The Ultimate NHL Sports Betting Guide

Last updated: by Leon Marshal

Ice hockey is one of the most thrilling and exciting sports in the world and the top league is the National Hockey League. Boasting the top stars of the game, NHL betting is becoming very popular with the sport’s loyal fan base. In this guide to NHL Betting, we’ll cover all you need to know to place bets with confidence.

We hope you’ll find everything on this page useful if however, you are looking for an answer in a hurry then we’ve made it easy to jump to the section you need. We have summarised the topics we cover in the table above, one click will take you directly to the section you need. Alternatively, read on, as we bring you the ultimate guide to NHL betting online.


The Best NHL Betting Sites For UK Customers

With hundreds and hundreds of online sports betting sites, finding one that suits your needs can be a long and frustrating process. Not all bookmakers accept NHL betting and even if you do find one that does, can you be sure you are getting a good value? This is where we can help.

The Five Best NHL Betting Sites
BookmakerRatingEssential InfoWelcome BonusSecure LinkT&C
5.0 out of 5Betting Types: 75 NHL Streaming: No Odds Levels: 96.87%Get £50Full T&Cs Apply! New Customers only. Bet £10* & Get £30* in Free Bets. Sign up, deposit between £5* and £10* to your account and bet365 will give you five times that value in Free Bets when you place qualifying bets to the same value and they are settled. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits. Min odds/bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. T&Cs, time limits & exclusions apply. Registration required.
4.8 out of 5Betting Types: 73 NHL Streaming: Yes Odds Levels: 97.32%Get £10Full T&Cs Apply! New customers only. Max one £10 free bet. Qualifying bets must be placed at odds of 1/1 or greater. Paid as bonus token with min 4/5 odds req. Skrill, Neteller, & PayPal not eligible.
4.8 out of 5Betting Types: 73 NHL Streaming: Yes Odds Levels: 97.32%£30Full T&Cs Apply! New customers only – Minimum deposit of £10 using deposit code 30F - A qualifying bet is a ‘real money’ stake of at least £10 placed on any sports market - Minimum odds of 1/2 (1.5) - Free bets credited upon qualifying bet settlement and expire after 7 days - Free bet stakes not included in returns - Deposit method and withdrawal restrictions apply & Full T&C’s apply
4.7 out of 5Betting Types: 74 NHL Streaming: Yes Odds Levels: 97.14%Get £10Full T&Cs Apply! 18+, Welcome Bonus: New Players only, 1st Deposit, Min Deposit,: £10, max £10 free bet valid for 14 days, bets must be placed at odds of 1/1 or greater and be settled within 14 days of placement. System bets not eligible. Neteller,Skrill and Paypal not eligible.
4.6 out of 5Betting Types: 70 NHL Streaming: Yes Odds Levels: 96.78% £50Full T&Cs Apply! 18+ begambleaware.org; New bettors get 50% of deposit up to £50; Once per household; Min deposit £15 (no Skrill/Neteller); Wager a total of 8 times deposit + bonus, with max qualifying bet stake equal to your initial bonus amount; Bonus expires after 60 days; Min odds of 4/5 on singles, or 2/5 per leg for acca; Some bet types excluded.

We’ve checked all the UK licensed and regulated bookmakers and in the table above you’ll find our top five NHL betting sites. All these trusted sites have a wide range of different ice hockey bets you can place, and as a new customer, you can claim an exclusive bonus to sign up with them.

What to Look for to Find the Best NHL Betting Sites:

  • Payout – Which bookmakers offer the best pay-out rates for NHL.
  • In-Play and Streaming – You can place bets while the action is on and watch live
  • Promotions – Finding you the best new customer deals at NHL betting sites
  • Betting Types – Exploring the different types of bets you can place on ice hockey

NHL Betting Odds Levels

We promised to ensure that our recommended bookmakers offer excellent value for money and to ensure they do, we have compared the odds that the five bookies provide. The higher the odds, the more money your successful bets will make, and less profit for the bookmaker. You’ll see the results in the table below;

NHL Betting Sites: Odds Levels
Operatorbet365BetTarget888sportBetiton10bet
Min. Level97.33%96.02%96.17%95.43%96.38%
Max Level98.03%98.07%97.67%96.23%98.09%

To enable us to work out the pay-out percentage of our recommended sites, we recorded the prices available at the five bookmakers for five NHL games picked at random. Using a tool called a vig calculator, we entered the odds offered when NHL betting for a home win, away win and draw. This enabled us to work out the bookmaker’s profit line on the market. As the data shows, there is a minimal variance between the companies with all offering above-average returns to the players.


NHL In-Play and Streaming

In-play betting is undoubtably one of the best innovations that has been introduced to sports betting for many years. With in-play betting, you are betting on the action as it happens, rather than before the event. Being able to react to events on the ice rink in real-time, makes NHL betting interactive and enables you to rely on your intuition and game knowledge.

Another way that online sports bookies have changed both our betting and viewing habits is the ability to live stream events. At the best NHL betting sites, not only can you place a wager on a game, you can watch the action as well. This can prove incredibly useful, as the time difference means games are often broadcast in the early hours, you can watch the action in bed on your mobile without waking up the whole house!


Betting on NHL: Bookmaker’s Promotions

As the NHL is the most popular league for ice hockey betting in the world, it’s hardly surprising that bookmakers offer a vast range of bets that you can place on the sport. The top NHL bookmakers not only have a good variety choice, but the best ones also offer promotions that can boost your winnings or give money back on losing bets.

The NHL promotions at 888sport.
The Top Bookmaker for Promotions on NHL
  • Bet £10 Get £30
  • Odds level up to 98.07%
  • £5 Daily Free Bet
  • Huge NHL
iOS Android Blackberry Windows Mobile VISIT SITE
Full T&Cs Apply! New customers only – Minimum deposit of £10 using deposit code 30F - A qualifying bet is a ‘real money’ stake of at least £10 placed on any sports market - Minimum odds of 1/2 (1.5) - Free bets credited upon qualifying bet settlement and expire after 7 days - Free bet stakes not included in returns - Deposit method and withdrawal restrictions apply & Full T&C’s apply

888sport is an excellent example of NHL betting done right. It has plenty of options for you to choose from and many are dedicated to the American scene. We’d recommend checking it out for yourself so you can truly comprehend the variety it offers.


The Most Popular Betting Types for NHL Betting

Sometimes the type of bet you place can be just as important as what you bet on and when NHL betting you have a wide choice to choose from. Long gone are the days when you could only place a bet on a team to win when NHL betting, today there is an incredible range of match events you can place wagers on. In this section, we look at some of the most popular ones.

The Moneyline

One of the most straightforward bets you can place at NHL betting sites.

Simple, as all you need to predict is who will win the match. As there can only be three outcomes; a home win or an away win. Overtime and shootouts are usually included.

For example; New Jersey Devils are playing St Louis Blues, and the odds for a New Jersey Devils win is priced at 5/4, meaning for every £4 we stake, we get £5 back (plus your stake back).

The St Louis Blues are priced at 4/6 meaning £6 would need to be staked to get £4 back (you would receive £10 with the stake returned).

NHL Totals Betting

Two hockey players taking a faceoff. One of the most popular bet types for all team sports is the Under and Over betting market.

To be successful with this bet, you need to decide whether the combined score in a game will be Under or over a specific total.

For example, the bookmaker sets the target at 5.5.

If the final score in the game were 3-2, five goals have been scored, therefore the under bet would win and the Over bet would lose.

The Puckline

Quite often in NHL games, one team is in such good form that the odds offered for that team to win are so low that it is unfeasible to back them, especially as the stake required to see a decent return could be quite significant.

There is always the danger of course that a shock result can happen, clearing out your bankroll.

Therefore, handicap betting is a good alternative. You are effectively giving the underdog a headstart and receive more advantageous prices as a result when NHL online betting.

NHL Prop Betting

An action shot of several ice hockey players.

A proposition bet, or prop, is a wager on any outcome not directly related to the final score of the game. There are both player props and game props.

Player props are bets on the performance of an individual player, like how many shots Vladimir Tarasenko takes in a game.

Team props are bets on the performance of overall teams, like how many penalties in minutes (PIMs) a team takes in a game.

NHL Stanley Cup Betting Online

Even in the off-season, it is still possible to lay NHL bets, and many punters will use this time to assess their Stanley Cup betting for the next year?

One of the main reasons to place bets early rather than nearer the time is that the odds can fluctuate wildly, enabling you to pick up a price you wouldn’t be able to achieve if you wait.

Traditional there is minimal movement in prices once the playoffs start and the difference in odds between the favourites and underdogs gets progressively smaller.


An Insight into the NHL

North America’s National Hockey League comprises of 31 teams, 24 are teams from the United States with the remaining seven based in Canada. When the league was first organised in 1917, only four teams were involved, these were Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Wanderers, Ottawa Senators, and Quebec Bulldogs. As all the teams were Canadian, it was called the National League. The first American team, Boston Bruins, joined in 1924.

An office building.League Name:National Hockey League
Headquarters:New York City, NY
Founded:1917
Teams:32
Teams at Playoffs:Sixteen
Season Start Month:October
Season End Month:April

At the beginning of the 1942-1943 season, the league had six teams, the Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs. These teams are referred to as the “Original Six” as only these teams competed in the league until 1967. In that year, partly due to a desire to secure a national network television contract, the league doubled in size to 12 teams. Almost a third smaller than it is today.


All-time Best NHL Teams

There have been some great teams throughout NHL’s long and illustrious history and picking the best is often a contentious subject. Being fans of the sport in the ’80s, we have a soft spot for the incredible Edmonton Oilers who retained the championship in 1984-85 season. Wayne Gretzky producing the form of his life, setting playoff records for both goals and assists.

All-time Best NHL Teams
TeamSeasonCityFoundedStadium
Edmonton Oilers1984-85Edmonton, Alberta1971Rogers Place
Pittsburgh Penguins1991-92Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania1967PPG Paints Arena
Montreal Canadiens1976-77Montreal, Quebec1909Bell Centre
Detroit Red Wings1997-98Detroit, Michigan1926Little Caesars Arena
New York Islanders1982-83Uniondale, New York1972UBS Arena

A quality team full of future Hall of Famers was the 1997-1998 Detroit Red Wings. Despite losing the highly-rated giant Russian Vladimir Konstantinov to injury, the Red Wings secured back-to-back championships. Brendan Shanahan scored 28 goals that season; however, Steve Yzerman would prove to be the key player for the Detroit team, topping the points tally with 24 goals and 45 assists.


Top Players in the National Hockey League

The debate about who is the best player ever to grace the NHL is unlikely ever to end. Different generations produce different players and can you compare a player in the ’30s to one from the ’90s? Well, we’ve tried, or at least brought together our top five players who we believe have made the most significant impact on the sport.

The Greatest NHL Players in History
PlayerTeamGoalsAll-Star Game MVPNHL All-Star
Wayne Gretzky4 Teams8941983, 1989, 19991981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1991.
Gordie HoweDetroit Red Wings8011948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1980.
Bobby OrrBoston Bruins27019721968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975.
Mario LemieuxPittsburgh Penguins6901985, 1988, 19901985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002.
Jean BéliveauMontreal Canadiens50713 times between 1953 and 1969

Anyone who has the nicknames “Mr Hockey” and “Mr Elbows” deserves to be in our list and quite rightly Gordie Howe claims his spot. Playing till the ripe old age of 52, Howe’s combative style wowed spectators for many years. He managed to score 801 career goals in that time. Wayne Gretzky also deserves mention, older generations of our readers will remember his games on the Nintendo 64 and Megadrive console back in the ’90s. He was also a pretty excellent ice hockey player as well!


NHL Facts and Trivia

Any sport that has been around for over a hundred years is bound to have a rich and full history, and the NHL is no different. From modest beginnings to a sport that is enjoyed by millions, there are a few quirky facts and figures and stories that accompany the game. In this next section, we share a few trivia facts. They may not help with NHL betting sites, but we hope you find them enjoyable nonetheless.

WHA – A Beaten Rival of the NHL

Two hockey players square up for a faceoff. The ice hockey landscape could have been much different if a rival to the National Hockey League had been successful. Called the World Hockey Association it was founded on September 13, 1971, and ran until June 22, 1979.

Despite only being in existence for eight years, the World Hockey Association still managed to be a thorn in the side to the National Hockey League in that time! The two associations became involved in many legal battles as they attempted to wrestle control of the sport. A merger vote was defeated in 1977 before a merger was agreed in 1979. The WHA lost all bar four teams as a result of the deal.

NHL Longest Play-off Game

A businessman looks at his watch. In 1936, the Detroit Red Wings played the Montreal Maroons, and after regulation time the teams were drawing. It took an incredible six overtime periods before the Detroit Red Wings claimed victory. This game was, and still is, the longest playoff game in NHL history.

Since the 2005-06 season, an NHL game can longer end in a tie. If scores are level at the end of regulation (three 20-minute periods), both teams are awarded a point, and a shoot-out takes place. In the playoff’s the situation is different, after a tie, twenty-minute sudden-death periods occur. These sudden-death periods are repeated until a team scores.

Face Protection Introduced

A player lays facedown on the rink after taking a puck in the face. In a health and safety obsessed world, it’s hard to believe that for the first 42 years of the sport, goaltenders didn’t wear any protection for the face. The wearing of a mask became common when Jacques Plante of the Montreal had his nose broken in 1959.

Hockey is not the safest of sports by any stretch of the imagination as you would expect for an activity that is renowned for crushing body checks and full-team fistfights. Colorado Avalanche centre Steve Moore had his career cut short after an on-ice attack by Vancouver Canucks right-winger Todd Bertuzzl. Moore suffered three fractured neck vertebrae In the attack. Moore said he was still experiencing post-concussion symptoms ten years after the incident.

FBI’s Operation Slap Shot

A bettor uses a mobile phone and places bets with a laptop computer. The Bruno-Scarfo mob syndicate from Philadelphia being involved in a New Jersey-based sports-betting ring sounds like a plot from a Hollywood blockbuster. However, it took place. Featuring a retired NHL All-Star forward, the ring made millions of dollars before being smashed by the FBI in 2007.

Sports betting in America may be slowly being legalised state by state, but for many years, the only way to place a bet was to do so illegally, creating a market for questionable types. Operation Slap Shot launched by the FBI attempted to crack down on this illicit activity. As a result, retired NHL All-Star forward Rick Tocchet pled guilty to charges of conspiracy and promoting gambling in May 2007. Mobster Mousie Massimino received a 15-year prison sentence for federal racketeering as a result of the operation.


NHL Online Betting Top Bookmaker Pick

Certain sports work well at online bookmakers, and NHL is one of those. Despite NHL betting not being as popular as something like football betting sites, the range of bets you can place on NHL games is vast, especially for the top games and playoffs. At all our recommended NHL betting sites also enable you to stream the action direct to your laptop or mobile device.

bet365 NHL betting with bet365. Our top pick for NHL Betting VISIT SITE!

Our top NHL betting site is the highly popular bet365. Check out our Bet UK review for the full rundown on the operator. It offers loads of markets on the National Hockey League and also generous odds and lines. Plus it’s ideal if you are a fan of international leagues like the SHL.

If you’re still not convinced our list of the best NHL betting sites are for you, check out our guide to the highest rated UK betting sites. We cover all the top bookmakers, leagues and bonuses available for betting in the UK.


FAQ’s About NHL Online Sports Betting

We have now completed our insight into NHL and NHL betting sites, and we hope that you found our guide both interesting and informative. In this last section, we cover the three most frequently asked questions we often hear regarding betting on NHL games. If a topic interests you, click on the hyperlink to find more information.

Do All Bookmakers Accept NHL Bets?

While the majority of online sports betting sites do have at least some National Hockey League games featured, some only cover the main games and the NHL playoffs. It’s often a case of trial and error until you find a bookmaker that suits your needs. We can help! We have listed who we consider being the best NHL betting sites. You can find our picks here.

Are the NHL Betting Sites You Recommend Safe?

Absolutely, we would only ever review online betting sites that are safe and to ensure this we only feature sites that are fully licenced and regulated by the UK regulator, the Gambling Commission. It is illegal to allow UK customers to bet on sports online that are not licensed by the UKGC. We are also independent, meaning our best NHL sites are chosen on quality.

Do I Need to Bet Before the NHL Game Starts?

No, placing a wager while the action is taking place is fast becoming one of the most popular ways to bet. By betting in-play, you can use your skill and judgement to predict what will happen, rather than relying on statistical data. If you’ve never used in-play betting, check out our NHL live betting section.