- There are a number of different ways to bet on an NHL game.
- One way is to bet the +1.5, which is also referred to as the puck line.
- The puck line is like hockey’s form of spread betting.
Hockey is mostly known as a moneyline sport, but there are other ways to bet on the outcome of an NHL game.
One such avenue is to bet the +1.5, which is like hockey’s version of spread betting.
When you bet the +1.5 (also known as the puck line) in hockey, it means you would win your bet if your team wins outright or loses by just one goal. If they lose by two goals or more, you lose your wager.
Because hockey is so low scoring compared to sports like the NFL or NBA, the puck line is exclusively set at 1.5 goals, with the favourite listed at -1.5 and the underdog priced at +1.5.
Read more about how to understand hockey betting lines below.
What Does +1.5 Mean in NHL Betting?
If a team is +1.5 in NHL betting at the BetMGM sportsbook, they are the underdog. If you bet the +1.5 puck line, you would win your bet if your team wins or loses by one goal. You would lose your wager if the team is defeated by two or more goals.
For example, we’ll say that I bet on the Toronto Maple Leafs as +1.5 underdogs against the Montreal Canadiens, and the Maple Leafs lost the game 4-3. Even though Toronto lost, it still covered the +1.5 puck line because the Canadiens won by just a single goal.
What Does the Puck Line Mean in Betting?
The puck line is hockey’s version of spread betting. But since hockey is not a high-scoring sport like basketball or football, the puck line is always listed at -1.5 goals for the favourite and +1.5 for the underdog.
If you bet the favourite on the puck line, you need them to win by two or more goals to win your bet. If you back the underdog on the puck line, you need them to win or lose by just one goal.
How To Bet on Puck Lines in Hockey
You can bet the puck line for any NHL game at the BetMGM sportsbook. You have two options when it comes to betting the puck line.
You can either back the favourite at -1.5 or the underdog at +1.5. The odds for the puck line will vary game by game when you bet online.
There are a few reasons why a bettor would want to play the puck line, but one of the most popular motives is to get better odds on a big favourite.
Some punters may be turned off at the idea of laying big odds (like -225) in a chaotic sport like hockey and would rather back the favourite to win by multiple goals to get stronger odds.
