North America’s National Hockey League (NHL) is the most prestigious hockey competition in the world, with the top honour in it being the famous Stanley Cup. However, the popularity of ice hockey extends well beyond the reaches of North America.

The sport is also popular in Europe, with countries such as the UK, Germany, France and Sweden having popular, competitive leagues. The Champions Hockey League in Europe brings the best clubs in the continent together for a tournament.

On the international scene, there are major tournaments such as the Ice Hockey World Championship, and there is, of course, ice hockey at the Winter Olympics.

NHL betting guide – the growth of the game

The NHL was founded in 1917 and an important part of the organisation’s history are the Original Six teams that took part in the competition. Those teams from Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Montreal, New York and Toronto are franchises still in operation today.

Because the foundation of the NHL was mostly built in cities from the northeast of North America, great rivalries were quickly formed. Famous characters such as Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard, Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe and Bobby Orr helped to push the popularity of the NHL.

Throughout the years, there was a natural expansion of the NHL, and the tally of participating teams is currently at 32. The prestige of the Stanley Cup, which holds the record for being the oldest professional sports trophy in North America, has also helped increase its popularity.

Conferences and divisions for NHL betting

The NHL is split into the Eastern and the Western conferences. While all teams will meet each other at least once during the season, Eastern Conference teams, for example, will play the bulk of their season’s fixtures against other Eastern Conference teams. The separation of teams geographically is another big factor in keeping long-standing rivalries alive.

Within each conference, there are two divisions, which is important for qualification for the Stanley Cup playoffs. The finishing positions at the end of the regular season are an important element of NHL betting, as the top three teams from each division automatically qualify for the postseason.

The next two highest-placed finishers from each conference make it through as wild card teams, for a total of 16 participating playoff teams. Everything from Conference Winners to Division Winners can be selected in NHL betting.

Eastern Conference NHL betting tips

The former Prince of Wales Conference became the [Eastern Conference(/betting#event/1019735406) in 1974. Within it, the Atlantic Division features the likes of the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs, plus the Metropolitan Division with the likes of the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins.

Western Conference NHL betting tips

The Western Conference was created in 1974, so it’s much younger overall than the Eastern Conference. The NHL Western Conference is split into the Pacific Division with teams such as the Los Angeles Kings, Vegas Golden Knights and Calgary Flames, and the Central Division with teams such as the Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild and Chicago Blackhawks.

Stanley Cup NHL betting

One of the biggest NHL betting markets is the Stanley Cup outright winner, which is a forecast of the last team standing after all the tough trials of the NHL playoffs. The bracket for the playoffs keeps the two conferences apart until the Eastern and Western Conference champions meet in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Each round of the Stanley Cup playoffs are best-of-seven series, raising options such as Series Correct Score and Series Handicaps.

There are also different ways to bet on the Stanley Cup action itself. It could be a pre-season forecast of the outright winner, or a correct score on the series. A focus can also switch to player performances in the Stanley Cup Finals, such as the series MVP and the top goalscorer.

All the individual matches from the Stanley Cup Finals have regular pre-match and in-play NHL betting markets, such as period betting, total goals, double chance and first goalscorer options.

How to bet on NHL awards

The annual NHL awards provide further ice hockey betting options. The best individual players in the league are recognised at the end-of-season awards. There is a long list of individual and team trophies handed out, and most have outright NHL betting markets such as:

Hart Trophy – Season MVP Vezina Trophy – Top goaltender Conn Smythe Trophy – MVP of the NHL playoffs James Norris Memorial Trophy – Most valuable defenceman Calder Memorial Trophy – Outstanding rookie of the season Art Ross Trophy – Leader in total points at the end of the regular season

NHL betting guide to the Draft

All NHL teams are linked with a team from the second tier of ice hockey, such as the American Hockey League and the Western Hockey League in Canada. These are where young players cut their teeth before moving up to an NHL team’s roster.

Those who enter the league come through the NHL Draft, where the brightest young talents between 18 and 20 are selected by NHL teams. Betting on the NHL Draft features markets such as who will go as the overall number-one pick.

How to bet on NHL markets

There are many different approaches for how to bet on the NHL, but there are three main markets that are a good place for beginners:

Match winner – A two-way or a three-way outright market for an NHL match, depending on whether overtime is included or not. Totals – An over/under on the number of goals in a match is a big area of NHL betting. Spread – A handicap market backing how many goals a team will win or lose by.

You can easily find NHL betting tips for those markets pre-game. However, they are also popular markets for in-play hockey betting, which offers even more variety. Among some of the other popular markets for NHL betting tips, there are the following:

• First Goalscorer
• Double Chance
• Highest Scoring Period
• Both Teams To Score
• Team To Score First
• Player Shots On Target
• Player Assists
• Player Points Total

NHL betting tips season and match outrights

Outright betting is a straightforward way to bet on the NHL and is often used for NHL betting tips to predict the outcome of a match without any extra conditions.

Outright markets in NHL betting are also available for options such as the Calder Memorial Trophy winner, the Stanley Cup Champions, or divisional winners. Once at the NHL playoff stage, an outright winner of a series can be made.

NHL betting tips – totals and handicaps

Playing for totals and handicaps is a popular option in NHL betting and can be partially useful in situations where there is a strong favourite in the match outright. The total goals in a match, a team’s total goals, and even how many goals a team or individual will score in the first period are all options.

For NHL handicap betting, you can find a list of match options. A -2.5 handicap on a team, for example, means that you expect them to win by at least a three-goal margin in the fixture. Spreads can also be found for a team’s total points at the end of the regular NHL season.

NHL betting tips – breaking the game

For NHL betting tips, the focus doesn’t have to be on an entire game. You can find two-way (no draw) and three-way (including a draw) options for a period outright in NHL betting, such as the Winner of Period 1. The total goals in a period and the correct score in a period are other common options.

Moneyline NHL betting guide

NHL moneyline betting is how the match-winner market in American odds is set. It’s where odds such as -180 on the favourite will be presented, meaning that £180 has to be bet to win £100. On the other side of the betting line, the underdog would be presented as a positive number, such as +250, meaning that for £100 staked, £250 would be won.

NHL betting tips

It’s worth spending time getting to know the NHL rules, teams and competition format. Learn how to read statistics and form and apply that information to your bets. NHL betting tips can also point you in the right direction. Don’t spread yourself too thin by trying to conquer many different markets – pick a couple to really gain a working knowledge of to strengthen your options.