🐬 It's rare to see a bet type that's exclusive to one sport, yet that's exactly what puck line betting is. Though similar to other wager types, it is only available on hockey. This guide will explain the puck line meaning and detail everything you need to know to take full advantage of this type of bet.
Puck Line Meaning: Quickly Explained
American sports bettors are well aware of spread betting — a popular bet type that's great for match outcome wagers. Well, a puck line bet is essentially hockey’s answer to spread betting.
However, instead of the sportsbook providing an array of different spreads, which is common when placing spread bets on various football and basketball markets, the puck line is almost always set at +/- 1.5.
🦩 A ‘-‘ denotes the team that’s favored to win, whereas a ‘+’ denotes the underdog. However, given that the line is set at 1.5, there’s greater variation with the odds compared to the lines that are set for football or basketball games.
For your puck line bet to win, the favorite must win by two or more goals, while the underdog cannot lose by more than two goals.
Puck Line Meaning: Real Example
Given hockey’s popularity in the US, sportsbooks will provide hockey markets for leagues across the globe. European leagues are covered in impressive depth, although the National Hockey League (NHL) remains the primary focus.
Puck lines are a prominent bet type for hockey betting, so sportsbooks will ensure that this market is always clearly displayed — typically alongside moneyline and totals markets.
🍌 The above screenshot is taken from DraftKings showing the markets currently offered for the 2024 season opener between the New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres. The Devils are 1.5 favorites on the puck line at odds of +150, while Sabres are the 1.5 underdogs at -180. These odds mean that you’d need to stake $180 for $100 profit if the Sabres win, and make $150 from a $100 bet if the Devils win.
🌠 By backing the Devils on the puck line, you’d need them to win by at least two goals for your wager to be successful. So, if the final score is 3-1 to the Devils, your puck line bet would win.
༺ If you back the Sabres on the puck line and they lose by one goal, draw or win the match, your bet will win.
What Is a Puck Line Bet in Hockey?
ও The term ‘puck line’ will only be seen in hockey betting, and is the sport's version of spread betting. While bookmakers will provide ‘alternate puck lines’ which allows bettors to back teams to win or lose with different handicap margins, the default puck line is always set at 1.5.
🌳 This differs to football and basketball spread betting, which sees bookies set different lines based on the matchup. Bookmakers set the line with the aim of having as close to even money on both sides — so they can’t lose. These spreads make up for the gulf in quality between the two teams in question, and as a result, the odds are generally around the same mark.
🌟 However, a 1.5 spread is not always going to make up the difference in quality between two hockey teams. Therefore, the odds will differ fairly drastically from game to game.
ಌ The image above shows the first markets on offer for the 2024 NHL season. The puck line is set at 1.5 for all three games, but the odds differ. For instance, you can back the St. Louis Blues (-1.5) at -230, but in another game, you can bet on the Buffalo Sabres to cover the spread against the New Jersey Devils at -180.
You must therefore always consider the odds when betting on the puck line.
Should You Bet Puck Lines or Moneylines?
ౠ As already discussed, a puck line bet is a type of spread bet in which you’re betting on a team to win by at least two goals, or not lose by more than two goals. If you’re betting on the underdog, they don’t actually need to win the game for your bet to win. The same goes if you’re betting on the favorite. If they win by just a single goal, your bet is a loser.
ಞ A moneyline bet is the simplest form of bet — you’re simply betting on the team to win the game in question.
𒈔 Assessing which bet type is better is tough as your chances of making profit can differ by the game. Sports bettors, in general, prefer betting against the spread, but given that the puck line is stuck at 1.5, there’s less scope for variation and is therefore more predictable. Thus, puck line betting may not be quite as enjoyable as football or basketball spread betting, which are considerably higher scoring sports than hockey.
🧸 Puck line betting is undoubtedly trickier and does require deeper thinking, which could test keener sports bettors. There are multiple factors to consider when placing a puck line bet that are less significant with moneyline betting. Hockey’s overtime rules exclusively favor the underdog on the puck line, but the empty net ploy can help the favorite run up the score towards the end of the game.
𒈔 Overall, there’s no right answer as to which bet type is better or more profitable — puck line betting will just have you considering more factors.
How To Place a Puck Line Bet
The brilliance of the very best US sportsbooksಞ is that they make it so easy for sports bettors to place their desired bets. With puck line betting being immensely popular among hockey bettors, bookies make the process of placing these bets markedly simple.
Here’s how you can place a puck line bet with DraftKings:
Log into your DraftKings account.
(Source: DraftKings) 🍬 Access the sportsbook’s hockey coverage via the A-Z list down the left-hand side of the homepage.
(Source: DraftKings) 𝐆 Select which hockey league you’d like to bet on.
🌄 The available games will manifest down the centre of the homepage with puck lines present.
🤪 Scan the odds and choose which bet you'd like to place.
♏ Your bet will land in your bet slip right away, shown in the top right-hand corner.
(Source: DraftKings) 💞 Confirm how much you’d like to stake and click the green ‘Place Bets’ icon to finish the process.
Puck Line Meaning: Betting Tips & Strategies
♊ As mentioned, puck line betting is a tough bet type that requires plenty of thought to master. Here are four tips and strategies for mastering puck line betting:
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Analyze the odds:🐎 With the puck line always set at 1.5, the odds deviate based on the quality difference between the two teams. While you’ll often see similar odds for NFL and NBA spread betting, you must consider which hockey games are boasting the greatest value when placing a puck line bet.
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Consider overtime:✤ There are no draws in hockey, with the two teams heading into an extended overtime period at the end of regulation if the scores are tied. However, overtime is irrelevant with two-way puck line betting, as once a team scores just one goal in overtime, the game is over. There’s no chance for a team to cover the spread, with your puck line bet having already been decided if it does end a tie. These rules would favor the underdog in this betting context.
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Think about empty net goals:♕ It’s common in soccer for teams to concede on the counter-attack later on in games when chasing an equaliser or a winning goal. We often see something similar in hockey. Teams chasing the game may even take their goalie out and bring on another attacker to give them more impetus going forward and more of a chance of scoring. However, teams that do this can easily be caught out going the other way. There’s more of a chance for the winning team to run up the score late on to ensure they cover the spread.
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Be aware of starting lineups:♒ This is important no matter what sport or bet type. You’ve got to check the news for injury updates and assess the starting lineups once they’re announced. Teams may be without their starting goalie, or their leading scorer may be on the sidelines. Sub-optimal team selection will alter how you place your puck line bets.
ThePuntersPage Final Say
💛 This guide has detailed everything there is to know about puck line betting. The form of spread betting is immensely popular among hockey bettors, with the default 1.5 line making other factors, such as the odds, even more important. While betting against the spread is always tough, isn't it such a fun way to bet?
faqs
🐬3-way puck line betting introduces the draw as another option for bettors. The spread will always be a whole number and you’re essentially betting on a team to win by an exact number of goals.
ඣOvertime is pretty irrelevant as teams can only score one goal in this period. Your two-way puck line bet would’ve been decided before the overtime period.
🧸If a ‘-‘ comes before the 1.5, that team is considered the favorite and they must win by at least two goals for your bet to win.
𒀰There is nothing to calculate as the puck line is always set at 1.5.
🍷Puck line betting is another form of handicap betting as you’re not betting on the match outcome as such. You merely need teams to win by more than two goals or not lose by more than two goals.
🗹Alternate puck lines are the alternative spreads provided by bookmakers. If you don’t want to back a team at the 1.5 line, you can opt for a different line – 2.5, 3.5, 4.5, etc.