What Is A Puck Line Bet? How To Bet The Puck Line

Hockey is an intense sports betting market. In such an unpredictable sport, placing bets can either result in losing everything or making a massive win. 

If you are new to the world of sports betting then you may be unfamiliar with certain terms. With everything constantly changing and everyone on high alert, it can be a hard game to learn. That’s why we are here!

What Is A Puck Line Bet? How To Bet The Puck Line

There are different types of bets when wagering on hockey. In this article we explain what the PuckLine bet is and how to bet the PuckLine. With a few tips and tricks you can be placing strategic, well-thought out  bets that bring you success. 

Learn more about the PuckLine bet below!

The Puck Line Bet Explained 

The puck line is the equivalent of the point spread in hockey. When placing a wager on the puck line, the favorite has a -1.5 goal advantage over the underdog and a +1.5 goal advantage overall. If you bet on the favorite, your club must win by two goals or more.

Alternatively you can bet on the underdog at +1.5. This means your team can lose or win the match by one goal and you will still see a return. However, if your team wins or loses by 2 or more goals, you lose your wager. 

By placing a puck line wager, gamblers can either boost their chances of winning their underdog bet or pick the favorite at a higher payout.

How Does Puck Line Betting Work?

The basis of puck line betting is the application of a spread, sometimes known as a handicap, to a hockey game.This implies that the underdog side will start with an edge while the team that is expected to win will start at a disadvantage.

Puck Line bets often start at 1.5 but as the spread increases the more common alternative puck line betting becomes. 

The favorite will be shown on the sportsbook by a minus sign (-) followed by the spread, for example, 1.5. As a result, when the game is over, their final score will be reduced by 1.5.

Therefore, for your bet to win if you back a favorite on the 2-way puck line, they must win by two goals or more. The spread is “covered” in this situation.

In contrast, the underdog will be identified with a plus sign (+) and the number 1.5. So, when the game is over, their score will be adjusted by 1.5.

Your wager is successful if you back the underdog and they lose by only one goal. In puck line or spread betting, backing the underdog is referred to as betting against the spread.

Types Of Puck Line Bets 

Much like every other form of sports bet, the Puck Line has different types of bets within the title. Including:

Period Puck Lines 

Now that there are more options for sports betting, gamblers can wager on certain portions of a hockey game.

A period puckline is shown with -0.5 / +0.5 instead of the customary -1.5 / +1.5 pucklines for the entire game. The favored must outscore their opponent in the period in order to win the period puckline wager. 

If you wager on the underdog with a +0.5 head start and the teams are tied after each period, your bet will win.

Alternate Puck Lines

The point spread increases from 1.5 to 2.5 goals when using the alternate puck line. The underdog can now lose by two goals and still win a wager on the alternate puck line, whereas the favorite must win by three goals or more.

You only want to place an Alternate Puck Line bet if you are 100% certain that a specific player will win by 3 or more goals. 

What Is A Puck Line Bet? How To Bet The Puck Line

Reverse Puck Lines 

The favorite receives a +1.5 advantage thanks to the reverse puckline, while the underdog now has a -1.5 position. If a gambler finds an underdog with a highly tempting price who they believe will win by more than two goals, they might be interested in this choice.

These are often low bets and a strategic player won’t bet all of their money on one player in order to see a large return on Reverse Puck Lines. 

Puck Lines Vs Moneylines 

There isn’t a single response to this question that will generate any long-term gains, as is the case with the majority of similar inquiries. 

The winning team must be betted on according to the moneyline. The puck line is determined by goals scored, not by victories or defeats. A favorite would need to not only win, but win by at least 2 goals in order for a bettor to win the wager with the spread set at 1.5 goals.

Due to the fact that the majority of NHL games are decided by a single goal, betting on the puck line can be challenging. The most typical final score in a hockey game, according to NHL.com, is 3-2.

This would imply that, in the majority of circumstances, the underdog will prevail when a puck line wager is made.

Tips For Betting The Puck Line 

When researching the world of sports betting you will notice that there is so much data and information to be understood. It can quickly become overwhelming when trying to make strategic bets. 

Below are some tips to make it all easier: 

Stats To Know 

  • Fenwick: The only difference between this metric and “corsi” is that it ignores blocked shots. Generally speaking, a team’s “corsi” and “fenwick” numbers will be comparable. 
  • Corsi: A shot attempt in a 5v5 game is simply referred to as a corsi in hockey parlance. A team scores “corsi for” when they shoot the puck toward the goal. “Corsi versus” is the term used when the other team scores a goal.

 The corsi percentage is determined by the distinction between these two motions (Also check out What Percentage Of Sports Bettors Win?). Theoretically, a club that is over 50% would allow more scoring opportunities than they create. Based on the chances provided, this squad might be a good one to target.

Home And Road Splits 

This is knowing when to bet on a team playing at home or on another team’s ice. The majority of teams play significantly better on their own ice than they do away. 

If betting on a team that is playing away from their home ice then you want to ensure that they will still outperform the other team. However, you are more likely to win by betting on the team playing at home. 

Final Thoughts 

Hockey is an exciting, unpredictable sport. Making it extremely interesting to bet on. With so many ways to bet on ice hockey it is important to find a method that works for you and stick to it. 

Betting the puck line is a great way to find better odds as you provide the underdog a better chance at winning. 

There is no need to over complicate betting. Find your best approach, place your bets, and wait for the results to roll in. Remember to enjoy the game throughout and know when to call it quits!

Dave Selby