What is the puck line in betting? The rules in betting are often the same or similar across multiple sports. You either bet on which player or team you believe will win a match or go deeper by predicting the specifics of the win. The former is commonly known as moneyline when you simply bet on who you think would win a game.

A more common betting style among sports enthusiasts is the spread. When betting on NFL or NBA games, they are known as point spread, which is the difference with which the winner must win or the losing team can concede. In hockey, this style is known by a different name.

If you are just getting into hockey, one of your first questions might be, what is puck line betting? The simple explanation is to liken it to the point spread. Basically, it is the difference with which scores in the game can go for bets to win. Since hockey is a low-scoring sport, the spread is set at 1.5, so -1.5 for the favorites and +1.5 for the underdogs.

For more context on the spread, +1.5 for the favorite means the team must win by at least two points for your wager to collect. Meanwhile, the underdogs only have to lose by one point for you to win. This style makes betting more interesting than simply predicting which team will win.

What is Puck Line in Hockey Betting?

As a beginner, you might still want to ask, what is puck line in betting? Or what is puck line in NHL betting? While the point spread is often easy to explain the concept, it is not always perfect. Puck line betting does not often reflect the winning odds for bettors, which is where a third style known as under/over comes into play. 

With the under/over, bookmarkers like bcgame reflect the real difference between teams through odds that reveal how much you will win if your puck line bet collects. For example, in a game between the Boston Bruins and the Los Angeles Kings, where the former is a heavy favorite. 

The juice or vigorish can be -210 for the Bruins and +230 for the Kings. This means you will have to bet $210 on the Bruins before winning $100. Meanwhile, a $100 wager on the Kings will win you $230.

To put it all into perspective, there are three betting styles you can choose from when wagering on hockey games. Here is a clear distinction between them.

• Moneyline: Simply betting on an outright winner, no matter how many points they win with.
• Puck Line: Betting on the spread of win. Your wager on the favorite will only collect if they win by at least two points, while the losing team bet wins if they do not concede more than one point.
• Under/Over: The odds better reflect the difference between two teams with obviously unequal potentials. This style is commonplace with punters betting on NHL hockey tournaments like the Stanley Cup as it allows to predict outcomes for even and uneven teams alike. 

Variations of the Puck Line Betting Style

While it seems simple and direct, the puck line betting style has some variations that make it more interesting. These variations provide more excitement for bettors who may not find regular puck line betting interesting enough.

Reverse Puck Line

You can spice things up by betting on a reverse puck line. In this variation, the favorite is given a head start with a +1.5 odd, which puts the underdog at -1.5. This option can give you a big payday if you think the underdogs can pull a surprise win by 2+ goals.

Alternative Puck Line

In this variation, what changes the puck line in hockey? A common example is adjusting the spread from the standard 1.5 to 2.5. Under this variation, the favorite must win by 3+ goals, and the underdog can lose up to two goals for bettors to win.

3-Way Puck Line

A major feature of puck line betting is that there is no option for a draw. If the spread is 1.5 and hockey games go into overtime, where the first team to score wins, a draw in regulation time automatically means a loss if you bet on the favorite.

With a 3-way puck line, the draw is introduced. Instead of the usual 1.5 spread, it has a spread that looks like -2, -2, and +2. Here, the favorite must win by 3+ points if you’re betting on them for you to win. Winning on the underdogs requires them to lose by one or less, but wagering on a draw will collect if the favorite wins by exactly two points. If you’re new to online casinos and want to test your luck with a small budget, https://www.teardown.se/en/5-euro-deposit-casino/ is an excellent way to get started with minimal commitment.