Hockey Betting – Basic Bets Should Be Easy to Understand
By Charles Jay
If you’re like a lot of people, hockey may be something you’re a little too intimidated to bet on. And we understand that. But there’s not a lot of mystery in it, so if the “technical” aspect of things is what gets in your way, you don’t have a whole lot to worry about.
America’s Bookie Delivers Real Time Sports Betting Odds
Certainly you’ll have plenty of opportunities to place a wager, since a lot of the games can be seen on cable television, not only on a nationwide basis but through regional sports networks as well.
One way you can bet on hockey that might be most familiar to you is through a MONEY LINE. Through this avenue it is very similar to what you would see in baseball, as well as football or basketball, if you choose to go that way.
The way these propositions are structured, you’ve got a favorite, which carries the minus sign, and an underdog, with the plus sign for all of your NHL picks. So you may see it laid out something like this:
Team A -130
Team B +110
This is known as a 20-cent line, and it’s not all that uncommon. So the way it works is that, if you choose Team A, you’re placing a wager of $1.30 for every dollar you aspire to realize in profit. If you want the bottom side – Team B – you are going to make a profit of $1.10 for every dollar you’ve wagered, if you win.
When you bet money on the NHL, you’re going to get a winner, since the establishment of the shootout. Of course, since sportsbooks like to give their customers a number of options, you might also be able to bet on “regulation time only,” where the tie comes into play. But it doesn’t really cause a change in the fundamentals.
So you’re going to tell us this is too complicated to follow? Clearly that can’t be the case.
If you believe you are ready to take on something that is a little more complex, you may want to look at other ways to bet on the winning side. So another way is to use something called the PUCK LINE.
This actually offers a “spread” in terms of the score. But it doesn’t bear a lot of resemblance to that which you see in football. Rather, it is very similar to what is presented in baseball betting.
Re-Examining the NHL Stanley Cup Futures Market
Perhaps you wager on baseball. And if you do, you have no doubt come across a “run line.” In this offering, one team is “laying” runs to the other team, and there is an adjusted price attached.
In hockey, this same thing happens with goals. And the most common “spread” is a goal and a half. So it might look something like this:
Team B +1-1/2 -300
Team A -1-1/2 +240
You will notice that the underdog (see above) is getting a goal and a half, BUT they are laying a price for the privilege of doing so. Conversely, the favorite (Team A) is laying the goal and a half, but they are getting a price.
Backers of the favorite need for Team A to win by at least two goals for this wager to be a winner – and if that happens, you’ll pull in $2.40 for every buck wagered, which turns out to be a 12-5 payout for you. If it is a one-goal game, the Team B wager is going to win, although it is paying out one dollar for every three dollars you have put out there.
So now that we’ve removed some of those basic barriers, there should be nothing stopping you.