The National Hockey League (NHL) is the most popular ice hockey competition in the world; fans of the sport from all over the globe are kept on the edge of the seats during the regular season and then during the play-offs and Stanley Cup finals.
You can find the latest NHL betting odds right here at interwetten’s sports betting site, as well as via the interwetten app.
But if you are completely new to ice hockey betting or wagering on sports in general, you’ll want a quick guide on how to bet on NHL games.
So read on for everything you need to know about NHL betting.
NHL Betting Odds Explained
As you may already know, in NHL games two teams compete to see who can score the most goals in the allotted time of three 20-minute periods – the side that does is declared the winner, with bets settled accordingly.
One of the key things to note about NHL sports betting is that overtime can apply to games that end in a tied score at the culmination of regulation time. However, here at interwetten we settle bets at the end of overtime when played.
So, if you have backed the Toronto Maple Leafs to beat the Edmonton Oilers in our moneyline market, but the game ends in a tied score, your bet will remain live until the end of O/T or a penalty shootout.
At interwetten, we offer an array of different betting odds for NHL games – more on those in a moment. For now, you simply need to know what you’re wagering on. Our moneyline odds will look something like this:
- Toronto Maple Leafs – 2.70
- Edmonton Oilers – 1.30
With decimal-based NHL odds, the 'even money' point is 2.00, i.e. if you wagered £10 at odds of 2.00, you'd win £10 in profit (and see your £10 stake returned).
Therefore, any selection at a number lower than 2.00, such as with Edmonton's 1.30 above, is considered to be the favourite. Conversely, any bet you place at odds of higher than 2.00 — in a standard two-way market like this — is considered to be the outsider (the unlikeliest of the two possible outcomes).
Of course, the beauty of NHL hockey betting odds is that you might disagree with the verdict of the NHL betting sites – you can bet on the underdog if you want to, or back the favourite/underdog with a handicap start; just one of the most popular NHL bet types available.
NHL Betting – Most Popular Types
When you’re ready to start betting on NHL games, you’ll be presented with dozens of different bet types and wagering options to explore.
Using interwetten’s ice hockey betting channel, you can access the latest NHL odds – both pre-game and live.
Here’s a guide to some of the best NHL betting odds to wager on:
Moneyline/Game Winner
With this bet, you are simply wagering on which team you think will win the game.
But you should know that there are two different types of game winner bet: two-way and three-way.
In the two-way market, you’ll only see the odds for the two teams – there’s no ‘draw’ option. The prices are typically shorter here, but at least you don’t have to worry about the draw; as mentioned earlier, all bets are settled at the end of regulation time, or after overtime/penalties.
In the three-way market, there are three possible outcomes: Team A could win, Team B could win, or the game could end in a draw. Here, bets are typically settled at the end of regulation time – so there’s more risk, but your return could be greater as the three-way lines are generally more generous than the two-way odds.
Handicap
As you’ve learnt, in our NHL betting odds there’s typically a favourite (i.e. the team perceived to be the strongest) and an underdog (the weakest).
Maybe you think one of two things will happen:
- The favourite will win comfortably
- The underdog will perform above expectations (without necessarily winning)
In either of these cases, instead of betting on the moneyline/game winner odds, you could try the handicap market.
This either takes a goal(s) away from the favourite, or gives a goal(s) headstart to the underdog. So, if the favourite had a -1 handicap, they would need to win by two or more goals for your bet to land.
Alternatively, bets on an underdog with a +1 handicap would be successful if they won the game or even tied it.
Over/Under Goals
Games in the NHL can be tight, low-scoring affairs, or all-octane, high action spectacles with lots of goals! Others, of course, are likely to be somewhere in-between.
If you have studied the form of the two teams and feel you have an accurate read on whether the game will be low or high scoring, you can explore goals-based hockey betting.
At interwetten, you’ll see that we have provided you with goal lines for each NHL game. You can bet ‘under’ (if you think there will be fewer goals than the number in question), or ‘over’ if you believe the number of goals scored will exceed the line.
Player Props
A ‘prop’ bet allows you to wager on specific players to perform certain feats out on the ice.
These include first/anytime goalscorer, assists, points (adding goals and assists together) or even player shots, enabling you to wager on the players that you believe will have the most impact on a game.
NHL Outright Odds
A quick crash course on how the NHL season works: the teams are split into divisions, which then feed into the geographical Eastern and Western Conferences.
The best performing teams earn their place in the post-season bracket, which provides you with an outright betting opportunity via our NHL playoff odds.
The two teams that are left at the end of this stage battle it out for the Stanley Cup – you can bet on the side that you believe will make it there in our NHL finals odds.
You can also wager on which team you believe will win the Stanley Cup: our NHL title odds are available during the off-season, throughout the regular season and even into the play-offs.
NHL Live Betting
All of the betting markets detailed above also ‘go live’ once the game has begun, meaning that you can still place your wagers even after the action has got underway.
This can be particularly useful if you are watching a live stream of the game or following along with the stats – allowing you to get a read on how the two teams are playing before using our NHL live odds.
NHL Betting Odds FAQ
How Does NHL Betting Work?
You can bet on dozens of different NHL markets at interwetten. You select the odds of the outcome you think is most likely to happen – your bet will win if it does.
How to Bet on Ice Hockey
To bet on ice hockey at interwetten, simply navigate to our NHL section via the ice hockey tab. Click on the odds of your pick to add them to your betslip, before entering your stake. Always remember to double-check the amount before tapping to confirm your bet.
Who are the Best NHL Teams to Bet On?
Historically, the Montreal Canadiens have been the best NHL team to bet on – they’ve won the Stanley Cup 25 times, with their last finals appearance coming in 2021. In recent times, the Florida Panthers reached the Stanley Cup in 2023 and 2024; losing in the former before triumphing in the latter.
Ready to get in the game? Interwetten’s welcome bonus gives you the perfect head start for your NHL bets!