Ice hockey betting guide

With international matches occurring regularly, ice hockey betting has become popular in Europe and North America, especially on NHL and KHL games. But like any other sport, your success in betting depends on how you understand the betting markets and how well you can identify value. Here are the basics of ice hockey betting and some useful tips to boost your chances of success.

Ice Hockey Betting Basics: Understanding Team Set-Up

Before creating an account at Betway88 to bet on ice hockey, your first step should be to understand how the game works. Like any other sport, the game’s ultimate objective is for one team to outscore the opposing side, with six players on each squad. However, a typical ice hockey roster has 20 players.

The high number of players in the roster is all thanks to the sport’s physical nature, despite only requiring six players at a time. The game involves lots of high-contact scenarios, with each team having the liberty to make unlimited substitutions.

On the pitch, an ice hockey team has one goaltender, three forwards and two defensemen. One of the players on the defence takes the right side, while the other takes a left. The forwards also work in a similar format, with one of the three players remaining at the centre.

Settling An Ice Hockey Game

Unless a match goes into overtime, an ice hockey game takes place in three periods, 20 minutes each. However, league matches that go into overtime can’t be tied, since a tie at the end of the extra time means the game goes in a shootout.

Available Betting Markets

While there are lots of markets available in different bookies, Betway88 offers the following main markets.

  • Money Line – Similar to NFL and soccer betting, this ice hockey betting market refers to wagering on who will be the winner in the match.
  • Total Goals – This bet is decided by the number of goals that players on both teams score during the game, without considering any shootouts after overtime. As such, you can bet on whether the goals will be above or below a certain number.
  • Handicap – The bet is available when one team is the outright favourite against the opposer. For that, the bookmaker offers the opposing team a handicap equivalent to the number of goals in the winning margin to even things out. Fortunately, the odds are much better compared to the Moneyline.

Ice Hockey Betting Strategy

When betting on ice hockey, it’s always wise to begin with statistical research to gain an edge over your bookie. A proper staking method will also help you to optimise and edge that the bookmaker may have at the beginning of the game. Here are more tips to help you make a profit when betting on ice hockey:

  1. Pay Attention To The Schedule

In both the NHL and KHL, the teams are constantly on the move for games. However, it’s important that the players remain fresh and well-rested due to the demanding nature of the game. That means if a team is travelling far abroad for an away game, travel-related fatigue can affect their performance.

  1. Team Chemistry Matters

Team dynamics are everything in ice hockey. As such, leadership, commitment, effort and sacrifice are the main determinants of the team that wins a game. That’s because even the smallest blunder by a single defenseman can cost the team the game.

  1. Goalkeeping Is Important

In individual positions, the goaltender is the most important player in a game. A top-class goalkeeper can do wonder on the ice, making a huge difference on the scoreline.

Photo: Skeeze, Pixabay