NHL Odds Today

The board above has NHL odds today for every game that hasn't dropped the puck yet. We get the lines from major sportsbooks and update them through the day. Each game has a moneyline, a puck line and a total, plus a separate set of 1st Period lines, and you can bet any of them with a free balance.

The NHL moneyline comes first

Hockey is low scoring, so most bettors start with the moneyline. You pick the team you think will win outright, and the price balances it out: the favorite costs more than it pays, the underdog pays more than it costs. Hockey prices tend to sit closer together than football or basketball prices do, since even a strong team loses plenty of nights. For a new hockey bettor, we think the moneyline is the easiest place to start.

Puck lines and NHL totals

The puck line is hockey's version of the point spread, and it's almost always set at 1.5 goals. A favorite at -1.5 has to win by two or more goals. The underdog at +1.5 wins the bet if it wins the game or loses by exactly one.

So many games are decided by a single goal that the -1.5 side often pays plus money, even when that team is a clear favorite on the moneyline. You're trading safety for a better payout. The underdog at +1.5 works the other way: it usually costs a minus price, because you get a goal of cushion.

The total is the combined number of goals both teams score. Over 6.5 needs seven or more, under 6.5 needs six or fewer. Look at the price on each side as well as the number itself, since the over and the under don't always cost the same.

Working through one game

Say the lines show the home team at -160 and the road team at +140, the home puck line at -1.5 (+165), and a total of 5.5 with the over at -110. Here's what those bets pay:

• $160 on the home moneyline wins $100 if the home team wins.
• $100 on the road moneyline wins $140 if the road team wins.
• $100 on the home puck line wins $165, but only if the home team wins by two goals or more.
• $110 on the over wins $100 if the teams score six goals or more between them.

The third bet is the trade hockey bettors face every night. The payout is better than the moneyline, and a one-goal win loses it.

Just the first period

Our NHL 1st Period lines price only the first twenty minutes. They work like the full-game lines, but only goals scored in the first period count, so the totals are much smaller and you know how the bet went by the first intermission.

Why hockey odds change on game day

The goalie is usually the reason. When a team confirms its starting goalie, or a regular starter is ruled out, the moneyline and the total can both move. Injuries and heavy betting on one side push lines around too. Our lines track the sportsbooks through the day, and your bet is graded at the odds you took, whatever happens to the line after that.

Placing NHL bets for free

Pick a line, enter a wager from your Free Bet Balance and place it. You can put several games into a parlay, as long as you're fine with every leg having to win. If you want a second opinion first, our best NHL picks today show where more than 100 paid handicapping services agree. Our rules page spells out how each bet type is graded.

For real cash, there's the Streak Contest, where you pick one game at a time to build a winning streak, and the Monthly Contest leaderboard. Both pay cash prizes by PayPal. You must be 21+ to play, and if gambling is causing problems for you, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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