NHL betting sites
Hockey is a moneyline sport with a lot of close games and a lot of upsets. That means the price you pay on each side matters more than in football, and the book's rules on overtime and the shootout decide more tickets than people expect.
How the bets work is on how to bet on hockey. Here is what I'd look for in the place you bet it.
The moneyline first
Most hockey money goes on who wins. So the first thing to compare between two books is the gap between the two sides of the same game, the same way you would in baseball. A favorite at -180 is priced to win about 64 percent of the time. If one book has the underdog at +160 and another at +150 on that same game, the first is keeping less of your money, and over a season of bets that is worth more than any bonus.
The puck line and the empty net
The puck line is hockey's spread, nearly always 1.5 goals. The favorite at -1.5 usually comes back at a plus price, around +150, which is priced to come in about 40 percent of the time. Late in a close game, a team that is a goal down pulls its goalie for an extra skater, and an empty-net goal turns a one-goal win into a two-goal win. That is why the puck line on the favorite pays off more often than the scoreboard with five minutes left would suggest. A book that prices the puck line carefully knows this. One that doesn't is worth watching.
Overtime, the shootout and the grading
This is the rule I'd read first. Most books grade the moneyline including overtime and the shootout, but some deal a regulation-time line, sometimes three ways with the tie as its own result, and the puck line and totals have their own rules about whether overtime counts. The same score can win at one book and lose at another. The house rules page covers what most books do; the book's own rules page is the one that counts.
The goalie moves the number
The starting goalie is to a hockey line what the starting pitcher is to a baseball line, and teams confirm late. A book that moves quickly when the starter is announced, and doesn't leave a stale price up, is a better place to bet. Hockey limits are lower than on football or basketball at most books, and props on shots and saves lower again.
Reading the list below
The list shows the books we have reviewed that name hockey on their own sports pages, A to Z, and leaves out any whose review doesn't say. A long NHL season gives you a game nearly every night. I'd bet a few of them, keep each to 1 or 2 percent of the bankroll, and keep two books open so I can take the better price.
12 reviewed
Listed A to Z until our ratings are published.
BetanySports
Reduced-juice lines on the NFL, college football, NBA, WNBA, MLB and NHL, says the site. Crypto payouts in Bitcoin or Litecoin with no fee, up to $10,000 a request and $50,000 a week, as stated
25% sports free play up to $75Read the review
betDSI.com
Maximum bet up to $20,000 online or by phone, with higher limits on request, says the FAQ. Live betting across the major sports, a long props list and phone wagering
50% sports bonus up to $500Read the review
BetNow
Bet limits published by sport and day, up to $10,000 on an NFL side on game day, says the site. Deposits from $20, with no fee on crypto deposits
100% cash bonus up to $2,000Read the review
BetPhoenix
Toll-free lines in English, Vietnamese and Chinese, plus a wagering line, with online wagering 24/7, says the site. Live betting with games streamed on the site, as stated
175% free play up to $1,750Read the review
BetPOP
Crypto payouts from $50 to $10,000, twice a week, free, processed the same afternoon if requested before noon Eastern, says the cashier page. NFL sides up to $10,000 on same-day lines, with higher limits on request
50% free play up to $250Read the review
BookMaker Sportsbook
Crypto withdrawals from $50 up to $25,000 on weekdays, seven a week, with no BookMaker fee, according to its help centre. Live betting on all major North American sports, with props on NFL prime-time games, says the site
Bovada
Published withdrawal limits by method, up to $9,500 a Bitcoin request and $90,000 a week. No fee on crypto withdrawals, says the help center
50% sports welcome bonus up to $250Read the reviewBUSR
265+ thoroughbred and harness tracks with a daily horse rebate, says the site. Crypto deposits with no fees, and free Bitcoin payouts, as stated
100% Free Play match up to $1,000 on each of the first three depositsRead the review
JustBet
Maximum bet stated as $20,000 online and by phone, with higher limits on request. Crypto payouts with no fee from the book, according to its Bitcoin page
MyBookie
A 100% crypto first deposit bonus up to $1,000, with the rollover worked out on the bonus page. KYC-verified payouts processed within 48 hours, says the banking page
100% crypto first deposit bonus up to $1,000Read the reviewXbet
Bitcoin payouts typically sent within 12 to 24 hours, with a $25 minimum, says the help centre. Deposits by Visa, Mastercard, person-to-person and a dozen coins
100% crypto welcome bonus up to $200 in bonus betsRead the review
YouWager
A published limits table, from $10,000 on an NFL spread down to $300 in-game. MLB on a 10-cent line from -100 to -190
50% free play up to $250 on a first depositRead the review