The NHL season is one of the biggest sporting events not just in North America, but the world, as the league has amassed massive popularity among sports fans and bettors worldwide. Explore the top-rated NHL betting sites and discover different ways to bet on the NHL.
History of NHL
The National Hockey League, NHL for short, was established in 1917 in Montréal, Canada, and is the second-oldest hockey tournament after the Spengler Cup. Four teams that previously participated in the NHA gathered to start their own league. The NHL quickly began to grow and expand beyond the Canadian borders, first joined by several US teams and, over the years, continued to double in size.
Nowadays, 32 teams compete in the NHL. While participation is limited to the North American teams, from the early 2000s the NHL started holding international exhibition matches and even regular season games throughout Finland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Japan, the UK, and Sweden.
In the world of sports betting, the NHL as well as ice hockey holds an important role today. Just like the NFL, the NHL matches can be watched around the world thanks to streaming and the fast-paced nature of the sport turned out to be ideal grounds for building a big NHL sports betting community.
Why Bet on the NHL?
The NHL is enjoying a spotlight moment right now. Since the league is now counting the highest number of teams in its history, the number of matches grew and so did the betting opportunities. Ice hockey is, in general, very popular among sports bettors, so it comes as no surprise that the NHL would be as attractive. After all, more than 4 million people tune into the finals matches of the Stanley Cup.
NHL betting online is also very easy, as all you need is a device with an internet connection. Thanks to live betting most bookmakers with NHL hockey betting offer, it’s possible to bet on various events during a single match and truly experience the thrill of the sport from the comfort of your own home.
How We Rate NHL Betting Sites
Due to the immense popularity of the NHL, pretty much every bookmaker that wants to make a name for themselves offers the NHL betting lines. Of course, not everyone’s equally good, so we analyse certain criteria to bring you the ultimate list of sportsbooks where you can bet on this league.
Bonuses
Having a headstart in the betting world is always a plus and what’s better than some welcome bonuses and ongoing promotions? When talking about the best NHL betting sites, we first address whether the bookies offer bonuses specifically for the NHL, or promote betting on this league in any other capacity, for example with boosted odds.
This is often a sign that the inclusion of the NHL in a particular sportsbook wasn’t an afterthought, but that the bookmaker is supporting the customers who bet on the sport and provides good coverage of all events throughout the season.
Payments
For us, seeing a healthy variety of payment methods at a betting site is always a good sign. The more - the better. A sports betting site must have very fast, ideally instantaneous deposits, as NHL live betting requires fast wagers and, therefore, you might need to reload your account quickly.
We also take into consideration the minimum amounts required for deposits and withdrawals. Most online sportsbooks have a €10 minimum requirement for any transaction, so anything above that could turn out to be a downside. The speed of withdrawals is also very important. Nobody wants to wait a week or so to get their winnings.
Security
Bookmakers should ensure not that their customers have fun, but that their information is safe and secure. All online NHL betting sites listed on this page are licensed, ensuring the legality of their business. On top of that, we also check how the sites protect the data, their reputation among the bettors, and whether they properly conduct their KYCs so no bad actors can ruin it for everyone.
NHL Betting Markets
In the world of sports betting, the NHL doesn’t differ much from other team sports, especially if we talk about different markets you can bet on.
NHL Moneyline
The most straightforward and, thus, the most popular bet of them all, moneyline is a simple bet on who’ll win the match. We recommend starting with the NHL moneyline when betting online for the first time and then proceeding to more complex and prop bets.
NHL Parlay Betting
Parlays, or accumulators as they’re also called, are combined bets that are preferred among more experienced bettors as they can really ramp up their winnings. They can be either spread across several matches or within a single match via Bet Builder, but the gist is that every selection in a Parlay must win for the complete wager to pay out. Risky, but very rewarding.
NHL Futures Betting
An NHL season lasts eight months. That’s a big timespan, so many bettors choose to play a long game with their betting slips, too. Similarly to betting on the Ice Hockey World Cup, you can bet on events that won’t have for months to come, whether that’s a team making the playoffs, or them winning the conference. These are usually the first betting lines to open.
NHL Point Spread Betting
For NHL matches it’s very common to bet on spreads, or Puck line as it’s typically called in the ice hockey betting world. Spread betting is identical to handicap betting, meaning that the match favourite needs to cover the spread for your bet on them to count as a win. Likewise, the underdog will have a point advantage, so wagering on them will net you a win even if they actually lose the match as long as the winner doesn’t cover the spread.
How Does NHL Work?
A single NHL season takes months to complete, with each team playing 82 matches from October to April to earn their place in the final tournament. The season actually starts with a two-week pre-season in late September, when teams participate in exhibition matches which act as both practice and an evaluation of the team’s form.
The actual NHL season is divided into the regular season and the Stanley Cup playoffs that culminate with the Stanley Cup finals. The 2024/2025 NHL season starts on 4 October and lasts until 17 April 2025. As previously mentioned, each team plays 82 games and there are 32 teams competing in the NHL season this year.
Then it’s time for the Stanley Cup tournament where the top 16 teams face off in a playoff format. It’s a three-round tournament where matches are played as best-of-seven. Finally, the winner will raise the Stanley Cup and be crowned the season’s victor.
Similarly to other American sports, there’s an All-Stars match in the NHL, too. The NHL All-Star Game is typically played in late January or early February and it has a charity nature. This season, though, this game will be replaced by a 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, just before ice hockey returns to the Winter Olympics. The four teams hail from Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States and the tournament is scheduled for 12-20 February 2025.
NHL Betting Tips
Before you head to one of the online NHL betting sites listed on this page, a few tips on how to get the most out of your experience.
Try to control your betting, especially for live matches. Don’t bet with your heart, but your mind, as the saying goes. The fast-paced nature of the sport can easily draw you in to make some harsh decisions and overspend on bets.
Likewise, try to familiarise yourself with the teams during the preseason and the first round of matches in the regular season. Read up on their previous matchups against other teams in their division to see how they faired and whether they managed to keep their track record.
Lastly, try out different types of betting and explore the markets on offer in the NHL sports betting section of your chosen sportsbook. With the sport being as dynamic as it is, betting on spreads, totals, and trying out prop bets could turn out to be more interesting and lucrative for you than simply playing the moneylines.
