The National Hockey League (NHL) represents the pinnacle of ice hockey competition worldwide, with teams from both Canada and the United States vying for supremacy. As anyone who knows the sport can attest, ice hockey is an incredibly physical game, which tends to add to the ferocity of each contest. Betting on the outcome of NHL games has crossed borders and is now popular in several countries around the world. There are 31 teams in the NHL, six of which (the Montreal Canadiens, the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Ottawa Senators, the Vancouver Canucks, the Winnipeg Jets and the Calgary Flames) are based in Canada. The remaining 25 teams are based in the United States.
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How Do You Bet on Hockey?
Experience the excitement of betting on the NHL where the unexpected happens. The very first thing gamblers should keep in mind when betting on NHL games is that nothing is guaranteed. You could scour the playbook and absorb every last word from online "experts". But if you don't already know the basics, it's all for naught. Bet wisely and always seek out knowledge to improve your understanding and strategies. Here are the most prominent NHL betting lines you can use all season long, from preseason games to the Stanley Cup Final.
- NHL Futures - You can place an NHL bet on the hockey team with the best odds to win the Stanley Cup before the competition even begins.
- This bet should be backed by the team's performance in last season's tournament.
- Moneyline Explained - When betting on specific NHL games, you can pick the team with the strongest roster to win.
- NHL Picks and Parlays - each online bookmaker will offer odds on the most competitive games of the round.
- Select multiple hockey games to bet on, place them on a single slip and watch your potential returns soar.
- Puck Lines - this is the version of hockey handicapping where oddsmakers try to balance the scales by predicting the winner of the game as well as the score.
NHL Betting Tips
The National Hockey League offers a host of exciting contests from October to June each year. There is likely to be a lot of redemption during this time as players try to balance their lives and make things right. In the midst of it all, staying informed is more important than ever. Online hockey betting can be extremely rewarding because it gives you a bird's eye view of how other bettors are betting. More and more punters are diving head first into the icy waters of NHL betting, and that is a good thing for those of us who want to profit from betting on the sport. Even if you're not betting on the same games as these other gamblers, you can often use the insight provided by betting forums to make more informed decisions. Our expert tipsters have discovered that some bets simply have a much higher chance of being correct and are now offering free hockey predictions.
- To begin with, gamblers should focus their attention on a particular conference and work on developing a thorough "database" of all the different teams in that conference. The most popular type of bet in this league is the point spread. If you were to bet on a certain outcome in an NHL game, your best chance of winning the bet would be to place your money on the actual score of the game itself.
- People who gamble need to understand that hockey is played in three periods. Each period lasts 20 minutes. You can bet on any one of the three periods, or you can bet on all three at once. Just keep your wits about you.
- When placing a bet, consider the NHL schedule. Some teams have played much better at home (e.g. Toronto 11-4, Tampa Bay 12-3) than on the road (e.g. Ottawa 4-11, Vancouver 6-9). Some teams have performed Remember the NHL schedule when placing bets. Some organizations have found it difficult to succeed away from their home rink, while others are making hay at home.
NHL Betting Odds
Betting on hockey online is much more enjoyable than placing bets at brick and mortar bookies. For those looking to place bets on the NHL, the top betting sites in Ghana offer decimal odds. For those unfamiliar with how these odds work, here's an example.
Pittsburgh Penguins (2.00) vs. Los Angeles Kings (1.50)
This means that the oddsmakers have made the Kings favorites to win the game against the Penguins. If your stake was R100, you would multiply it by the odds to get your potential payout. You can bet on the NHL from September, when the NHL regular season starts, until June.
Here is the full lineup of NHL divisions that you will find at online NHL Hockey betting sites:
- Eastern Conference
- Eastern Conference Metropolitan
- Western Conference Pacific
- Western Conference
- Eastern Conference Atlantic
- Western Conference Central
Past Stanley Cup Winners
Here’s a list of the most recent winners of the Stanley Cup Championship:
| Season | Winner | Conference |
| 2022 | Colorado Avalanche | Western Conference |
| 2021 | Tampa Bay Lightning | Eastern Conference |
| 2020 | Tampa Bay Lightning | Eastern Conference |
| 2019 | St. Louis Blues | Western Conference |
| 2018 | Washington Capitals | Eastern Conference Metropolitan |
| 2017 | Pittsburgh Penguins | Eastern Conference |
| 2016 | Pittsburgh Penguins | Eastern Conference |
| 2015 | Chicago Blackhawks | Western Conference Central |
| 2014 | Los Angeles Kings | Western Conference Pacific |
| 2013 | Chicago Blackhawks | Western Conference Central |
| 2012 | Los Angeles Kings | Western Conference Pacific |
| 2011 | Boston Bruins | Eastern Conference Atlantic |
| 2010 | Chicago Blackhawks | Western Conference Central |
| 2009 | Pittsburgh Penguins | Eastern Conference |
| 2008 | Detroit Red Wings | Eastern Conference Atlantic |