The Best NHL Betting Sites: The No.1 NHL Bettors Guide
If you are a fan of the ice, then you have come to the right place. We take a comprehensive look at NHL betting, including the top sportsbooks, betting types, markets, bonuses and much more. Take a look at some of the topics in the box below.
How we choose the sportsbooks
Moneyline, Totals, etc.
Boston, Toronto & others
Ovi, McDavid, Crosby
Facts, stories and betting
Your questions answered
You can click on the topics above to go directly to the section you want, alternatively read everything to get the complete overview and you’ll be well on your way to becoming an expert.
Betting on the NHL: The Very Best Sportsbooks
Our team of dedicated experts have researched the best NHL sportsbooks. In the table below you can see our top picks, you’re sure to have a top time betting at any one of them.
| Best Betting Sites in The United States | Bonus Offers | Highlights | Rating | Secure Link | T&Cs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
How We Decided on the Best NHL Betting Sites
We choose the top sportsbooks for the NHL based on a number of specific criteria. To rank highly, an NHL betting site has to score well across the board. You can find the categories we consider to be the most important in the box below.
- 1. A high level of payouts and good profit potential.
- 2. Top quality NHL promotions.
- 3. The opportunity for NHL live betting and streaming.
- 4. A wide range of NHL markets.
In the following paragraphs we will go into more detail on the above points. Naturally, not all the best NHL betting sites excel in every category, but the top options are reliable in all areas.
Why Payouts are Important
It’s integral that NHL sportsbooks offer a good payout. The higher the percentage, the more you’ll receive if your bet wins. Our chosen operators all offer a competitive payout percentage.
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- BetMGM
- Betway
- BetRivers
- bet365
- ..
- .....
- Payout (%)
Best NHL Betting Offers
You can use a top US sports betting site’s sign-up promotions and ongoing bonuses on NHL wagers. Some of the best bonuses can be found in the box below, each with impressive offers and player-friendly terms and conditions. These can be used also for live NHL betting.
The Live Betting Arena and Streaming Options
Live betting forms a big part of ice hockey betting online. The best NHL sportsbooks livestream games allowing you to watch a game progress as you bet and make unique wagers that are not possible pre-game, such as the next team or player to score.
Number of Markets Available
One of the final aspects we look at when betting on NHL is how many markets are available. We look for a wide array of betting options and the top NHL sportsbooks offer that. We’ll go into more depth in the following sections.
The Different Types of NHL Markets
In the following sections we’ll highlight some of the most popular markets and bets and give you some correlating information including live NHL betting. You can use this knowledge going forward when betting on NHL games
Betting on Single Games
The most common markets revolve around betting on one event, and usually one outcome. Within each game you have the opportunity to wager on various markets, from the correct score, to the number of points.
In the box below, you can see our pick for the top US sportsbook for NHL betting online.
Moneyline Betting
The moneyline is one of the most common bets. It can either be a 2-way or a 3-way. The 2-way is where you choose the winner of the match outright (home or away), whereas the 3-way is more like the 1X2 bet found in soccer, as you either choose home or away win, or a draw.
As matches always go to overtime and a winner is ultimately decided, you can only bet on a draw at the end of regulation. The box below shows the statistics regarding what is most likely to happen, thus, when placing a bet, it is a good idea to keep this in mind.
Even/Odd Markets
Another fun way of betting on NHL games can be predicting if a match ends with an odd or even amount of goals. What’s more you can often go even deeper and predict for a specific team. In the box below, you can see there’s not much disparity between the two fields, making this a very tricky wager.
Totals Markets
Another way of betting on NHL games is totals markets. Here you have to predict whether the number of goals scored in a game will be over or under a certain threshold. For ice hockey this is generally set at over/under 5.5 goals, however this can vary.
Futures Betting on the NHL
Now let us move on to futures wagers, predicting an event that will occur somewhere down the line. Be aware that these bets take a lot of foresight and great deal of good fortune to be successful. We will now go into detail on the most popular ones at NHL gambling sites.
Stanley Cup Winner
The most popular NHL futures bet, as the season progresses, odds will shorten as it becomes apparent who is most likely to be crowned champion. Remember, due the playoff format of the NHL, it is not always necessarily the team with the best regular season record that wins.
The Best Regular Season Record
Choose the team that will finish atop their conference with the best record. Predicting this at the start of the season isn’t necessarily easy, so it pays off to do some in-depth research before choosing the squad to back.
League MVP
The NHL, like many other US sports, has two MVP trophies, the Hart Memorial Trophy for the regular season and the Conn Smythe Trophy for the playoffs. When predicting winners of these trophies, remember only three players in history have won both in the same year.
NHL Betting Strategy
There is no one infallible winning strategy when it comes to betting on NHL online, but there are things you can do in order to increase your chances. Firstly, we recommend you study rosters and form guides before placing a bet.
By its nature, the NHL is always changing. Due to the number of games in a season, players are often rested or injured, which can alter the outcome of a match. What’s more the form of a team often fluctuates throughout a season.
It is integral that you use all the information available to you before you do any NHL betting online, and only then can you be confident in your decision. Naturally, you will still need some luck to go with it, too.
Information about the NHL
| The NHL Info | |
|---|---|
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| Name: | National Hockey League (NHL) |
| Headquarters: | New York, US |
| Year of foundation: | 1917 |
| Sponsorships: | Visa, Tim Hortons |
| Website: | www.nhl.com |
| Number of Teams: | 31 (32 in 2021) |
| Start Date: | October |
| Number of Teams in Playoffs: | 16 |
| Format: | Regular season, playoffs |
The NHL, or National Hockey League, is a professional ice hockey league based in North America. It is the most famous hockey league, and currently has 32 teams that take part.
There are 25 teams in the USA and 7 in Canada. From 1942 to 1967 there were only six teams in the league. Known as the ‘Original Six’, they are the Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, and the New York Rangers.
Each year, teams compete to win the famed Stanley Cup. The teams play in a regular season, from October to April and then a postseason is held. Two points are awarded for a win, and one for a loss in overtime. If you lose in regulation zero points are given.
Each team plays 82 regular season matches. 41 at home, and 41 away. There are two conferences, the Eastern and Western. These are then divided into two divisions apiece. With an Atlantic, Metropolitan, Central, and Pacific division.
The NHL is one of four major leagues in North America alongside baseball, basketball, and football. The highest percentage of NHL players have always been Canadian, but this is gradually changing as more Americans and Europeans join the league.
All the Info on Teams of the NHL
You’ve heard all about the best NHL betting sites, but not it is time to get some detailed information on the teams you’ll be wagering on. In the following section we’ll give you some interesting facts you can use on your betting journey.
The Teams with the Most Stanley Cups
Ice hockey is a historic sport with numerous famous teams. We have already mentioned the ‘Original Six’ and you’ll notice they dominate the list here.
| Team | Badge | Number Won | Stadium | Foundation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montreal Canadiens | Montreal Canadiens | 24 | Bell Centre | 1909 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | Toronto Maple Leafs | 13 | Scotiabank Arena | 1917 |
| Detroit Red Wings | Detroit Red Wings | 11 | Little Caesars Arena | 1926 |
| Boston Bruins | Boston Bruins | 6 | TD Garden | 1924 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | Chicago Blackhawks | 6 | United Center | 1926 |
| Edmonton Oilers | Edmonton Oilers | 5 | Rogers Place | 1972 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | Pittsburgh Penguins | 5 | TPPG Paints Arena | 1967 |
| New York Rangers | New York Rangers | 4 | Madison Square Garden | 1926 |
| New York Islanders | New York Islanders | 4 | Nassau Coliseum | 1972 |
| New Jersey Devils | New Jersey Devils | 3 | Prudential Center | 1974 |
The Best Team Records
Now let us introduce some team records. Of course, this section could be pages long, but these are some we found interesting and certainly shed light on which teams have been regarded as the best through the years and may ultimately help you beat the odds at any of the best NHL gambling sites.
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Team with the most consecutive winsIn the 1992-93 season the Pittsburgh Penguins won an incredible 17 games in a row. Even so, they ended up losing in the playoffs that season!
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Team with the most division titles
The team who has won the most divisional titles, is the Boston Bruins with 25. Considering they have only 6 Stanley Cups to give with this, it is pretty surprising!
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Team with the longest unbeaten streak in the league
This record goes to the Philadelphia Flyers who went 35 games without defeat in the 1979-80 season, this included 25 wins and 10 ties.
Return to the best sportsbooks for the NHL
The Best Players in NHL history: the Past and Present
The history of the NHL cannot be told without the players, there have been some true greats in league history, such as Wayne Gretzky, Teemu Selanne, Bobby Orr and Gordie Howe.
Today’s league is dominated by the likes of Sidney Crosby, Taylor Hall,Connor McDavid, and Alex Ovechkin. In the following sections we will provide you with some detailed info on the top NHL players of today which may help your live NHL betting strategy. We also look at famous former players.
The Best Players of Recent Years
The table below shows some standout seasons from recent years. With goals and assists being heavily factored into the discussion. Naturally, forwards have dominated this list, yet if you carry on reading, you’ll see the stars of the NHL can also be defensemen.
| Best Players of the Past 5 Years | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Team | Goals | Assists |
| 2018/19 | Alex Ovechkin | Washington Cardinals | 51 | 38 |
| 2017/18 | Connor McDavid | Edmonton Oilers | 41 | 67 |
| 2016/17 | Sidney Crosby | Pittsburgh Penguins | 44 | 45 |
| 2015/16 | Patrick Kane | Chicago Blackhawks | 46 | 60 |
| 2014/15 | Alex Ovechkin | Washington Cardinals | 51 | 28 |
Stars of the NHL
We have seen the best performing players in terms of scoring over the past years, but does this translate to the best players overall? Our team has picked the top five current NHL players in. Knowing the best players may help with your NHL betting online strategies. See the boxes below to see who made the cut.
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Alex Ovechkin – The Great Eight
One of the greatest scores of all time, Ovi has led the lead in goals on eight occasions. He finally won the Stanley Cup in 2018 and has 3 Hart Memorial Trophies to his name.
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Sidney Crosby – Sid the Kid
He is seen as one of the greatest hockey players of all time. A three-time Stanley Cup champion, and a two-time Hart Memorial, and Conn Smythe Trophy winner.
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Connor McDavid – The Assist King
Since coming to the league in 2015, McDavid has taken the sport by storm. A once in a generation talent, with a pass first attitude. He has led the league in scoring twice, and won one Hart Memorial Trophy.
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Nikita Kucherov – The Russian Winger
The 2018/19 season by Kucherov was one of the best ever by a wing in the NHL. He had a whopping 87 assists and 41 goals, collecting numerous awards including the Hart Memorial Trophy along the way.
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Drew Doughty – The King of LA
One of the top defensemen in the NHL, Doughty has drawn accolades ever since his rookie season in 2008/9/ In 2014 he won both the Stanley Cup and Olympic gold in the same year.
Individual Player Records
As with any sport, records make the great players stand out from the rest. Naturally, records are there to be broken, but for the time being some of the best ones can be found in the boxes below.
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Player with Most Goals
Anyone familiar with ice hockey knows Wayne Gretzky. A dominant force, he managed an unbelievable 894 goals in his career.
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Player with Most Assists
Once more, it is Wayne Gretzky who is champion here, with 1,963 assists. We could have an individual records list with his achievements alone.
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Most Goals by a Rookie
The Finnish Flash, Teemu Selanne, scored an incredible 76 goals in his rookie season in 1992/93. He went on to have an incredible career with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.
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Most Shutouts in a Career
One of the greatest goal tenders of all time, Martin Brodeur had 125 shutouts in his illustrious career that spanned 22 seasons in the NHL.
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Oldest Player
The oldest player to every grace the ice professionally was Gordie Howe. On 11 April 1980, he stepped on to the ice for the Hartford Whalers at the ripe old age of 52 years and 11 days.
History of the NHL and Betting
The NHL has a rich and wonderful history. As with any sport there has always been the desire to place a wager on ice hockey at the best betting sites. In the infographic below, you can see the progress of the industry and where it is up to in this moment today.
The biggest thing we get out of it is seeing the kids smile. And hopefully we will also see that the lessons we’re teaching – not only the fundamentals of hockey, but also the life values – are sinking in.
FAQ
Now let’s look at some of the most common queries people ask about the NHL and ice hockey in general. If you can’t find what you are looking for then drop us a line at info@bestbettingsites.com.
🥇 Can I bet on the NHL at all betting sites?
All the US sports betting sites we feature on this page give you the opportunity to bet on the NHL. Most sportsbooks will also have the option, yet the ones chosen here have been optimized for the sport, so you can't go far wrong if you stick with our recommended sportsbooks.
🔍 How long does a hockey game last?
Hockey games last for 60 minutes in regulation, this is broken down into three 20-minute periods. If the game is tied, there will be an overtime period of five minutes, check the NHL betting strategy for some tips on when to place a wager.
🏒 How many teams are there in the NHL?
Currently, there are 32 teams playing in the league. This is comprised of 25 teams in the United States and seven in Canada. The 32nd team was added in 2021, when the Seattle Kraken joined the NHL.
🤑 Is betting on the NHL legal?
As long as you are in a state where sports betting is legal, you can make wagers at the best NHL betting sites. We have ranked the top NHL sportsbooks based on various critera. Pick your favorite and start making bets today.
