The thesis that hockey is a sport for the brave has been heard a long time ago. But hardly anyone unfamiliar with online betting knows that now you can make money on hockey meetings. In this article, let’s talk about betting on hockey.
Rules Of Hockey Betting
To begin online betting on hockey, run through the features of the sport itself. Hockey is a sport on the ice, which comprises a confrontation between two teams on skates, whose players, passing the puck to each other with sticks, strive to throw it into the opponent’s goal the greatest number of times and not miss on their own.
Hockey contains three periods of 20 minutes of net time. Between periods, there is a break. In professional leagues, it usually lasts 15-17 minutes. In case of a draw after the end of regular game time, overtime is possible.
The necessity and duration of overtime are usually regulated for each tournament separately. In some competitions there are draws.
Although hockey involves physical confrontation as pushing and playing to the body, violations of the rules in this game are common. Usually, the offenders are sent off for two minutes and put on the penalty bench, and his team spends this time on the ice in the minority. But sometimes there are more serious penalties.
Types Of Bets On Hockey
Outcomes
Like in many other team disciplines, in ice hockey you can enjoy online betting on three main outcomes, which will only be settled at the end of regular time. These include a win for the first team, i.e. the nominal home team, a draw and a win for the visitors. They are subject to minimum margin and high limits.
On bookmaker websites, you can meet “double odds”, or “double outcomes”. In the line, they are denoted as 1X and 2X and mean that either the first or the second team will not lose. Both a draw and a win are possible. And the double outcome “12” excludes a draw in regulation time, but implies a win for either team.
Handicap
In online betting on hockey, a handicap is a bet on one of the teams with a conditional advantage. Depending on the selected bet, a handicap may be on statistical indicators (penalty minutes, shots on goal, and throws-in wins) or on the difference in score.
Handicap can be presented as a fraction, an integer, or even zero. Zero handicap implies a return only in a draw, and integer handicap – if the difference in the selected indicator is equal to the selected handicap value.
Total
One of the main types of hockey online betting is also the total. Hockey matches are famous for their effectiveness. Sometimes you can see 10-12 goals scored. Although bookmakers offer to bet not only on the total or individual number of goals scored but also on the total of any statistical indicators.
Other Bet Types Of Bets
Sometimes you can find more rare bets, including:
- On the total in the shootout;
- On the time of the first goal;
- On who gets the first penalty.
What To Consider When Analyzing Hockey Games
To successfully bet on hockey, analyze matches. First, the state of the playing teams is important. It’s usually enough to look at how a particular team has played its last five or six matches. You get an idea of its current form and level of physical readiness.
Then we need to look at the position in the standings and motivation in the standings. Sometimes the favorites have already solved their season and just finish the regular season. And sometimes it’s the other way around.
History and statistics of head-to-head encounters also help predict developments. Some teams have both comfortable and uncomfortable opponents, as well as principled opponents. All this can directly affect the course and outcome of the game.