NHL Betting Odds
The Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning have developed Florida into an underrated hockey state, especially in the last few years. Both Florida teams are in good shape to be contenders year in and year out.
With legal online sportsbooks in Florida, we expect plenty of NHL betting in the state. If you are new to sports betting or need a refresher, we will take you through the basics of betting on the NHL, with information on the bets, the best sportsbooks and betting tips, as well as the latest odds for the league and more.
Latest NHL odds at Florida online sportsbooks
See below for the latest NHL game lines and Stanley Cup odds direct from Florida online sportsbooks. Click on any odds to go directly to the online sportsbook, claim your Florida sportsbook bonus codes and get started.
Understanding NHL betting lines & odds
Before you decide to get into any type of betting like the NHL, it’s important to understand sports betting odds and how to read them. Most sportsbooks you’ll see will use American odds, sometimes called moneyline odds. If you are confused about what the plus and minus signs mean when it comes to odds, you’ve come to the right place.
The plus sign will usually indicate the underdog, while the minus sign will show the favorite. Because not every team is equal in talent, one team will usually have better odds to win. Therefore, you will receive a higher payout if you correctly predict the upset than you would if you bet the favorite correctly.
For example, let’s say the Lightning are getting -160 odds going up against the Panthers, who are getting +130 odds. To calculate the payouts, it is easiest to use a baseline of $100. If you wanted to bet on the Lightning, you would need to bet $160 to win a $100 profit on a correct bet. On the other hand, if you bet on the Panthers, a $100 wager would result in a $130 profit with a winning bet.
Live NHL betting odds
Live betting has become one of the most popular ways to wager on sports, and the NHL is no different in that. Also known as in game betting, it lets you bet on NHL games as they are happening. When looking at the live sports odds, the numbers will shift rapidly throughout the game as it plays out, so bettors need to be quick in getting their wagers in. In legal sports betting states, bettors can now pull out their phones and place live bets through the app while they’re watching the game on TV or potentially even in attendance.
Best FL sportsbooks for betting on the NHL
When online sports betting in Florida goes live, it figures to have some of the top sportsbooks available to users inside the state. Each book has its own pros and cons when it comes to NHL sports betting, and we’ll take a look at what the HardRock Sportsbook, FanDuel and BetMGM Florida will have to offer.
| Sportsbook | Hits | Misses |
|---|---|---|
| DraftKings | Easy to use app, strong promotions | No live chat for customer service |
| BetMGM | Wide selection of betting markets | Slower to respond mobile app |
| FanDuel | Parlay insurance, great sign up bonus | No loyalty program |
Common NHL bets explained
Sportsbooks are getting creative in the number of ways their users can bet on sports like the NHL. Getting to know the most basic bets is important to understand, and below we will take a look at the most popular ways to wager on hockey.
Puck line
The puck line is very similar to the run line in baseball if you’re familiar with that, and it is hockey’s version of the point spread from sports like football and basketball. On the puck line, the default is to have the favorite at -1.5 goals with the underdog at +1.5. The odds will fluctuate depending on how much better a team is. Here’s an example of what the puck line could look like on the FanDuel Sportsbook Florida app:
- Pittsburgh Penguins +1.5 (-190)
- Tampa Bay Lightning -1.5 (+160)
If you believe Tampa Bay will win this game handily by more than 1.5 goals, you would wager on the Lightning, and it could lead to a solid payout at +160 odds. For the Penguins to cover the puck line, Pittsburgh would need to either win outright or lose by a single goal, but you’d need to risk quite a bit to make much money with -190 odds.
Moneyline
On the moneyline, all that matters is who wins the game. However, the favorite will see a much lower payout with a winning bet than if you were to bet on a winning underdog. Below is an example of what a moneyline bet might look like on the BetRivers Florida app:
- Toronto Maple Leafs +180
- Florida Panthers -225
As you can see by the odds, Toronto is the underdog, while Florida is the favorite.
Over/under
With the over/under, you do not need to factor in who wins or how many goals a team wins by. All that matters is the total combined goals from both teams. In the example below from PointsBet online sportsbook, you can wager on there being six or more total goals in the game or five or fewer.
- Over 5.5 (-110)
- Under 5.5 (-110)
Unlike with the moneyline and puck line, oddsmakers will usually set the odds on both sides of the over/under close to the same, with -110 as the standard. In over/under bets, sportsbooks will oftentimes try to get 50% of the bets on each side of the wager to ensure a profit.
Parlays
A parlay is an all-or-nothing bet that requires multiple outcomes to be correct for you to win. For example, if you place a parlay on seven individual moneyline outcomes, even if you get six of them correct and miss just one, you would lose the bet and the money you wagered. Below is an example of a potential three-leg parlay.
- Panthers -1.5 (-170)
- Canucks/Canadiens under 5.5 (-112)
- Lightning moneyline +110
Parlays are difficult to win, and especially to win consistently. Many bettors will stay away from these entirely, but they can also be appealing to recreational bettors because of the high payouts if you get everything right. Oftentimes, parlays are not worth it in the long run.
Futures
Just like parlays, some futures bets are very difficult to win, but not all of them, and plenty of bettors do well wagering on futures. Futures refer to season-long wagers, and sportsbooks have a variety of options available to bettors. Futures like betting on the next Stanley Cup winner can be tough to win because so much can happen, and there are so many potential outcomes. However, there are some futures that have only a few options like betting on a season win total, which is our example below with the Lightning.
- Over 50.5 wins (-110)
- Under 50.5 wins (-110)
Sportsbooks will have lots of futures options prior to the season starting, and many will remain available till the end of the season. Other futures could include division winners, conference winners, individual player awards and more.
Props
When sports bettors and just even casual sports fans hear the term prop bet, they probably think about betting on the Super Bowl, where props can get extremely creative. Still, oddsmakers will put out a variety of options for every NHL game of the season when it comes to prop betting. For our example, you could wager on Brayden Point scoring a goal in an upcoming game.
- Brayden Point +155
You can think of prop bets as a side wager during the game, since the final score does not necessarily matter for many props.
NHL betting tips for beginners
Now that you have the basics down when it comes to betting on the NHL, here are some bits of advice as you consider getting started:
- Limit parlays: We mentioned this earlier, but recreational bettors typically enjoy wagering on parlays, and more experienced bettors may consider these to be sucker bets. For as difficult as it is to get more than 50% of your wagers correct, it’s significantly harder to consistently hit on parlay bets.
- Look for rest: The grind of an NHL regular season can get tough, so when you are looking at the betting board during the middle of the season, it makes sense to take a look at the teams’ schedules and give an edge to the organizations that have had more rest than their upcoming opponents.
- Try live betting: Live betting can be a fun option, and if you are a big NHL fan and have a good feel for how a game is going and where the momentum is headed, you may want to give it a try. Try not to go overboard with your number of wagers, though, especially right away.
- Learn the house rules: Every sportsbook has specific rules they adhere to for bettors to settle any disputes or confusion. Before betting on the NHL, learn the rules for NHL betting as laid out by every FL online sportsbook.
Calculating NHL betting payouts
To calculate payouts for moneyline odds, it is easiest to figure it starting with a baseline of $100, as mentioned earlier. For negative numbers, you’d need to bet that amount to return a $100 profit if your bet won. For example, if a team enters with -220 odds, you’d need to make a $220 bet to get $100 back. For positive numbers, you could make that amount in profit with a successful $100 bet. When a team enters at +310 odds, a $100 wager would net a $310 profit.
Shopping for the best NHL lines
Beating the sportsbooks is difficult, especially on a consistent basis, so you need all the advantages you can get. One way to help maximize your chances at success is to shop for the best lines for your NHL bets. If you have accounts at multiple sportsbooks, for instance, then when you identify a bet that you would like to make, you can take a look at all the different lines across every sportsbook and place your wager where the best number is. Odds will likely be similar, but oftentimes they can differ slightly from sportsbook to sportsbook.