What is the puck line in sports betting? This guide explains what puck line means, how it works and how you can place a puck line wager.
Puck line betting is one of the most popular ways to bet on the NHL, but it can be a confusing concept for new bettors. Our guide will help explain puck line hockey betting, so you can enjoy NHL action from home and maximise your potential winnings.
What is puck line betting?
Puck line betting is a method of betting on hockey and is one of the most popular markets for hockey betting – though, you’ll perhaps know it as spread betting or handicap betting. In fact, hockey is the only sport where it is referred to as a puck line bet.
Puck line is used by bookmakers to essentially even the odds of a hockey game, giving bettors the option of backing both teams with a relatively even chance of winning. Betway only offers puck line betting on the NHL.
How does puck line betting work?
Puck line betting works through the application of a spread, or handicap, to a hockey game. This means that the team favoured to win will start at a disadvantage, and the underdogs will begin with an advantage.
The most common form of puck line betting you’ll encounter is known as a two-way puck line. This bet offers two options: one for Team A to win and one for Team B to win.
The two-way puck line is always a decimal number and is typically set at 1.5, but we also offer alternative puck line betting with wider spreads. On the sportsbook, the favourite will be denoted by a minus sign (-) followed by the spread, e.g. -1.5. This means that 1.5 will be subtracted from their final score at the end of the game.
So, in this case, if you back a favourite on the two-way puck line, they need to win by two or more goals for your bet to come in. This is known as covering the spread. The underdog, meanwhile, will be denoted by a plus sign (+) followed by 1.5. This means that 1.5 will be added to their final score at the end of the game.
If you back the underdog and they lose the game by just one goal, then your bet is a winner. Backing the underdog in puck line or spread betting is known as betting against the spread.
An example of a two-way puck line bet
As an example of puck line betting, let’s say the Toronto Maple Leafs are playing the Ottawa Senators. Here, the Leafs enter the game as clear favourites, with the Senators as the betting underdogs. The 2-way puck line market on the sportsbook would look something like this:
Toronto Maple Leafs (-1.5) Ottawa Senators (+1.5)
If you back Toronto in the puck line market, they must win the game by two or more goals for your bet to be a winner. If you were to back the Senators, then your bet is a winner if they win, draw, or lose the game by one goal.
Do puck line bets include overtime?
Puck line bets always include overtime and shootouts. However, if you are betting on the 2-way puck line and a game goes to overtime, then the result of your bet has effectively already been decided. This is because overtime in hockey is over once a single goal is scored. If the game goes to a shootout, then the game is also only decided by a single goal.
So, if you backed the favourite, you cannot win your puck line bet once a game goes to overtime, as they need to win by two clear goals for your bet to win. Therefore, if you back the underdog and a game goes to overtime, your bet is guaranteed to be a winner.
What is three-way puck line betting?
There is another form of puck line betting called 3-way puck line in which another outcome – the draw – is introduced. The three-way puck line market is helpful if you want to apply an even bigger handicap to the favourites or provide more of a buffer when backing the underdog.
It can be a strong market to bet on if you think a team is going to win a game easily, sometimes by three goals or more. With a draw included as an outcome you can bet on, the spread in the 3-way puck line market is always a round number instead of a decimal.
An example of a 3-way puck line bet
To help you understand 3-way puck line betting, let’s take the previous example and add the option of a draw to the mix. With the Toronto Maple Leafs being clear favourites over the Ottawa Senators, the 3-way puck line market may look something like this:
Toronto Maple Leafs (-2) Draw (-2) Ottawa Senators (+2)
If you bet on Toronto, then they must win by three or more goals for your bet to be a winner. If you back Ottawa, then they must win or lose by one goal or fewer for your bet to be a winner. If you select the draw, then your bet comes in if Toronto win by exactly two goals.
What are the advantages of puck line betting?
With puck line hockey betting, even games where one team is hugely favoured to win can remain competitive. By placing a handicap on your chosen team, you aren’t just betting on them to be the winners at the end of a match, but you’re also backing them to win by a set amount. This means you can reap even bigger rewards by predicting a team’s dominance, making their success even more engaging.
It also gives you a chance to back the underdog team. If your favourite franchise is underperforming this season, but you still want to bet on them, puck line betting can help you win even if your team lose.
Unlike prop betting, which focuses more on outcomes outside of the score, the focus of puck line betting is on the team’s performance and the point difference between each side. This adds a fun twist to the typical formula of betting on a match winner.
How to bet on the NHL puck line
NHL puck line betting is easy with Betway. Simply choose the game you’d like to bet on, and look for our puck line market. Then, enter your stake and our handy betslip will show your potential winnings for a correct outcome. Once you’re happy with your bet, select ‘Place bet’ and keep an eye on the action to see if you win.
You can also download the Betway app from the Play Store or App Store, letting you track your bets and keep up with the latest odds from anywhere around the world.
Ready to get in on the action? Visit our NHL betting page and choose your puck line market today. You can also read our Betway insider blog for the latest tips, tricks, and picks. Here, maximise your winning potential with our top NHL betting tips, or learn more about reading odds with our Moneyline betting guide.
