Hockey Betting at BetRivers Sportsbook Pennsylvania

Every time the National Hockey League (NHL) hits the ice, you can take part in the action with BetRivers Sportsbook Pennsylvania! Each season, 32 pro teams battle for the Holy Grail of hockey, officially known as the Stanley Cup. Only one will survive to claim the championship, but along the way, you can bet on the games and chase glory, too!

Whether you’re a lifelong hockey betting fan or you just watch the games casually – you can add to your NHL excitement by placing a wager on the outcome. But do you know how to bet on hockey?

Online Hockey Betting Galore

If you love hockey betting, you'll have plenty of matchups to bet on, because each team plays 82 games, a total of 1,271 regular-season games. At BetRivers Sportsbook Pennsylvania, you'll find all of the popular NHL betting markets, including moneyline, puck line, against the spread, goal totals, as well as player and team prop bets. Each day of the season, you'll find the latest hockey odds and lines right here. You can bet before the game or even as the action happens on the ice!

Hockey Moneyline Betting

Moneyline betting is the easiest and fastest way to place a bet on hockey. A moneyline bet is just another way of saying that you want to predict which team will be the outright winner of the match. When you review hockey odds, the number preceded by a minus sign (-) indicates the favorite and also shows you how much you would have to bet to win $100. The number that indicates the underdog (with a plus sign +) tells you how much you would win if you wager $100.

As an example, let’s say the odds for a matchup are Pittsburgh Penguins (-140) vs. Chicago Blackhawks (+160).

We’ll assume you bet on Pittsburgh to win. If you wager $140 and the game goes your way, you’d win you win $100, and get back the amount you wagered. If you bet $100 on the Chicago Blackhawks, you’d make $160 in profit in addition to getting back your bet amount. In other words, betting on the underdog can pay – but of course, they’re underdogs for a reason. Favorites in any sport, including hockey, tend to win more often than not, but upsets are what make sports (and sports betting) so exciting!

Hockey Bets and the Puck Line

The moneyline is just one way to bet on NHL games. You can also bet on the puck line (which is called the point spread in other sports, like American football or basketball). In this bet, you can wager on whether you think the total number of goals scored by the favorite will be at least two more than the total of goals scored by the underdog. So, if the final score is Detroit is 5 and Montreal 3, you would win by betting Detroit -1.5 (5 – 1.5 > 3). But if Montreal won 3 -2, you would lose (3 – 1.5 < 2).

The number in parenthesis next to the -1.5 or +1.5 indicates your payout, using the same logic as a moneyline bet. Placing a (-110) bet means you would have to wager $110 to win $100. This kind of handicapping system levels the playing field (or in this case, the ice) to make wagering more entertaining. And at BetRivers Sportsbook, hockey betting is always hot!

Hockey Betting Odds and The Grand Salami

The Grand Salami is a staple of the hockey betting community. In short, it’s an over/under total goals bet – not just for one matchup, but for a whole slate of games on one day. Sound fun? Not only do you experience the excitement of watching your wagers play out over a longer period of time, but if you play the odds correctly, you can also win cash for your efforts.

Serious hockey betting fans love the Salami because it gives them something to cheer for in every game. Payouts vary, but they generally range from (-120) to (+105) and will change, of course, depending on which teams are playing, which goalies are on the ice, and a few other variables that keep the hockey betting interesting.

Hockey Betting and the Over/Under System

In an Over/Under bet, you pick whether you think the total number of goals is over or under the predetermined line. So, for example, let’s assume the line is 6.5. If the final score adds up to at least 7, you would win if you bet on the over. Over/under bets are an exciting way to bet on a game’s outcome without having to pick which team you think will win.

Hockey Period Betting

Hockey period betting in incredibly popular way to bet on hockey. Here, you bet on the total number of goals you think will be scored in one period of the matchup.

Most people bet on the first period, because this is when a lot of hockey’s scoring occurs. Historically speaking, there are about 4 to 5 goals scored in the first period of every NHL game. That’s because teams attempt to establish a quick lead while their energy is high. Once they have a solid lead, they will slow the pace of the match so that they can focus on defense. Savvy hockey bettors understand this aspect of the game and bet accordingly.

Stanley Cup Finals Betting

The Stanley Cup is the most coveted trophy in all of hockey. First awarded in 1893, this beautiful cup represents the apex of the sport. The Montreal Hockey Club was the first team to win the Stanley Cup. Since then, the Montreal Canadiens have won the Stanley Cup 24 times and also reached the finals an additional ten times.

Starting in 1939, the Stanley Cup began using a best-of-seven format. That means a lot of exciting hockey, and it also means more betting opportunities during a world-class event.

Don’t trust your hockey bets to just any sportsbook – use a trustworthy company like BetRivers, with its established reputation, reliable mobile technology and easy withdrawals.

NHL Future Betting

Future wagers in NHL betting are a lot like those of other professional sports offered at sportsbooks. You essentially bet on as outcomes like who will win the league championship, which team will win their division or conference, which player will win MVP, or even season point totals. Once a futures bet has been made at an online sportsbook like BetRivers, it’s locked in with fixed odds. Depending on the online sportsbook you use and when they post their futures odds, you can bet on NHL futures before the season begins or you can bet on NHL futures as the season unfolds.

NHL Awards Betting

After each season, NHL players win highly-coveted awards for individual achievements -- these awards make for popular futures betting. For example, the Hart Memorial Trophy is given to the Most Valuable Player in the NHL regular season, and the Conn Smythe Trophy is given to the MVP of the NHL Playoffs. There are numerous other awards, too:

• Jack Adams Award (awarded to Coach of the Year)
• Vezina Trophy (awarded to Best Goaltender)
• Calder Memorial Trophy (awarded to Rookie of the Year)
• Ted Lindsay Award (awarded to Most Outstanding Player)
• Selke Trophy (awarded to Best Defensive Forward)
• Lady Byng Trophy (awarded to Most Gentlemanly Player)
• James Norris Memorial Trophy (awarded to Best Defenseman)

NHL Props Betting

Prop bets are wagers on specific events in a particular matchup that have nothing to do with the game's outcome. For example, a popular hockey prop bet is to predict which player will score the first goal, or which team will score first. In the latter exmample, it's really as simple as it sounds -- you are literally just guessing which team will net the first goal of the matchup. The odds are typically the same regardless of which team you select. Player props, on the other hand, have much longer odds because it's harder to guess which player will make the first goal. Winning a player prop can pay handsomely if you choose wisely.

Another common hockey prop bet is wagering on whether a team will score in the first 10 minutes of the game. As you can see, prop bets take on many forms, and at BetRivers Sportsbook Pennsylvania, we always feature the latest and most entertaining props. Don't wait, hockey betting is always better at BetRivers. Bet on hockey today for your chance to win!