Hockey
How to Bet on Hockey: NHL Betting Markets Explained
Tap a market on the sample game line to see what wins it and how overtime counts. Below are the numbers from the last two NHL regular seasons that decide each bet.
With the margin taken out, the home team wins about 57 games in 100 like this one, overtime and shootout included. Only 37 in 100 are wins by 2 goals or more – that is what the home puck line −1.5 needs.
What it does
When a team trails by one goal late, it pulls its goalie. Fitted to two NHL seasons: the leader then scores 22% of the time and the trailer ties it 19% of the time. This brings ties after 60 minutes and one-goal results in line with real games. Off = plain Poisson.
Fair prices for every market of this game
One picture: which results each bet needs
A one-goal win in 60 minutes and every overtime or shootout game look the same to the puck line: the −1.5 side loses them all.
Where the margin sits
Moneyline adds up to 104.3% margin 4.3%
Total 6.5 adds up to 104.7% margin 4.7%
The two moneyline prices add up to 104.3%, not 100%: the extra 4.3% is the book’s margin. The red end of each bar is the part of the price that is margin.
Model: goals in 60 minutes follow a Poisson pattern fitted to your moneyline and total (expected goals home 3.37, away 2.88). Margin removed in proportion. Overtime and shootout treated as a coin flip; empty-net adjustment on.
How it is calculated
Fair chance = (1 ÷ price) ÷ (sum of 1 ÷ price for both sides). Margin = sum − 100%.
We then find the expected goals for each team so that a Poisson model gives the same fair moneyline and the same over/under split. From that one model come the 60-minute 3-way, the puck lines and the total. A tie after 60 minutes is settled in overtime or a shootout, and the winner gets one goal added to the final score.
Puck line lab →60-minute line converter →Goal distribution →Margin calculator →
NHL betting markets at a glance
Moneyline
24.8% go past regulationPick the winner. Overtime and shootout are included. There is no tie option.
Puck line
43.2% one-goal finalsThe favourite at −1.5 must win by two goals or more. The underdog at +1.5 wins if it wins or loses by one.
Total goals
6.25 goals per gameOver or under the game's goal line. At OLG, the OT or shootout winner is credited one goal.
60-minute line
24.8% tied after 60Home, tie or away after three periods. Overtime and shootout do not count.
Period betting
Winner, tie or goalsA bet on one period only: winner, tie or goals. First period betting works like a small 60-minute line.
Player and goalie props
At OLG: OT counts, shootout does notGoals, points, shots, saves. At OLG, stat markets include OT but not the shootout, unless stated.
How NHL games end: two seasons
| Regular season | 2025-26 | 2024-25 |
|---|---|---|
| Games played | 1,312 | 1,312 |
| Decided in regulation | 986 games | 1,041 games |
| Went past 60 minutes | 24.8% | 20.7% |
| Decided in overtime | 207 games | 194 games |
| Decided in shootout | 119 games | 77 games |
| Home team won (final) | 52.2% | 56.3% |
| Home win after 60 minutes | 40.0% | 45.1% |
| Tie after 60 minutes | 24.8% | 20.7% |
| Away win after 60 minutes | 35.1% | 34.2% |
| One-goal win in regulation | 18.4% | 17.6% |
| Win by two or more in regulation | 56.8% | 61.7% |
| One-goal margin at the final | 43.2% | 38.3% |
| Goals per game (final) | 6.25 | 6.08 |
| Goals per game (regulation) | 6.01 | 5.87 |
Regular-season games only, from NHL API data. OT and shootout games count as one-goal finals.
How to read a hockey line
- Find the market nameMoneyline, puck line, total, 60-minute line or period. The name usually tells you whether overtime counts; check the book's rules.
- Read the priceFor example, −200 marks the favourite and +150 the underdog. On a two-way line, both sides can be priced at −110.
- Think in decimal oddsAt OLG, payouts are calculated on decimal odds, whatever format you see on the screen.
- Spot the 3-wayFor example: home 2.40, tie 4.20, away 2.70. The tie after 60 minutes is its own pick.
- Check what happens on the lineAt OLG, a total or spread exactly on the line is void. A void single is refunded.
Sources
- olg.ca /en/proline/proline-game-conditions.html · checked Oct 27, 2026
Questions
How does NHL betting work in Canada?
You pick a market – moneyline, puck line, total, 60-minute line, period or prop – at a set price. Where and how you can bet depends on the laws of your province; this page is not legal advice.
Does the NHL moneyline include overtime and shootouts?
Usually yes, but rules vary by book. At OLG PROLINE, team markets with no stated time frame include OT and shootouts. The 60-minute line settles after three periods only.
What is first period betting in the NHL?
A bet on the first period only: its winner, a tie, or total goals. Goals scored later, overtime and the shootout do not count.
Are there hockey betting tips that work?
No. Prices include the seller's cut, so every bet has a cost that no tip removes. Numbers help you understand bets: in 2025-26, 24.8% of games went past 60 minutes, which changes how each market settles.
What happens if an NHL total lands exactly on the line?
At OLG PROLINE, an over/under exactly on the line is void. A void single is refunded; in a parlay, that leg is removed. Other books may use different rules.