NHL betting lines explained
Hockey is low scoring, so the moneyline is the main NHL market. The puck line is hockey's point spread, usually set at 1.5 goals. Totals count both teams' goals. Overtime and shootouts matter, and markets treat them differently.
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Worked example
To start, the box below is filled in with BOS -200 / TOR +170. This starting line is a two-sided moneyline, Boston (BOS) at -200 and Toronto (TOR) at +170, so its card also shows the bookmaker's margin. The box is editable: type any line, or tap one under the card, and the explanation updates.
BOS −200 / TOR +170: the favorite is BOS (−200) and the underdog is TOR (+170).
What it means
A moneyline is a bet on who wins, with no points involved. A bet on BOS risks 200 to win 100. A 100 stake on TOR wins 170.
Scenarios
| If… | BOS | TOR |
|---|---|---|
| BOS win | Win | Loss |
| TOR win | Loss | Win |
| Tie or draw | Depends on house rules | Depends on house rules |
On a 2-way moneyline, what happens on a tie or draw depends on the sport and the sportsbook's rules. In boxing, a two-way market (just the two fighters) refunds the stake on a draw. A three-way market that includes the draw loses both fighter bets.
The numbers
BOS −200
- Implied probability
- 66.67%
- Decimal
- 1.50
- American
- −200
- Per 100 staked
- returns 150 (profit 50)
TOR +170
- Implied probability
- 37.04%
- Decimal
- 2.70
- American
- +170
- Per 100 staked
- returns 270 (profit 170)
Both sides together
- Implied probabilities add up to
- 103.70%
- Bookmaker margin
- 3.70%
- Fair probability: BOS
- 64.29%
- Fair probability: TOR
- 35.71%
Margin (overround) = the implied probabilities added together, minus 100%. Fair probabilities remove the margin by dividing each one by that total.
Watch out for
A minus price doesn't mean you lose money. −200 means you stake 200 to win 100, and the 200 comes back too if the bet wins.
Learn more: Moneyline guide
Common lines to try
Lines the NHL uses
- Moneyline:
BOS -200 / TOR +170is a bet on who wins. Hockey has few goals, so the moneyline is the main market. More in the moneyline guide. - Puck line: hockey’s point spread, usually 1.5 goals.
BOS -1.5means Boston has to win by 2 or more.TOR +1.5wins if Toronto wins, or loses by 1. - Alternate puck lines: many sportsbooks also offer other numbers, such as −2.5 or +2.5, each with its own price.
- Total (over/under): both teams’ goals added together, often 5.5 or 6.5. More in the over/under guide.
- Regulation-time (60-minute) result: a three-way market, home / draw / away, settled after
three periods. The translator reads it like a soccer 1X2 market:
try
+110 / +240 / +260.
The puck line comes with its own price, which can be a plus number even for the favorite, as in
BOS -1.5 +130.
How the puck line settles
| Boston result | BOS −1.5 | BOS +1.5 | BOS −2.5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Win by 3 | Win | Win | Win |
| Win by 2 | Win | Win | Loss |
| Win by 1 (including overtime or shootout) | Loss | Win | Loss |
| Lose by 1 (including overtime or shootout) | Loss | Win | Loss |
| Lose by 2 | Loss | Loss | Loss |
What’s unusual about the NHL
Overtime and shootouts
How a tied game is decided depends on the part of the season:
- Regular season: a short overtime period. If nobody scores, the game goes to a shootout, and the shootout winner wins the game.
- Playoffs: full overtime periods, repeated until someone scores. There’s no shootout.
So an NHL game always has a winner in the end, but it may not be decided in 60 minutes.
How each market usually treats overtime
| Market | Overtime and shootout |
|---|---|
| Moneyline | Usually included |
| Puck line | Usually included; a shootout win usually counts as a 1-goal win |
| Total | Overtime usually included; most sportsbooks add 1 goal for the shootout, some don’t |
| Regulation-time (60-minute) result | Not included: settled after three periods, so a draw is possible |
For totals, most sportsbooks add one goal to the total for a shootout, but some do not, so check the market rules. Other details differ between sportsbooks too.
Mini glossary
- Puck line: hockey’s point spread, usually ±1.5.
- Regulation: the three 20-minute periods, 60 minutes in total.
- OT: overtime.
- SO: shootout, used in the regular season only.
- 60-minute line: a market settled at the end of regulation, with a draw option.
Common misreadings
- A shootout win doesn't count for the puck line.
- On most full-game markets it does. A shootout win is usually counted as a 1-goal win, so −1.5 loses and +1.5 wins. Check the market rules.
- The moneyline and the regulation-time market are the same bet.
- A moneyline usually includes overtime and the shootout. A regulation-time (60-minute) market is settled after three periods and has a draw option.
- Playoff games can end in a shootout.
- Not in the NHL. Playoff overtime continues until someone scores.