50% up to $1,000 »
How to Bet Puck Lines in the NHL
Written by: Daniel Collins
Last Updated:
Read Time: 4 minutes
Betting on the NHL is another way to enjoy watching all the action on the ice every singe night.
There are many ways that you can bet on the NHL, some very straight forward like the Moneyline and the Game Total.
Some are a bit more complicated, like the Puck Line.
On this page, I am going to give you all the information you need to know about a Puck Line and why it can be one of the better bets you can take in any particular NHL game!
What you will find on this page:
- What is a Puck Line?
- Why Bet on the Puck Line?
- Where to Bet on the Puck Line?
Let’s dive into the world of Betting the Puck Line!
What is a Puck Line?
So to understand what a Puck line is in the NHL, you have to understand the basic difference between a Moneyline and a Spread.
The result of a moneyline bet is dictated only by which team wins.
A point spread bet result is determined by a handicap applied to each team in the matchup.
A spread bet means you are taking a team to ‘cover’ a certain amount of points as the favorite or the underdog.
In hockey betting, if you are betting the spread, you are betting the Puck Line.
It is a goal spread and is very similar to a Run Line in Baseball betting.
Look at this picture from the NHL slate as listed on BetOnline
For this example, let’s look at the matchup between the Flames and the Stars at the bottom.
The Puck Line is the Left Column, the Money Line in the middle, and the Total on the right.
The Flames are the favorite in this matchup and the Puck line is -1.5 at (+146) value.
If you take the Flames on the Puck Line, they would have to win by 2 goals or more for you to win your bet!
You are getting nice plus money value of +146 for this bet but winning by 2+ in hockey can be tricky.
On the other side, if you think the Stars have a chance to win outright or keep it close, you can take them on the Puck Line at +1.5 for (-178) value.
If you take the Stars +1.5 the Stars have to either win outright or lose by 1 goal, and you win your wager!
Why Bet on the Puck Line?
The best reason to take a Puck line is quite simply, for the value.
Using the example from before, if you think the Flames will beat the Stars by 2 or even 3 goals, then you should take them on the Puck line for +148 value.
If you bet $100 on the Flames -1.5 at (+148), you would return $148 in profit.
If you simply took them on the moneyline, at -170, you would only return $58.82.
Puck Line betting can be a great way to take advantage of teams or situations where you think the favorite will win big.
On our NHL Picks Aggregations Page, you can find the best odds on every game to help you find the best Puck Line to take for any game.
Where to Bet on a Puckline?
You can place a Puck Line bet, along with all your other NHL wagers, at any qualified Sportsbook!
Here are the 4 best that we recommend!
We also dive into the NHL slate every day here at Betting News and give you the best bets you can make on the ice every night.
Not every Puck Line is worth taking but if it is, we will let you know!
You can find out more about how to bet Puck Lines and other betting strategies on our Betting Show AFTERNOON BETSPRESSO on Twitch every Thursday and Saturday afternoon.
Our Social Media Head and Sports Writer Sweatpants Jesus and his co-host Professional Bettor Nick Zanghi go over the ins and outs of the slate of games that day.
Go check out the show and go follow us on Twitter to find out more and be up to date with all the sports betting information and news you may need.
If you want to know more, here are lots of resources available to you on our site for all your betting needs!
Check out everything we have to offer at Betting News!
We really are All About the Game!
Frequently Asked Questions
Free Betting Picks