Best Hockey Betting Sites
How We Review the Best Hockey Betting Sites
Our sports betting experts carefully reviewed dozens of hockey betting platforms to find the best options available. We examined several criteria to narrow our list and present you with trustworthy, easy-to-navigate options that ensure a superb betting experience, regardless of your wagering style.
License
Online sports betting platforms must have a valid license to operate legally. Our first step in reviewing each NHL betting platform was verifying its licensing transparency and documentation.
Sportsbooks don’t necessarily need U.S. licenses, however. You’ll often find NHL betting sites with licenses overseas, such as through the island of Curaçao or Costa Rica.
If you’re unfamiliar with the type of license a sports betting platform has procured, do a bit of research to ensure its authenticity. We’ve done the work for you here and only included fully licensed NHL betting platforms on our list.
Payment Methods
These days, hockey betting sites accept a wide range of payment methods. We made sure to include platforms that take all the most popular payments: crypto, eWallets, and traditional payments like card and bank transfers.
With this selection of payment methods, you can choose the one you feel most comfortable using. The best hockey betting sites typically have different welcome offers depending on how you make your initial deposit, so be sure to review this information before funding your NHL betting account.
Bonuses
The top NHL betting platforms include bountiful bonuses that give you extra cash to bet on teams like the Carolina Hurricanes and the Pittsburgh Penguins. The hockey betting platforms that made our list have excellent bonuses both for new users and long-time bettors. Common bonuses include:
- Deposit bonuses that match your initial deposit by a certain percentage
- Bonus bets that give you extra cash if your bet hits
- Odds boosts that increase your odds on specific bets (and lower the house edge)
- First bet insurance that gives you your money back if your first bet loses
- No-deposit bonuses that give you free cash to bet just for signing up
- Expect to find some of the highest-value bonuses in the industry on our top NHL betting sites.
Customer Support
The best hockey betting sites are reliable and easy to navigate, but when questions or concerns do arise, you need a convenient way to seek assistance. All of the platforms that made our list offer excellent customer support.
You can contact many of these support teams 24/7 through an instant live chat feature right on the sportsbook. A few also have phone numbers you can call to chat with a representative in real time.
Security
When signing up for an online sportsbook, you shouldn’t need to worry about your data or privacy. All of the betting platforms that made our list use several security measures to protect customers’ data against unauthorized parties. They encrypt data, require users to submit identity verification, and use secure payment methods.
Popular Payment Methods at Hockey Betting Websites
When you join one of the best hockey betting sites, you have full control over what method you use to fund your account. The method you choose can impact the bonuses you receive and your betting experience overall. Below are the most popular payment methods you’ll find on NHL sportsbooks, as well as some pros and cons.
| Examples | Pros | Cons | |
| Cryptocurrencies | Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Solana |
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| eWallets | PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay |
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| Traditional payments | Credit card, debit card, bank transfer |
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Any payment method could come with fees depending on the platform you are using, so be sure to check the platform’s terms to aid your decision.
How To Bet on Hockey
If you’re new to NHL betting, you may be unsure what “puck line” betting is or how to place futures bets. Understanding the many different wagers you can make on the NHL is key to being a strategic and successful bettor. Here’s a quick breakdown of the most common ones you’ll find on your betting sheet.
NHL Moneyline Betting
NHL moneyline betting is betting on the team you think will win the game outright. It’s one of the most straightforward bets you can place and a great bet for beginners to start with.
Sportsbooks indicate the favored team with a “-” sign and the underdog with a “+” sign. The numerical value next to this sign tells you how much you serve to win if your bet hits.
For example, in an upcoming game, your sportsbook lists the following odds:
- Boston Bruins -175
- Florida Panthers +155
The bookmakers expect the Bruins to win. You must bet $175 on the Bruins to win $100. Meanwhile, because the Panthers are the underdogs, you only need to bet $100 to win $155.
You may also see three-way moneyline bets on some of the best hockey betting sites. If you bet on a team in a three-way bet, your choice must win the game in regulation time. Overtime and shootout wins would lead you to lose your bet.
NHL Puck Line Betting
Puck line betting is the NHL’s form of spread betting. Bookmakers give the underdog a few extra points to account for the mismatch in performance. Typically, the underdog receives 1.5 extra points, while the favored team receives a deficit of 1.5 points.
When you place a puck line bet on the underdog, you’re betting they will lose by one goal or win the game outright. A puck line bet on the favored team predicts they will win by at least two goals.
You can also find “period puck lines” on some betting sheets, which use -0.5 / +0.5 puck lines for a given period.
NHL Over/Under Betting
If you’d prefer not to bet on a specific NHL team, you could instead bet on the total combined score between both teams. This is known as over/under betting or a totals bet.
Let’s say the sportsbook lists the total score in a game between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche as 5.5 points. Betting over means you predict the total score will be 6 points or higher. Betting under means you think it will be 5 points or lower. NHL teams can’t score half points, so the final combined score will always be over or under this amount.
Strategic over/under betting relies on your knowledge of how evenly matched two teams are. Teams that are very closely matched may not score much, as they will both be good at blocking goals. But at the same time, closely matched teams could also score consistently yet remain near a tie for most of the game. Betting on totals is still a gamble.
NHL Futures Bets
Do you enjoy trying to predict who will win the Stanley Cup at the beginning of the season or which players will score the most goals overall? Futures bets are a fun way to test your luck on events that are still a long way off.
You don’t have much data to inform these bets, which is why they have high odds — and offer big payouts if they hit. The odds on futures bets get better as the season goes on, so place your bets early for a chance at the biggest payout.
NHL Parlay Bets
Parlay bets are combination bets. Instead of betting on one team to win or one point spread, you combine several predictions into a single bet. Because of their structure, the odds of these bets hitting are higher, and they pay out accordingly should you win.
Every bet within a parlay is called a “leg,” and you can include as many legs in a parlay as you’d like. Of course, the more legs you add, the lower the chances that all events will come true.
For example, maybe you create a parlay that the Washington Capitals will beat the New York Rangers, that they’ll win by at least two points, and that the total score will be over six points. Or perhaps you create a parlay predicting that the Toronto Maple Leafs will beat the Detroit Red Wings and the Ottawa Senators will beat the Boston Bruins on an upcoming schedule.
If any of the legs in your parlay bet fail, the entire bet will fail. However, these bets are extremely satisfying when they hit, and they can yield sizable profits.
NHL Props Bets
NHL props bets are unique bets that attempt to predict small details within the NHL season, like player statistics or other minor events. For example, you can place a prop bet that Auston Matthews will make over 3.5 shots or that Patrik Laine will score at least one power play point. You can even bet on which players will get into fights or how many fights will break out across a season.
Hockey Betting Tips and Strategies
If you’re new to placing bets on the best hockey betting sites, you may feel unsure about putting money on your first bet. These NHL betting tips can help you know where to start when betting on your favorite teams and players. But keep in mind that no outcomes are guaranteed, and you should only bet with money you don’t mind losing.
- Keep up with team performance: Bookmakers analyze team performance and statistics when setting odds, and you should when placing bets as well. NHL outcomes aren’t entirely up to chance. Knowing the trends and factoring them into your bets could increase your chances of betting on the right outcome.
- Understand travel schedules and days of rest: A team’s schedule impacts its performance. If a team is coming off a week of rest, it may have a better chance of winning. By the same token, if it’s playing the second of back-to-back games, its win probability may be lower.
- Set loyalties aside: Your favorite NHL team may be the Seattle Kraken or St. Louis Blues, but that doesn’t mean your team will always win. Set your loyalties aside and place bets that make sense, even if it means predicting your team’s defeat.
- Let losses go: You win some, you lose some. Don’t bounce back from a loss by immediately placing another bet in the hopes that you’ll make up your lost funds. Doing so could lead to even more losses.
Hockey Betting Systems
Some NHL bettors stick to pre-established hockey betting systems to inform their bets. Doing so could point you in the right direction and give your bets some structure. Here are some of the most popular NHL betting systems:
- The Two-Game Losing Scoring Drought: Under this system, you would bet on a team that has lost its previous two games by scoring very few goals.
- The Martingale System: This approach to betting invites you to double your wager after every loss until you win again. It may work better for moneyline bets that have only two possible outcomes as opposed to three-way bets. However, it can just as easily fail when you lose more than a few bets in a row, quickly draining your bankroll.
- The Kelly Criterion: This is a way of determining the size of your bet based on the advantage you think you have. You must be able to confidently estimate your probability of winning for this system to work.
Major Hockey Events To Bet On
Want to bet on hockey during some of the season's most exciting events? Here are the major hockey events to be aware of.
IIHF World Championship
The International Ice Hockey Federation hosts its world championships each year in May. The first championship took place at the 1920 Summer Olympics. Men’s teams from around the world compete in five different divisions. The top eight teams enter a playoff round, and the winning team is crowned World Champion.
Ice Hockey Olympics
Ice hockey is an Olympic event. While it originated as a Summer Olympics event, it is now rightfully part of the Winter Olympics, which takes place every four years.
SHL
The Swedish Hockey League (SHL) is a professional ice hockey league with 14 teams. Teams participate in the IIHF Champions Hockey League each year and compete for the European Trophy.
Liiga
The SM-liiga is Finland’s top professional hockey league. On sportsbooks, it is sometimes referred to as the Finnish Elite League.
KHL
The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) is an international league with members based in Russia, China, Kazakhstan, and Belarus.
NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL) is most familiar to U.S. sports bettors. It consists of 32 teams, 25 of which are in the U.S. and seven in Canada.
NHL Winter Classic
The Winter Classic is an outdoor ice hockey game played each year around New Year’s Day. It typically matches up two of the league’s premier teams of the season and garners some of the highest television ratings of the league. It’s a widely popular game to place bets on, too.
NHL All-Star
The All-Star tournament features many of the NHL’s star players playing against each other. It usually takes place in January or February.
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is awarded to the league playoff champion at the end of each yearly season.
U.S. States Where You Can Legally Bet on the NHL
Is sports betting legal in your state yet? Find out up-to-date information below:
| Is Online NHL Betting Legal? | Is Retail Sports Betting Legal? | Betting Age | |
| Alabama | No | No | - |
| Alaska | No | No | - |
| Arizona | Yes | Yes | 21 |
| Arkansas | Yes | Yes | 21 |
| California | No | No | - |
| Colorado | Yes | Yes | 21 |
| Connecticut | Yes | Yes | 21 |
| Delaware | No | Yes | 21 |
| Florida | Yes | Yes | 21 |
| Georgia | No | No | - |
| Hawaii | No | No | - |
| Idaho | No | No | - |
| Illinois | Yes | Yes | 21 |
| Indiana | Yes | Yes | 21 |
| Iowa | Yes | Yes | 21 |
| Kansas | Yes | Yes | 21 |
| Kentucky | Yes | Yes | 18 |
| Louisiana | Yes | Yes | 21 |
| Maine | Yes | Coming soon | 21 |
| Maryland | Yes | Yes | 21 |
| Massachusetts | Yes | Yes | 21 |
| Michigan | Yes | Yes | 21 |
| Minnesota | No | No | - |
| Mississippi | No | Yes | 21 |
| Missouri | No | No | - |
| Montana | No | Yes | 18 |
| Nebraska | No | Yes | 21 |
| Nevada | Yes | Yes | 21 |
| New Hampshire | Yes | Yes | 18 |
| New Jersey | Yes | Yes | 21 |
| New Mexico | No | Yes | 21 |
| New York | Yes | Yes | 21 |
| North Carolina | Yes | Yes | 21 |
| North Dakota | No | Yes | 21 |
| Ohio | Yes | Yes | 21 |
| Oklahoma | No | No | - |
| Oregon | Yes | Yes | 21 |
| Pennsylvania | Yes | Yes | 21 |
| Rhode Island | Yes | Yes | 18 |
| South Carolina | No | No | - |
| South Dakota | No | Yes | 21 |
| Tennessee | Yes | No | 21 |
| Texas | No | No | - |
| Utah | No | No | - |
| Vermont | Yes | No | 21 |
| Virginia | Yes | Yes | 21 |
| Washington | Yes | Yes | 21 |
| Washington, D.C | Yes | Yes | 18 |
| West Virginia | Yes | Yes | 21 |
| Wisconsin | Yes | No | 21 |
| Wyoming | Yes | No | 18 |
NHL Betting in Canada
Seven of the NHL’s 32 teams are Canadian, and ice hockey is perhaps the country’s most popular sport. Canada legalized betting on single-event sports in 2021, which includes ice hockey. Still, sports betting is regulated at the provincial level. Currently, online single-game sports betting is legal in:
- British Columbia
- Manitoba
- New Brunswick
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- Ontario
- Prince Edward Island
- Quebec
- Alberta
- Saskatchewan
- Northwest Territories
- Nunavut
- Yukon
- Nova Scotia
Be sure to check your province’s regulations before placing bets on the Toronto Maple Leafs or your other favorite Canadian NHL teams.
NHL Gambling Policy
NHL players are prohibited from betting on NHL events but can bet on other sports. Violating this rule, which is indicated in players’ contracts, can lead to fines, suspensions, or expulsions.
The same rule applies to all employees working for NHL teams. This policy is in place to prevent players or other NHL personnel from rigging games for sports betting purposes. It keeps the practice of NHL betting fair for everyone.
History of Betting on the NHL
Betting on the NHL has been popular for almost as long as the league has existed. While the National Hockey League emerged from the suspension of the National Hockey Association in 1917, it didn’t expand into the U.S. until 1924. Within just two decades, betting on the NHL had become so popular that key NHL players began making headlines for placing bets within the league.
In 1948, NHL President Clarence Campbell announced that two players — Billy Taylor of the NY Rangers and Don Gallinger of the Boston Bruins — were prohibited from betting on hockey games for life. Two years prior, Maple Leafs player Babe Pratt was suspended for gambling.
During this time, the NHL had no clear gambling policies. These events prompted Campbell to dictate and hold players to the league’s internal gambling policy.
Final Thoughts
The best hockey betting sites make betting on your favorite NHL teams as simple as opening your desktop or mobile browser and placing your bets. These sites also offer generous bonuses and promotions that only increase your winnings. They’re trustworthy and fair, adding to the fun of hockey betting. Get started on one of our top sites today to place your first moneyline bet and experience the thrill of NHL betting.