand, you could lose value if the team you want to bet on has an early lead.
How To Read NHL Odds
Odds can be intimidating if you’ve never seen them before, but reading them isn’t as hard as it looks. Let’s use an example from the NHL to walk through the information odds can provide.
- Toronto Maple Leafs: -176
- Montreal Canadiens: +146
These odds tell us quite a bit. First, we can identify the favorite by looking for the minus symbol. The Maple Leafs are favored to win this game, while the Canadiens, with a plus symbol, are the slight underdog. The lower the numbers after each symbol, the closer the matchup is expected to be. If the odds were Maple Leafs -375, Canadiens +400, the Leafs would be highly favored. As the odds are, they only have a slight edge.
Second, these odds tell us how much a bet on either team would pay out if successful. For negative odds, take the number that follows and assume you have to bet that much to win $100. A $176 bet on the Maple Leafs would pay $100 in profit (plus your $176 back for a total of $276). For odds with a plus symbol, you can assume a $100 bet would pay the number that follows in profit. A $100 bet on the Canadiens would pay out $146 plus the initial wager back.
Finally, the odds can be used to determine the implied probability of either outcome in a percentage format. We have an Implied Probability Calculator, so you can avoid the math required to determine these percentages.
NHL Line Shopping
Line shopping is a helpful practice for any sports bettor, whether you’re new to the practice or a seasoned betting veteran. In essence, line shopping is the practice of searching for advantageous lines across multiple sportsbooks.
Say you find odds of +175 on your favorite team at one sportsbook and odds of +200 at another. The +200 odds are inherently better if you think you have a good chance to win. The payout from the +200 odds would be significantly higher than +175.
For this reason, we recommend signing up for many sportsbooks and using them to find the most profitable NHL odds on your desired bet or bets.
NHL Odds — News & Updates
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NHL Odds FAQ
NHL odds tell bettors which team is favored in a given matchup and how much a bet on that team would pay. NHL odds can also be applied to other outcomes, like a specific player’s performance. You can find NHL odds at online sportsbooks in legal markets.
Yes. DraftKings is one of the best sportsbooks for betting on the NHL. It offers tons of NHL odds, including game lines, props, and futures.
Yes. FanDuel is a prime spot for live betting on NHL games. The sportsbook updates odds quickly as in-game events occur. Additionally, FanDuel processes bets swiftly so you can capitalize on line movements.
Odds of +110 mean the associated team is the slight underdog in the matchup. If successful, a $100 bet on these odds would pay $210 ($110 in profits plus the wager returned).
Odds of -110 are about as close to even as a sportsbook will get. These odds typically mean a team is evenly matched with its opponent. Betting $110 on these odds would pay $100 in profits in the event of a win.
Over/Under bets are also called “Totals.” In these bets, you wager on whether the teams playing will combine for more or fewer than a set amount of points.
To find the best NHL odds, we recommend signing up for multiple online sportsbooks. When the odds are available, you can compare them across sportsbooks to find the best lines.
NHL live betting is one of the best and most fun ways to wager on hockey. It’s a low-scoring sport, so lines tend to stay available for a while before sportsbooks suspend and change them.
There are many top NHL betting apps. Among our favorites are DraftKings, BetMGM, and FanDuel.
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