Sportsbetting
101: Betting NHL Totals
Betting NHL
totals can be very profitable when used right.
Key
Points
- Understand
how the NHL totals bet works to get the most out of it.
- Consider
the factors that affect scoring and find value in your NHL totals bets.
Like other
sports, hockey
bettors can place bets on NHL totals, or the final
combined score of a game. While the premise is the same as in sports like
football and basketball, betting NHL totals is a little different.
The lack of
scoring in NHL games leads most games to have a set total of somewhere between
5.5 and 6.5 goals. On rare occasions, a total may be set at 5 or 7 but that
doesn’t happen very often.
To have
success betting NHL totals, it helps to understand
the bet itself and what factors influence scoring.
Betting NHL
Totals Example
To help
understand how NHL totals bets work, we can use the following example.
Toronto
Maples Leafs O 5.5
(-110)
Montreal
Canadiens U 5.5
(-110)
In the
example, the total has been set at 5.5. If you bet on the Over, you are hoping
for at least six goals to be scored regardless of which team scores them. The
final could be 6-0 or 5-1. As long as six or more goals are scored, you have a
winning bet.
The -110 in
parentheses is the “vig” or “juice.” This helps you calculate your payout. In
this case, you would need to wager $110 to win $100. The sportsbook makes $10
off of this bet.
MUST READ
> A
TRUE OFFSHORE & US SPORTSBOOK COMPARISON
Watch the
Hook
It’s the
same for a bet on the Under. A $110 bet is needed to make $100. In that case, a
bettor needs the final score to total five goals or less. It could be a 2-1
game or 5-0. As long as five goals or less are scored, an Under bet is a
winner.
It is
typical for an NHL total to include a half-point at a lot of the best sportsbooks.
Many games will have a total of 5.5 or 6.5. This ensures that a tie or “push”
does not occur.
With a
total of 6 and a final score of 4-2, there is no winner and any bets are
refunded. To eliminate the push, sportsbooks often set totals at 5.5 and 6.5.
Tips for
Betting NHL Totals
When betting
NHL totals, it pays to look at factors that
can influence scoring in a given game. Check injury reports before games.
Knowing which players are playing and not playing in a game can go a long way
in determining the value of your totals bet.
It is also
wise to check on the goaltenders that will be starting that night. If a team
rests their starting goalie, that can have an impact on scoring. You can keep
track of starting goalies, injuries and other info at most odds widgets
on the net.
When two of
the best in goals against average and save percentage go up against one
another, that can also have an impact on scoring.
Bettors
should also consider how the first two periods may play out and factor in the
likelihood of an empty net goal. Empty net goals can wipe out a winning totals
bet just as often as it pushes a total Over.
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