The 6 Best NHL Betting Apps and Top Sites of 2024
They say there’s nothing like playoff hockey. The fast-paced nature of the sport, and the fact that the game can turn on its head in a flash make the big moments feel even bigger.
In a similar vein, there’s nothing like betting on hockey. Those same traits of lightning speed and unpredictability can make a player’s heart jump and fall over and over throughout a game. But in addition to the thrill, there’s plenty of value to be found on NHL betting odds.
As legalized online sports betting sweeps across the United States, more NHL fans have access to legal hockey betting site options. If there’s legal NHL betting in your state, keep on reading.
We’re going to talk about some of the biggest and best legal NHL betting sites, the types of bets you can place, and how to find value in the many available markets.
Where to Bet: The Best NHL Betting Sites
If you want to get started with online NHL betting, the very first step will be to sign up with one or more of the top NHL betting sites so you can view NHL lines and start placing bets.
In a moment, we’ll talk about some of the best options on the market, and the details that can help you determine which is the best NHL betting app among online sportsbooks for your mobile betting needs.
But first, let’s talk about the sign-up process itself, which you’ll need to go through in order to launch an account with any of these top NHL betting apps.
First, you’ll need to either navigate to the desktop version of one of these online betting sites, or download the app. Once you’re there, you’ll be prompted to start the process to open a new account, which will require you to enter your personal and contact information, like your date of birth, full name, and social security number, as well as your email and phone number.
This is also when you’ll input a welcome bonus promo code, if applicable.
You’ll need to agree to terms of usage, such as the implementation of geolocation software, but once your information is verified, you’re just about ready to go! Once you have an account, you’ll need to link a payment account to make a deposit of funds.
However, if you’ve accessed a welcome bonus, keep in mind the terms of the offer before you make a deposit or start betting. There might be strategies to maximize its value. On that same note, make sure to check out the best sports betting promos of this month.
BetMGM Sportsbook
This sportsbook is one of the most respected sports betting brands. BetMGM has a rich history dating back well before the advent of online sports betting in the U.S., rooted in casinos and in-person resorts.
Now, they’re one of the top players in the online sportsbook industry, and the NHL is no exception. They offer great odds and variety for NHL betting.
BetMGM does well in the realm of live betting options for NHL games, making it a very appealing option for bettors who prefer a fast-paced betting experience. This operator is also currently offering a very generous first-bet offer that can be used if you bet on NHL games, giving new hockey bettors a great chance to get off to a fast start with the sportsbook.
Check out our BetMGM Bonus Code and review for more information!
Fanatics Sportsbook
Fanatics might be one of the newest names in the online betting industry, but they’re already a fan favorite. This longtime apparel giant has done a great job establishing itself as an online betting operator, with great welcome bonuses to bring new users to the brand.
The design of the app itself has been lauded as easy to use, visually appealing, and technologically sound, while the strong promotions for both new and existed users provide an added bonus. With quick deposits and withdrawals, as well as a FanCash rewards system that also allows you to buy licensed merchandise, this new product offers everything you need for a great NHL betting experience.
Check out our Fanatics Sportsbook Promo Code and review for more information!
ESPN BET
ESPN has long been one of the biggest names in all of sports, but they’re a relatively recent entry into the world of online betting. Ever since coming into the industry, they’ve been regarded as one of the very best options, offering a fantastic mobile experience and competitive odds in many markets.
As far as the NHL sportsbook market goes, ESPN BET has gained a reputation as one of the top NHL sportsbooks for existing user promos and odds boosts. Whether you’re looking for game lines, live betting, or futures, ESPN BET has you covered, and they have a great mobile platform on which to place your bets.
Check out our ESPN BET Promo Code and review for more information!
DraftKings
DraftKings has been around since the very beginning of the online sports betting boom. They’ve constantly staying on top of their product to make sure that they continue to be one of the best out there.
The app continues to garner strong reviews across operating systems, and the brand’s daily fantasy sports offerings are still at the top of the field when it comes to hockey.
This operator consistently runs generous welcome bonus offers, and prioritizes offering a wide array of markets. That’s a real perk in the eyes of many NHL bettors. With a platform powered smoothly by proprietary technology, it’s hard to beat the DraftKings experience.
Check out our DraftKings Promo Code and review for more information!
FanDuel Sportsbook
This is another brand that rose in the online sports betting industry and has stayed around the top ever since. NHL bettors have noted that they enjoy the look and feel of the sportsbook’s app. New players really enjoy the highly attainable new user offers the sportsbook generally presents.
FanDuel is regarded as offering particularly competitive NHL odds, so you’ll certainly want to keep them in your arsenal of sportsbooks for betting on the league. The app and desktop site are both easy to use, making those high-value lines highly accessible to all users.
Check out our FanDuel Sportsbook Promo Code and review for more information!
Caesars Sportsbook
As a major in-person casino brand, Caesars offers a uniquely strong loyalty program. They have rewards that can be redeemed both within the sportsbook and at Caesars’ resort and casino locations.
Their app and website are also among users’ favorites, with visually appealing and intuitive interfaces to present their wide variety of leagues and bet types.
This sportsbook is known among NHL bettors as a top option for futures bets, both in terms of market offering and odds value. They also run some of the best welcome offers for hockey bettors, and promos for existing users. With great customer service to top it all off, it’s hard to go wrong with Caesars in your array of online sportsbook options.
Check out our Caesars Promo Code and review for more information!
NHL Betting Odds Explained
American odds can be presented one of two ways, with a plus or minus in front of a number. The plus means that the outcome associated with the odds has equal to or lower than a 50% implied probability, while a minus means that the bet is more likely than 50% to happen.
The plus and minus also tell you how much a winning wager on that line will pay out. For example, a bet with -150 odds requires you to risk $150 to make a profit of $100. Meanwhile, a bet of +200 would yield $200 in profit if you risked $100.
The odds for any given bet can be different for each sportsbook, so be sure to shop around to make sure you’re getting competitive odds before you place.
Caesars and ESPN BET are particularly well-known for providing some exceptional daily odds boosts. Be sure to head to both platforms each day you plan to bet on hockey to see if they’re running some NHL specials.
Meanwhile, FanDuel does a great job of providing competitive non-boosted everyday odds across plenty of different NHL markets.
That being said, all of the sportsbooks we’ve discussed can run boosts or provide the best value for any one given bet. Look at as many different sources as possible before placing your NHL wagers, so that you can always get the best value.
NHL Betting Markets
From the simplest bets, such as game winners or goalscoring totals, to more intricate and specific ones, like parlays and period-by-period props, there is no shortage of different ways to bet on NHL games.
Next, we’ll talk more about the specific bet types, both ones that are universal and ones that are unique to hockey, as well as how they work and when each one might be the right choice for you.
Types of Hockey Bets
One hockey-specific bet is what’s known as a “puck line,” which is the sport’s version of a spread. It will always be set at 1.5 goals towards the favored team, but the odds for each side will vary drastically based on how competitive the matchup should be.
Other than that, hockey bet types are very similar to what you’d find with other sports. There’s a moneyline with which you can simply pick a winner of a game whether it ends in regulation or overtime. There’s also a 60-minute line, reminiscent of soccer’s three-way line, with an option for draw/overtime.
Let’s take a deeper dive into the types of bets you can make on hockey games, teams and players.
NHL Futures Bets
A futures bet is anything that deals with longer-term projections than just a game or series. It can be something as big-picture as who wins a conference or the Stanley Cup itself, or simply whether a team will make the Stanley Cup playoffs at all.
Futures can also be placed on players. You can bet on a player’s season points or goals total, and you can also bet on the winners of major awards like the Hart, Conn Smythe, Calder, or Veznina trophies.
Generally, a market with many different outcomes, like an award or championship market, will offer fairly high odds on all options. These ones are tough to hit, but can pay out really well.
Conversely, something like a season points total bet, which can only go over or under the projected number, will generally have odds of approximately -110 on both sides.
Puck Line
If you’re familiar with spreads betting in other sports, puck line betting isn’t too different.
But there’s one wrinkle. The line will always be -1.5 for the favorite and +1.5 for the underdog. The only way it’ll change from game to game is the odds on either side of the line.
For example, if the Florida Panthers are in the Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers, they might be -1.5 on the puck line, but with +200 odds to cover.
Conversely, if they’re playing a regular season game against a bottom-tier team like the San Jose Sharks, they’ll still be -1.5 on the puck line. Yet their odds to cover could be as short as -200.
Moneyline
A moneyline bet is the simplest bet in sports.
You pick who you think is going to win, and if you’re right, your bet wins. The odds will vary based on the relative quality of the two teams involved and thus the probability of each outcome. But the mechanics are as simple as can be, pick a winner and get a payout.
Whether your team wins in regulation, overtime, or a shootout, this bet pays out. If your team walks away with two points, you hit your moneyline bet.
60 Minute Line
This bet is much like the moneyline, in the sense that you’re just projecting the pure outcome of the game. The twist is you’re only working with the three periods of regulation.
So, there are three outcomes. One team to win in regulation, the other team to win in regulation, or draw, meaning that the game is level after regulation and would go to overtime.
Since there are three options instead of two, the payout will usually be marginally higher on either team than it would be if you just took their moneyline. However, if the game goes to overtime, bettors who backed either team will lose.
Since draw is a relatively rare outcome, correctly predicting it can lead to a really nice payout.
Prop Bets
Props are wagers on a specific aspect of a game other than the outcome. One example of a prop could be whether or not a player will score or record a point, how many total shots will be taken, or how many saves a goalkeeper will make.
There are also team props, like how many goals a team will score in the first period. These wagers are a great way to lock into a game and engage more closely without needing to project the entire outcome.
Same Game Parlays
If you really want to dial into one specific game and grab some elevated value, think about a same game parlay. These multi-part wagers are mostly for experienced bettors as they’re hard to correctly assemble and then hit, but they can provide major payouts if done right.
A same game parlay pulls together multiple different bets from one game and compounds the odds of each individual wager. It gives you the opportunity for a major payout at those compounded odds if they all hit.
However, if a single one of the individual bets, or “legs”, should fail, the entire parlay fails. That makes these a very high-risk, high-reward proposition if there are three or more legs of reasonably long odds
Grand Salami
A grand salami is a very unique type of bet, as it isn’t a parlay but it does deal with the combined outcomes of multiple different games. For these bets, you have to pick the over/under for all of the total goals scored across the entire league for a given day.
These bets require a lot of work and research to play effectively, so they’re not always the most efficient way to play given that the odds are usually in the neighborhood of -110.
However, it can be a really fun way to enjoy a full slate of hockey.
Over/Under
This is a very classic way to play, and a simple one too. The over/under, or total, is the projected number of goals the two teams will combine to score in a game. Your job is to pick whether they’ll go above or below that number.
These bets usually have approximately -110 odds on both sides. There are two outcomes that are generally supposed to be more or less equally likely.
Due to their simplicity, this can be a great type of wager for beginners who are still learning the ropes with hockey betting.
Live Betting Options
NHL live betting can encompass several of the bet types we’ve already discussed such as moneylines, puck lines, over/unders and sometimes even props. The difference is these wagers concern games that are already in progress.
The odds are constantly changing based on the events of the game itself. This provides you with a fast-paced betting experience where value appears and vanishes in a matter of moments.
It’s a high-ceiling type of betting, but one that is usually best reserved for experts and betting veterans.
Responsible NHL Betting
When betting on the NHL, or any other sport for that matter, it’s always absolutely vital to practice responsible gambling. This means budgeting properly, never betting more than you can afford to lose, and always stepping away when gambling stops being fun, rather than chasing losses.
If you fail to follow these guidelines, you could get into real financial trouble, and a gambling addiction can even impact your personal and family life.
Many NHL betting sites offer in-house responsible gambling resources such as limits on depositing, wagering, losses, or session time, as well as account time outs.
If the options provided by the NHL betting app of your choice prove to be insufficient, you can call the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-GAMBLER for 24/7 support. You can also visit a Gamblers Anonymous meeting, or head to GamTalk.com for online responsible gambling resources.
Tips for First-Time NHL Bettors
There are certain things you can only learn with time and experience, but there are some key tips and tricks you can keep in mind to help you have some early success.
Let’s dive into some specific advice for brand-new hockey bettors.
- Keep an eye on live odds. An early goal against a favorite can create some great value.
- Make sure to stay on top of NHL starting lineups
- Be mindful of goalkeeper matchups.
- Peruse team and player trends, such as records on short rest or home and away splits.
- Always know your limits and practice proper bankroll management.
- Check a few of the best hockey betting sites to compare, as each one will have different hockey odds and boosts.
- For more information, check out our NHL betting odds and NHL starting lineups pages!
NHL Betting Sites FAQs
We hope that you have learned lots about betting on the NHL throughout the above sections, but realize that you still might have some more questions.
We’ve compiled some of the most frequently asked questions regarding betting on the NHL and the sites with which you can do it, and answered them for your convenience.
What is the top NHL betting app?
BetMGM is our best NHL betting app and site, but it was a close call between a few operators. However, BetMGM excels in state availability, user experience, live betting, and NHL betting promos.
Where is betting on the NHL legal?
Online sports betting is now legal in numerous states. Wherever you can bet on sports, you can bet on the NHL. Be sure to check local regulations to learn more about the availability of online sportsbooks in your home area.
What is the best hockey betting strategy?
There is no one best NHL betting site strategy that will always win. The only advice that is always true is to do your research, both in terms of understanding the teams and matchups, as well as finding the best possible odds.
Where can I see live NHL odds?
All of the major online sports betting sites we’ve discussed in this article offers live betting odds on NHL games. If you’re interesting in placing live bets, go check out the live betting offerings at all of your favorite sites.
What are the best NHL betting promos?
Plenty of online sportsbooks offer great welcome bonuses for new users, which can be used for NHL betting. Caesars and ESPN BET are especially renowned for offering special daily boosts and promotions for the NHL.
What are bonus bets?
Bonus bets are a special in-game currency that exist only within the sportsbook that has awarded them to you. Within the sportsbook, they work essentially like real dollars, but they cannot be withdrawn.You must use them to win bets, and you can withdraw any potential winnings.