Legal NHL Betting Guide for 2024
- Stanley Cup Futures Are Active Now
- NHL Bets Can Be Placed Across The USA And Canada
- Some Hockey Sportsbooks Accept Members At 18
Professional hockey is one of the most popular gambling sports in the USA, Canada, and Eastern Europe, prompting online sportsbooks to create odds and lines for most leagues. The most popular organization on the planet is the National Hockey League, and this NHL betting guide shows you where to place wagers legally at the most legit online sportsbooks.
Below, we explain the legal options available to US gamblers and offer our advice on the best US-friendly online sportsbooks to place your NHL bets with. We also explain how to read hockey odds and some of the perks available at our recommended sites.
Best NHL Betting Sites for 2024
| Site Name | Current Bonus | Age | U.S. | Visit Site | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  | 50% Max $1,000 | 18+ |  | Visit Site Review |
| 2 |  | 125% Max $3,125 | 18+ | | Visit Site Review |
| 3 |  | 50% Max $250 | 18+ | | Visit Site Review |
| 4 |  | 25% Max $500 | 18+ | | Visit Site Review |
| 5 |  | 100% Max $1,000 | 18+ | | Visit Site Review |
| 6 |  | 50% Max $1,000 | 21+ | | Visit Site Review |
| 7 |  | 50% Max $500 | 21+ | | Visit Site Review |
Is It Legal To Bet On NHL Games?
Yes, it is! There are actually no US gambling laws that outlaw NHL gambling online with offshore sportsbooks. Since the Supreme Court overturned PASPA, there have been several states that have passed their own sports betting laws to allow for legal domestic operators.
Online NHL sportsbooks that operate offshore are also legal because no federal laws ban their use.
2024 Stanley Cup Playoff Bracket
🏒 Odds Provided By Bovada
- Edmonton Oilers +850
- Florida Panthers +850
- Dallas Stars +900
- Carolina Hurricanes +1000
- Colorado Avalanche +1100
- New York Rangers +1200
- Vegas Golden Knights +1500
- New Jersey Devils +1700
- Toronto Maple Leafs +1700
- Boston Bruins +2000
- Los Angeles Kings +2000
- Vancouver Canucks +2000
- Winnipeg Jets +2000
- Tampa Bay Lightning +2500
- Detroit Red Wings +3300
- Nashville Predators +3300
- Buffalo Sabres +4000
- Minnesota Wild +4000
- New York Islanders +4000
- Ottawa Senators +4000
- St. Louis Blues +4000
- Pittsburgh Penguins +4500
- Philadelphia Flyers +5000
- Calgary Flames +6600
- Seattle Kraken +6600
- Utah (Formerly Arizona Coyotes) +8000
- Washington Capitals +8000
- Montreal Canadiens +10000
- Anaheim Ducks +25000
- Chicago Blackhawks +25000
- Columbus Blue Jackets+30000
- San Jose Sharks +30000
NHL Teams, Conferences, & Divisions
Eastern Conference
Western Conference
2024-25 NHL Schedule
- Season Begins October 4, 2024
- NHL All-Star Game (Canceled And Replaced By 4 Nations Face-Off)
- 4 Nations Face-Off February 12-20, 2025
- Trade Deadline March 7, 2025
- NHL Playoffs Begin April 19, 2025
Why Should I Use Online Sportsbooks?
Online sportsbooks offer the most convenience, and in most cases, they also offer the most options, the best game lines, and lucrative bonus offers. We consider the online sportsbooks listed in this guide to be the best options for hockey gamblers looking for action.
We base our suggestions on their legal status, the quality of their performance, the fact that they can operate across state lines, their universal age requirement of 18+, and the fact that they offer tons of props, game lines, player props, Stanley Cup futures, and even pro hockey sims.
How To Bet On Hockey Games Online
- Online bets cannot be placed without becoming a member with one or more online sportsbooks. Readers are encouraged to check out all of the sites listed here and should consider joining more than one so that the odds can be shopped for the best sportsbook payouts.
- Once you've decided where to join, click the signup or join icon atop the homepage and submit the requested information to create your account profile.
- The next step is to submit your first sportsbook deposit. USD and cryptocurrency transactions are available, as well as sportsbook promo codes that match a portion of the deposit amount with extra cash.
- Now that accounts are funded, members can make their way to the online sportsbook section of the website and locate the “NHL” or “Hockey” tab. Inside, users will find puck lines, props, Stanley Cup odds, and more.
Where To Bet On NHL Hockey Games
The NHL is a vastly popular and pro hockey odds will be a part of any reputable sportsbook’s options. That said, we highly recommend sticking with the online NHL betting sites listed within this guide because they are the first places we check with prior to making wagers on any Stanley Cup odds or National Hockey League puck lines.
The top-rated online sportsbook reviews included here at SBL feature sites that are open to 18 and over sports bettors within the United States and deliver payouts within allotted timelines.
A major perk of doing your NHL betting business with our top sportsbook sites is that they accept and deliver withdrawals using cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tether, Cardano, and more. Cryptocurrency deposits occur almost immediately and BTC withdrawals are the fastest in the industry.
NHL Betting Bonuses for 2024
When making an online sportsbook deposit, gamblers will notice NHL bet promotions that offer to match a portion of the transaction total and add it to member’s bankrolls. Some will require that sportsbook promo codes be entered, while others allow for bonuses to be opted for within the deposit screen.
The use of cryptocurrency typically heightens the bonus cash offers significantly over the use of USD. Just be mindful of the terms and be sure you can complete them prior to accepting any NHL betting bonus offer. Accepting sportsbook bonuses is not required to become a member.
NHL Playoff Betting
Once the regular season is over, betting on the NHL Playoffs begins as the top 8 teams from the Eastern and the Western Conferences compete in best-of-seven series for a chance to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Puck lines for each game in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs will be posted, as well as year-round National Hockey League futures that will include a list of all teams with moneylines that represent their chances of hoisting the Cup at the end of the postseason.
NHL Playoff prop bets will also be offered up en masse once the postseason begins taking action on any and all occurrences during the game broadcasts. NHL props will increase once the Stanley Cup Finals begin, as the championship series generates more buzz all around.
NHL Live Betting Lines
Live wagering is fast becoming the most popular way to wager on the sport. With traditional gambling, your picks are on ice at the opening faceoff, locked in and unmodifiable. However, live betting allows gamblers to make wagers all game long, as odds update in real time to reflect the action in the rink.
NHL live lines include puck lines (spreads), moneylines, totals, and various props, all of which refresh every few minutes.
Mobile NHL Betting Apps
If you're looking for the best NHL sportsbook app, you don't need to browse the App Store or Google Play. Instead, whether you are using an iPhone, iPad, or Android, visit any site listed here using your mobile device, and you'll be redirected to a responsive, customized mobile portal.
With touchscreen controls and a slick interface, you can crash the boards with the best of them, wherever you are. From the smallest smartphones to the biggest tablets, NHL mobile wagering allows avid gamblers to put money on their favorite players and teams anywhere, anytime.
Mobile gambling gives you access to pregame odds and live lines for every game on the calendar, and there's no geo-fencing, so you can bet on sports from anywhere in Canada or the US at the most reputable sportsbooks.
NHL eSports, Sims, And Virtual Betting
Lately, eSports has really taken off, giving gamblers plenty of action on gamers competing using EA's annual pro hockey software. Additionally, the best gambling sites also offer hockey sims to wager on, which is a distinct market from eSports.
With eSports, you must take into account not just the teams selected but also the skill levels of the human players running the show. That is not the case with virtual hockey, as the results of each game are randomly generated like a slot machine.
NHL eSports are video game competitions that use the NHL video game software developed by EA Sports. These contests pit real professional gamers against one another, and you can wager on the outcomes of their games. eSports betting is a popular sub-category of NHL bets that has drawn in fans who normally wouldn't care about sports betting.
NHL sims are akin to eSports in that they use EA's NHL franchise of video games as the backbone for the games presented at offshore betting sites. However, there is no human component with NHL sims.
Instead, bettors get matchups using real teams, players, and stats per the NHL software, and they make their picks on various outcomes using this real-world data. NHL sims tend to play out in real-time, allowing for live wagering opportunities in addition to standard pregame betting.
Virtual hockey sims are not NHL sims. They don't use real teams, players, or historical data. Instead, hockey sim software involves a randomized (RNG) platform pitting fanciful or generic hockey teams against one another in computer-simulated virtual sports matchups.
You can bet on these, and contests last just a couple of minutes before wagering commences on the next batch of games. With hockey sims betting, you can wager on an entire season's worth of action in a single day at most betting sites, and games are played 24/7/365.
Hockey Bet Types
Game Lines
Each pro hockey game for the regular season and playoffs will feature game lines consist of the following three items:
Puck Lines - Also referred to as point spreads in other sports, NHL puck lines are the number of points that teams are projected to win or lose by.
Moneyline Odds - Wager on the team that will win the game using moneyline odds. Positive moneylines reward more than what you risk, whereas negative odds require more risk than can be won.
The Over/Unders - Bets can be made on whether the points scored by both teams will fall over or under the line set by oddsmakers.
Team Totals
Totals allow users to bet on the total number of points scored instead of a winner or loser. Totals refer to the combined score from both teams, and the bettor wagers on whether the total points scored will be over or under the lines given.
NHL Futures
NHL futures betting allows gamblers to wager on future outcomes, such as the 2024 Stanley Cup winner, division winners. Conference winners, Art Ross Trophy winners, Hart Trophy Winners, and many more.
NHL Prop Bets
NHL props can be either player-related or team-related, allowing patrons to put money on single-game statistical performances, like how many points a player will score to how much ice time a line gets. Season props are also available for individual teams, players, and more.
Prop bets generally do not affect the outcome of the game and could include something like “will a fight happen in the first period?” Player prop bets can also include non-game outcomes that ask outlandish questions that include "will a player propose to his girlfriend."
Other player props have been posted in the past for what each championship roster member will do with the Stanley Cup while they possess it.
Parlays
NHL parlay betting is stringing multiple wagers together to yield bigger winnings. You can even include odds from the same game, like a straight wager and an over/under, or you can string different games together in the parlay.
Period Lines
Period lines are similar game lines but are based off a single period of play. Period betting allows gamblers to wager on the spreads, straights, and totals for each individual period.
How To Read NHL Odds & Puck Lines
The most common element of an NHL betting line will be the moneyline odds that represent the amount of money that can be won and the probability that the occurrence will happen.
Moneyline odds allow for simple NHL bets on the team that will win the game, or whether an occurrence will happen. NHL moneyline odds are presented as positive or negative numbers. For positive odds, the (+) number represents how much you would win if you placed a $1 bet at an NHL betting online site.
The negative (–) number represents how much you have to wager to win $1. Below, you will find examples and how much wagers are worth based on the odds given.
For more detailed information, check out our guide to reading betting odds.
NHL Betting Strategy Guide
The following NHL betting tips and tricks are intended to make you more aware of betting possibilities and how you should approach professional sports betting.
Pro hockey, like any other sport, is a game in which outcomes are unpredictable, so bettors must use their skills in determining the best NHL odds that will yield the most money. Below are some helpful tips to be aware of when partaking in NHL sports betting lines and odds.
NHL Stadium Sportsbooks
A few teams and stadiums have partnered to bring betting sites closer to the fans. In 2018, the New Jersey Devils opened sportsbook lounges in the Prudential Center, where fans could follow the games and place wagers.
In 2019, SugarHouse Casino followed suit after they inked a deal with the Philadelphia Flyers and the Wells Fargo Center. The Las Vegas Knights were the first to ink a deal with William Hill.
