NHL live betting obviously makes watching the games a lot more fun, but it’s not the only benefit of wagering on hockey after the puck drops.
In a previous article, we illustrated how much live NHL betting odds change throughout a game. Below, we’re going to list 3 different ways you can take advantage of those fluctuating NHL live betting odds.
After all, NHL live betting is fun, but winning money while doing NHL live betting is even more fun.
1. You can watch before you bet
For a team that played last night @NJDevils have some out firing outshooting @NHLBruins 12-6 midway through the first period. .@MheadReporter pic.twitter.com/SYGuE5g07p
— Christopher Hurley (@HurleySportsWL) January 24, 2018
Ever bet against a team because they had a tough game last night and you expect them to struggle to have any energy? Or maybe you thought a team would be extra-motivated following a poor performance, only to turn on the TV and see that they’re flat as a pancake.
NHL live betting allows you to see how the teams are playing before you place your bet. You might notice right away that one team appears hungry while the other is sleepwalking, which you wouldn’t have known before the game.
2. NHL live betting opens up hedging opportunities
Hedging, of course, is when you make a wager against your original bet. It’s generally done in an attempt to lock in a profit, but hedging also allows you to limit your losses, reduce your risk or even take a shot at winning both sides of a bet.
Let’s say you took the Leafs +150 against the Kings and Toronto jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period. At this point, LA might be +300 or so on the NHL live odds. You could hedge your Leafs +150 bet by taking LA +300, and profit no matter what the outcome was.
- Original $100 bet on Leafs +150 pays $150 profit
- Your $60 hedge bet on Kings +300 pays $180 profit
- If Leafs win, you’ll make $90 ($150 – $60 loss on Kings)
- If Kings win, you’ll make $80 ($180 -$100 loss on Leafs)
Or you could take the Kings +1.5 on the puck line. Now it’s impossible for you to lose both your bets, and you could win both of them if the Leafs won by 1 goal.
- $100 on Leafs +150 pays $150 profit
- $100 on Kings +1.5 +100 pays $100 profit
- If Leafs win by 2+, you make $50 ($150 – $100)
- If Kings win the game, you’ll break even ($100 win on hedge – $100 loss on Leafs)
- If Leafs win by 1 goal, you’ll make $250 ($150 on Leafs + $100 on Kings +1.5)
3. You can take advantage of game situations
When teams are losing by 1 goal in the third period, they often let down their guard defensively and start taking more chances. It’s also routine for them to pull their goalie for an extra attacker in the final few minutes.
You could take advantage of this on the live NHL odds by taking the leading team -1.5 on the puck line and hope that they can either pad their lead on an odd-man rush or with a late empty-netter.
If the team that’s losing in the third period is the favourite and you like their chances of catching up, you might be able to cash in by betting the Over. If the favourite does tie the game, that guarantees at least 1 more goal will be scored after that, since games don’t end in ties.
Another game situation that you might be able to capitalize on is injuries. It’s hard for oddsmakers to keep on top of every game at the same time, so if you notice a star player leaving the game, you can make your live bet before the odds change.
Make Sure Your Betting Site’s NHL Live Betting Suits Your Style
Sportsbooks offer NHL live betting in a variety of ways.
Pinnacle generally posts live NHL odds during intermissions only, but the benefit of betting there is they have the lowest juice (commission) on live hockey betting lines.
Others will offer live moneyline, puck line and over/under odds during play, and also post props like which team will score next, etc.
Just be aware that the books who offer NHL betting odds during play use a slight delay before accepting your bet, just in case a goal or penalty just took place and swung the odds dramatically.