The vast majority of sports use a point spread to represent how many points a team is expected to win or lose by. However, hockey does not use a point spread. Instead, hockey uses something called the puckline. This is essentially a pre-set spread that is used for every hockey game. Read on to learn more about how the puckline is used in hockey betting.

How the Puckline is Used in Hockey Betting

The puckline is always set at -1.5 for favorites and +1.5 for underdogs. This is because hockey is a relatively low-scoring game. Sports books set lines this way in other low-scoring sports. For example, the lines on soccer matches are often constructed in a similar way.

To win a puckline bet on the favorite, they must win by at least two goals. You would win a bet on the underdog as long as they lose by a single goal, tie, or win. While this may seem confusing at first, it is very simple once you get used to it.

How to Bet On the Puckline & Win

As the spread is always the same with a puckline bet, you need to look at the juice the book is charging to find opportunities. Of course, not every hockey favorite is accurately handicapped at +1.5 goals. Books compensate for inaccuracy in the puckline by varying how much juice they charge on a bet. For example, an underdog may be priced at -200 to cover. This means that you would have to bet $200 to win $100. On the other hand, the favorite might be +200 to cover, which means a $100 bet could win $200.

The best puckline betting strategy is to try and find favorites priced at overly long odds.

Start Betting on Hockey Today

Now that you know how to win these bets, start betting on Everygame today. They offer lines on all NHL games. They also charge lower juice than many books. Start betting on Everygame today.