How NHL Betting Works & What to Keep in Mind
The NHL runs from October through to June, with games most nights of the week and markets to accompany them. Here are some useful pieces of advice to bear in mind.
Check the starting goaltender before the game starts
Goaltending affects NHL odds more than almost any other single factor in the sport.
A backup goaltender getting the call-up instead of a team's number one can move the market considerably, and bets placed before that news breaks settle on the result regardless.
Confirmed starting goaltenders are typically announced a few hours before the game begins, and checking who it is is one of the simplest ways to avoid being caught out.
Remember that overtime and shootouts count
Games that finish level after 60 minutes go to a five-minute, three-on-three overtime, and then a shootout if it's still tied. Moneyline, puck line and totals markets all settle on the result that follows, not the result at the end of regulation time (60 minutes).
The shootout winner is credited one additional goal, regardless of the number of goals scored during the eventual prolongations.
Back-to-backs affect performance
NHL teams frequently play on consecutive nights, sometimes in different cities.
A team on the second night of a back-to-back, particularly one that travelled to get there, is a different proposition to the same team on a full rest.
Schedule context is public and worth checking before you bet, especially on goaltender rotation, since teams often rest their starter on the second night of a back-to-back.
The playoffs unfold differently to the regular season
Physicality increases in the postseason, officiating tends to loosen up and goaltending matchups take on outsized importance across a best-of-seven format.
Totals that made sense in the regular season can look very different by May. Treat the playoffs on their own terms rather than as a straight continuation of the regular season.
Home ice matters
Although not as pronounced as other sports (like American football, where it’s home-field advantage), home-ice advantage does exist in the NHL, and it's partially tied to playoff seeding. Higher-seeded teams get to play at home for the first and second rounds; the advantage goes to teams with the better regular season record for the Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Final.
Set a budget and don't chase losses
Increasing your stake to recover previous losses doesn't change the outcome of the next game. Decide what you're comfortable spending, use the spend limit tools in your Bally Bet account, and treat each bet as its own decision rather than part of an ongoing ledger.
