Within the company, we are die-hard ice hockey fans and you will find us rejoicing every October with start of the NHL season.
For different domestic as well as international leagues, it is vital that an ice hockey betting site offering markets which cover a wide range of competitions – not only the Stanley Cup finals!
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According to SIHR, hockey is “A game played on ice in which two teams of skaters armed with hooked sticks compete to put a small rubber disc into the opponent’s goal.”
To this definition, Ice Hockey is known as to the mid-to-late 1800’s that Canada gave birth. James G. Creighton, of Nova Scotia, is widely credited with introducing the ‘Halifax-rules’ to Montreal in the 1870’s which later became the ‘McGill-rules’. March 3rd, 1875 was when Creighton arranged for the first ever organized game of ice hockey.
The first recorded ice-hockey games in Europe took place at the Prince’s Skating Club, Knightsbridge, England in 1902. A couple of years later, France faced Belgium twice internationally and within three more years afterwards LHIG was formed in Paris, France which would later be changed to IIHF.
A Beginner’s Guide to Ice Hockey Betting
The most popular game in Canada and America is ice hockey, which ranks highly among all other sports on ice. When it comes to club level ice hockey, the NHL is the top competition for that and sits alongside NBA, NFL and MLB as America’s most famous sport leagues.
However, do not be misled by this because in central and eastern Europe, the Nordic countries, and Russia where ice hockey is also played. For instance, in Croatia, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland among others ice hockey is the most popular winter sport. Its popularity enabled it to be included in the 1924 Olympics games and has since been part of every Olympic event.
Regulation v Full Game Ice Hockey Betting
Betting on ice hockey is comparable to betting on other sports like soccer; however, there exist two most common types of betting market.
Regulation Time Betting (3-Way Betting)
Traditional 1X2 betting formats are often set by bookmakers, where you select either the winner (home side), loser (away side) or a draw. This format of gambling is popular for European bettors especially.
Note that this market only covers the match result at full-time; thus, if you back the home team and they don’t win until overtime or after a shootout your bet loses because the regulation time result was a draw.
Full Game Betting (Moneyline Betting)
The majority of bookmakers also quote ice hockey games in simple home/away format, which makes draw impossible. The odds are a bit shorter due to the fact that only two outcomes are possible but this bet protects you against all possibilities of winning whether your team emerges as winners at regular time, overtime or after a shootout.
To illustrate this point, let’s take a quick look at a Swedish Hockey League example where Djurgarens IF takes on Frolunda HC. The odds for regulation time betting are as follows:
Djurgarens IF (2.10)
Frolunda HC (3.00)
Tie (4.10)
The prices for full game betting remove the possibility of a tie, and are expressed as follows:
Djurgarens IF (1.70)
Frolunda HC (2.20)
Very simple, but many a bettor has found himself/herself/himself falling into the trap of betting on an incorrect market and thus missing out on what was believed to be a wining bet. Besides these points, when betting in ice hockey, you should always expect overtime unless stated otherwise.
Alternative Ice Hockey Betting Markets
Having grown in popularity, especially in Northern Europe, bookmakers are offering a number of ways through which ice hockey fanatics can stake on numerous games from Sweden to Germany and Finland to Denmark. Some of the usual markets include:
Game Lines (Puckline)
Numerous gamblers know this wager as a type of Asian handicap whereby the preferred side is given a -1.5 points handicap while the underdog is +1.5. This makes betting more competitive and also removes the possibility of a tie result.
In order for the favorite to secure a win on the puckline, it would have to score at least two goals more than its opponent whereas the underdog can lose yet still “win” by +1.5 points added to their final score.
Unlike a regular Asian handicap on a football match, overtime is included in this bet.
Total Betting (Over/Under)
This is a plain wager on the sum total of goals scored by both teams in one game.
Normally, bookmakers set the line at 5.5 goals. All you are requested to do is decide whether there shall be more or less than 5.5 goals during a game.
This market also covers extra time, as scoring half a goal is impossible and the outcome can be either over or under only.
3-Way Game Lines
Just like the line in above game, this is a three-way format. For example, if it’s the favorite team, then it will be listed with -1 handicap else underdog will have +1 handicap.
With this in mind, there is also a chance of a draw if the favorite only wins with a one goal difference.
This market is usually considered to have a high probability of a draw because you are basically predicting that one team will win by just one goal.
In essence, your odds for the draw in this market are usually very good since you’re essentially forecasting an exact winning margin of only one goal.
3-Way Total Betting (Over/Under)
In the betting market, goal line can be set by bookmakers (usually it is 5 goals) and you can predict under five goals, over five goals or exactly five goals. Once again, the odds for predicting exactly 5 goals are high.
Exotic and Futures Markets
However, bookies provide a vast range of exotic and futures markets for ice hockey fans, other than the most popular secondary markets.
Take for example, first period puckline betting and totals which most bookmakers will also provide in-play bets on each period.
You can also bet on which team will score first, when the first goal will be scored, what the final scoreline will be, how big a margin the winning team will have, who will score last for their team and options such as ‘will they play extra time?’
Major Ice Hockey Leagues and Tournaments
These are some of the most tournaments and competitions for European and international ice hockey betting, but it is not a comprehensive list. For example, Sweden, Switzerland, Czech Republic and Finland have their own national leagues just like NHL in US and Canada.
World Championships
The World Championships is a men’s competition that takes place every year and is commonly known as the major global event for men in this game. It was initially held during the 1920 Summer Olympics, with Sweden emerging as champions in 2017, defeating Canada in the final.
Women’s World Championships
The tournament is the topmost world championship in women’s football, which took place as in 1990. Canada has been the most successful country to participate in this championship since it begun with a total of ten wins.
Champions Hockey League
This is an exclusive European league for the finest club sides throughout the continent. It was started by 26 teams, six leagues, and IIHF in 2014/15. It includes top teams from first tier leagues across Europe.
IIHF Continental Cup
The European Cup was replaced by a contest for European club sides, which has been staged annually since 1997. The countries’ ice hockey associations select the teams to participate in this competition.
World Cup of Hockey
This edition was launched in 1996 as a replacement for the Canada Cup, which had been held from 1976 to 1991. World Cup of Hockey is overseen by National Hockey League (NHL) and National Hockey League Players Association (NHLPA), adopting NHL rules rather than IIHF rules when playing games.
Spengler Cup
Dubbed the most ancient ice hockey tournament; it is an invitation only annual event in Davos, Switzerland called the Spengler Cup. It has been around since 1923 and what sets it apart from other events of its kind is that both club sides and national teams have competed in it.
Ice Hockey Betting Tips
In terms of gambling on ice hockey, there are various general tips worth considering.
Initially, you need to get a good bookie offering many bet markets on the various tournaments. Like any form of betting, ice hockey wagering is finding an advantage over the bookmaker while exploiting ‘fake’ odds
If you are a bettor, it would be good for you to look around at various bookmakers’ sites so that you can get the best odds on games that you want to place bets on. Taking the highest possible price for any particular betting transaction will make you more money- over time this technique will keep your betting bank healthy.
There is nothing that can replace knowledge when it comes to gambling. If you are into hockey betting, chances are very high that you love this game. Use your understanding of teams and players to pick the best wagers with the most rewarding odds.
If you are confident that certain matches will have many goals or it seems as if an oddsmaker has underrated a team, this can work in your favor against the bookmaker.
You are welcome to visit our strategy section and select any betting tips, tactics, or advice that will help you make smart bets that will lead to profitable results.
Ready to Bet on Ice Hockey?
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