NHL Betting Guide
Betting on NHL hockey starts with knowing the markets: the Puck Line, 3-Way Moneyline, Totals, and Player Props like anytime goal scorer, shots on goal, and goalie saves. This guide explains how NHL odds work and which to bet before puck drop.
BET NOWHow to Bet on NHL Games
Betting on NHL games is simple once you know the markets. Most bettors start with the Moneyline, picking a team to win outright with no margin required. The same steps then apply to the Puck Line, Totals, and Props.
To place a bet, open FanDuel Sportsbook, go to the NHL section, and select your game. Choose your market, enter your stake, and confirm. Your potential payout shows before you commit.
While the mechanics are simple, a sound NHL betting strategy starts with understanding what makes hockey unique, the puck line, the 3-way moneyline, and how the starting goalie shapes almost every market across the NHL season.
How to Read NHL Odds
Every number you see next to an NHL game is telling you something; you just need to know how to read it. Understanding NHL odds starts with American-style formatting, where a minus sign (-) marks the favorite and a plus sign (+) marks the underdog.
So how do NHL odds work in practice? If you see -150, you are risking $150 to win $100. If you see +130, a $100 bet returns $130 in profit.
You'll encounter these numbers across three core markets: Moneylines, Spreads, and Totals. Each displays odds differently, but the same logic applies throughout. Once you're comfortable reading NHL odds, navigating any Sportsbook or US betting market becomes significantly easier.
TIP: The starting goalie can also greatly affect odds. Confirmed goalie announcements, which typically come around 60 to 90 minutes before puck drop, can noticeably shift Moneyline prices. Checking the starter before you bet is one of the most practical NHL betting tips you can apply when wagering on hockey games.
What Are the Different Ways to Bet on NHL Games?
NHL hockey offers more distinctive bet types than any other major sport. Some of them, like the puck line and the 3-way Moneyline, exist nowhere else in online sports betting. Here is a breakdown of every major market you will find on FanDuel when betting on NHL games.
NHL Moneyline Betting Explained
The Moneyline is the simplest bet in hockey: you pick which team wins, with no margin or spread to worry about. It is a 2-Way market with two outcomes, Team A or Team B, and because NHL games can go to overtime or a shootout, your team just needs to win at any point.
What Is a 3-Way Moneyline (60-Minute Line) in Hockey?
A 3-Way Moneyline, also known as the regulation line or 60-minute line, only counts what happens in the first 60 minutes. There are three ways to bet: Team A wins, Team B wins, or the game is tied after regulation.
The catch is overtime and the shootout do not count. So if you back a team and the game goes to overtime, your bet loses even if they win, because the Tie has already cashed.
What Is the Puck Line?
The Puck Line is hockey's version of the point Spread, and it is almost always fixed at -1.5 for the favorite and +1.5 for the underdog. Back the favorite at -1.5 and they must win by two or more goals. Back the underdog at +1.5 and they can lose by one goal, or win outright, and you still cash.
Because favorites do not win by two goals as often as you might think, the -1.5 side often pays plus-money odds. FanDuel also offers alternate Puck Lines at -2.5 or +2.5, letting you take on more risk for a bigger payout or a bigger cushion at shorter odds.
NHL Over/Under Betting Explained
The Over/Under, also called the Total, is a bet on the combined goals scored by both teams. You bet whether the final number lands Over or Under the line FanDuel sets, typically between 5.5 and 6.5 goals per NHL game.
That range is tight, so a single goal can decide the bet, which makes the goalie matchup, team pace, and scheduling the key factors. Home-ice advantage can nudge NHL Totals slightly too, since some arenas trend higher- or lower-scoring. Overtime goals also count: a 2-2 regulation game that ends 3-2 in overtime totals five goals.
FanDuel also offers alternate Totals, which shift the line up or down for adjusted odds. A lower line like 4.5 shortens the Over; a higher line like 7.5 lengthens it, useful when you have a strong read on a game's pace.
NHL Prop Bets Explained
Prop bets in NHL hockey are built around individual player performances rather than the game result. Instead of betting on who wins, you bet on what a specific player does, with goals, shots, saves, and points as the core categories.
Hockey Props work differently from football or basketball Props because scoring is less frequent. A top forward might average close to one goal every two or three games across the NHL season, which means shots on goal Props tend to offer more consistency than goal scorer Props for bettors looking for their best bets within the player market.
NHL Parlay Betting Explained
A Parlay combines multiple selections into a single bet, and every leg must win for it to pay. The more legs you add, the higher the potential return and the higher the risk.
Common NHL Parlay approaches include combining Moneylines across multiple games on the same night, pairing a game winner with a Total, or building a Same Game Parlay that mixes game-level and player-level markets from one matchup.
A Same Game Parlay on FanDuel lets you combine picks from a single NHL game, like the game winner, the Over on total goals, and a player to score a goal, all from the same matchup. The payout is much higher than any single leg, and the SGP builder shows you the combined price before you confirm.
What are the most popular NHL prop bet types?
Hockey Props are built around goals, shots, and individual skater contributions. The markets on FanDuel range from whether a player scores at any point to how many saves a goalie makes. Finding your best bets in the NHL Prop market starts with understanding what each type measures and the factors that drive it. The most popular NHL Prop bet types covered in this section include:
Anytime Goal Scorer
An Anytime Goal Scorer bet wins if your player scores at any point in the game, including overtime. It does not matter when or how they score, only that they find the net at least once.
This is the most popular NHL player Prop, available for nearly every skater. Odds usually range from around +150 for top-line forwards to +400 or longer for bottom-six and defensive players. Power play forwards are the sharpest target here, since regular power play time means more high-percentage scoring chances than even-strength shifts. Home-ice advantage helps too, as forwards tend to see slightly more offensive-zone time in front of their home crowd across the NHL season.
First Goal Scorer
A First Goal Scorer bet asks you to pick which player scores the opening goal of the game. Every skater is a candidate, and the odds reflect scoring role, line placement, and which team is likelier to strike first.
This is a higher-variance market than Anytime Goal Scorer, with odds from around +400 for top-line centers to +1000 or more for role players, making it a popular long-shot single bet or a Parlay leg. The best NHL betting tip here is to target players who take opening faceoffs, get regular power-play time, and skate on the first line, since that early ice time and scoring opportunity is the strongest foundation for your best bets.
Shots on Goal
A Shots on Goal Prop is an Over/Under bet on how many shots a player puts on net, not whether those shots go in, just the volume.
That makes it one of the more consistent NHL Prop markets. A player averaging four shots per game hits that far more reliably than he scores a goal, which is why Shots on Goal Props are popular for building an NHL betting strategy around higher-probability outcomes. Ice time is the biggest factor: players with regular shifts across all situations, including power plays and late-game minutes, generate more shot attempts. Home-ice advantage helps too, with home forwards usually seeing slightly more offensive-zone deployment across the NHL season.
Goalie Saves
A Goalie Saves Prop is an Over/Under bet on how many saves the starting goalie makes in the game. The line is set based on the expected shot volume the opposing team generates and how the hockey game is likely to be played.
Confirming the starting goalie is one of the most important NHL betting tips you can follow before placing this bet. NHL teams regularly start backup goalies, particularly in back-to-back situations across the NHL season, and a backup will face a very different workload than the expected starter. FanDuel updates odds when starters are confirmed, but checking before you bet is always the right approach.
Teams near the top of the league in shots generated per game give starting goalies the most raw material to work with. A goalie facing a high-volume shooting team has a higher ceiling on their saves total, which matters when identifying your best bets in this market.
Points (Goals + Assists)
A Points Prop is a bet on whether a player records at least one point during the game, where a point is either a goal or an assist. Because it covers two ways to contribute rather than one, it is a broader market than a straight Goal Scorer Prop, and the odds are shorter to reflect that.
Top-line forwards and elite playmakers on strong offensive teams are the most common targets in this market throughout the NHL season. Players who drive line play, see power play time, and are consistently on the ice in offensive situations give you the best combination of goal and assist probability in a single game. Home-ice advantage is worth factoring in for this Prop too, since offensive players tend to post slightly stronger points numbers at home than on the road.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is NHL betting?
NHL betting means wagering on professional hockey games through a sportsbook like FanDuel. The core markets are the Moneyline, Puck Line, and Over/Under, with player Props and Parlays available for every game.
What does covering the puck line mean?
Covering the Puck Line means a team won by the required margin. If the favorite is -1.5 and wins 4-2, they covered; win 3-2 and they did not, even though they won the game. The bet is on the margin of victory, not just the result.
What is the difference between a 2-way and 3-way bet in hockey?
The 2-way bet, the standard Moneyline, covers the full game including overtime and the shootout, so your team just needs to win at any point. The 3-way bet, also called the regulation line or 60-minute line, settles on regulation only, with three outcomes: Team A wins, Team B wins, or a tie after 60 minutes. A team that wins in overtime still loses a 3-way bet, because the Tie has already cashed.
What is over/under betting in hockey?
An Over/Under, also called the Total, is a bet on the combined goals scored by both teams. You bet whether the final number lands Over or Under the line FanDuel sets, usually between 5.5 and 6.5 goals per NHL game. Overtime and shootout goals count toward the Total.
What happens if an NHL total lands exactly on the number?
It is a push: neither Over nor Under wins and your stake is returned. This is why many NHL Totals use a half-goal like 5.5 or 6.5, which removes the possibility of a push.
Do overtime and shootout goals count in NHL betting?
Yes, for game markets. Moneyline, Puck Line, and Total bets settle including overtime and the shootout, with a shootout winner credited one goal toward the Total. The exceptions are 60-minute (regulation) markets, which exclude both, and player Props, where shootout goals do not count toward markets like Anytime or First Goal Scorer unless the market name says otherwise.
Why does the starting goalie matter so much in NHL betting?
The starting goalie shapes almost every NHL market, from the Moneyline to Totals to Props. Teams regularly start backups, especially in back-to-backs, and a backup changes the expected shot workload and scoring environment. Confirmed starters are usually announced 60 to 90 minutes before puck drop, so checking before you bet is one of the most practical habits in NHL betting.
Do NHL goalie prop bets count if my goalie doesn't start?
Not for full-game goalie Props. A Goalie Saves Prop only has action if the listed goalie starts and records time on ice in the first minute. If a backup starts instead, those bets are void, which is why confirming the starter matters so much.
Do NHL player props count if the player doesn't play?
Only if the player gets on the ice. Player Props require the player to record at least some time on ice for the bet to have action. If a player is a healthy scratch or does not dress, those Props are voided and stakes returned.
What happens to my NHL bet if the game is postponed or suspended?
An NHL game generally must reach 55 minutes of play for bets to stand. If it is suspended earlier and does not resume within 24 hours, bets are voided and stakes returned, unless the outcome was already decided. A game that never starts on its scheduled date is voided.
How do you live bet on NHL games?
Live betting, also called in-play betting, lets you place bets after the puck drops, with odds that update in real time on the Moneyline, Puck Line, Total, and select Props. Because hockey moves fast, live odds and data may be delayed and you manage your own in-play bets, so confirm the price before locking it in.
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