Hockey is one of the most popular sports in the world. And the fastest game in the world attracts bettors and beyond. There is dynamism, dense media coverage and many events to bet even within the same match.
Yes, hockey is inferior in terms of the volume of bets to the same football, but it is still in the top five most attractive in betting. Therefore, if you are not yet familiar with how to bet on hockey, then it’s time to fix it.
Hockey betting: what is important to know and features of the sport
To begin with, let’s figure out what hockey is like in sports betting, what surprises beginners can expect here. We will also talk about the most popular championships in hockey.
Characteristics of the discipline
Hockey, like most disciplines, is a seasonal sport. However, the off-season period here is quite short. So, usually the championships start from the end of August/beginning of September and last until the end of April.
Moreover, from the beginning of July, friendly matches begin to be played. Therefore, exclusively hockey fans are deprived of spectacles for only about 2 months.
The game itself takes place in the 5v5 format and consists of 3 periods of 20 minutes each. If the teams fail to determine the winner in regular time, then extra time (overtime) and shootouts are assigned.
Overtime is played in truncated lineups (3v3). It lasts 5 minutes, or until the first abandoned puck. Also, clubs play until a missed goal, if the meeting does not provide for shootouts. Coaches of each team can make an unlimited number of substitutions.
Brightness and entertainment can be created due to the small size of the site and a small set of players’ roles. So, the size of the playing area is only 26×60, which gives dynamism.
On the ice, each team simultaneously has a goalkeeper and five field players, which are divided into defenders and forwards. Of course, this is a general division, because the clubs have their own tough guys or snipers. All this allows you to create dynamism and, as a result, high performance.
Did you know that NHL courts are smaller than IIHF games? Because of this, the performance of the North American league is traditionally higher.
All these aspects of hockey are attracting an increasing number of fans around the world. Therefore, this discipline is one of the five most popular betting disciplines. Based on various studies of bookmakers, about 15% of cappers around the world bet on this discipline.
Types of bets on hockey
Due to the popularity of hockey, bookmakers provide an extensive line of events. Here the capper can find bets that are familiar to the eye, as well as small markets that distinguish betting on hockey from other sports.
Exodus. The bookmaker here offers classic bets on the winner of the match. Please note that these are regular time bets. There is usually a double outcome in the painting.
Game winner. Here, the bettor can bet on the winner of the pair, taking into account overtime (OT), or taking into account OT along with shootouts.
Total is a bet on the number of goals scored in a match. It can be general, individual, by periods.
Handicap – a forecast for the victory of one of the teams with a conditional advantage.
Bets on the correct score. Try to guess the exact score of the meeting in regular time.
Period rates. You can bet on the outcome of the period, total, handicap and some other indicators.
The individual number of points scored. Remember, we are talking about goals and assists here.
Penalty time. In this type of betting, you can make a prediction for the victory of one of the teams, an individual or total total, or a head start for one of the teams.
Throws on goal. statistical market. It is proposed to guess who will throw more on goal, total and individual totals.
Special bets: power moves, throw-ins, powerplay goals.
There are also bets like a race to the Nth number of balls, bets on a goal in an empty net, a strong-willed victory, even / odd, and so on. In general, the painting is reminiscent of football, but with a “reservation” for the format of a hockey match. Handicaps and totals in the vast majority of bookmakers are calculated based on the results of regular time, unless otherwise specified.