Hockey in our country is as popular as football. The popularity of this sport determines the wide variety of betting options, even for fairly ordinary matches — especially those held within the NHL, KHL, World Championship, or Olympic Games.
Features of hockey betting
Hockey matches are extremely dynamic. Even in games with a clear favorite, both conservative (low-risk) and risky (high-risk) strategies can be applied. The latter are better suited for matches between roughly equal opponents, where the likelihood of comebacks and lead changes is very high.
For successful betting strategies, it’s advisable to track statistics for several clubs.
Due to frequent lineup rotations, the form of an individual hockey player doesn’t influence the result as much as in football matches. Nevertheless, it’s recommended to monitor at least the statistics of key defenders, midfielders, and forwards. This allows you to compare the actual strength of the opponents before the match begins. It’s also useful to read or watch expert analysis of upcoming games. All this will help you choose the most effective strategies for a specific hockey match.
How to choose matches for betting?
The most popular hockey leagues are the NHL and KHL. Are there any special features when betting on these leagues?
Betting on KHL matches
Statistics show that KHL regular-season games tend to be more open, aggressive, and high-scoring, while playoff games are more closed, with teams focusing more on defense than offense. This is due to two main factors: firstly, in the KHL regular season, teams of different strengths often meet, while in the playoffs, opponents are roughly equal. Secondly, the margin for error in the playoffs is minimal — a single conceded goal can decide both the match and the entire series.
Other key characteristics of KHL matches:
- Division leaders often go on long winning streaks, while underdogs tend to have extended losing streaks. This should be considered when applying strategies that target favorites and underdogs.
- Wide geography of the KHL. The Kontinental Hockey League includes clubs from Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and even Beijing. Teams within the same conference often travel long distances — for example, from Sochi to St. Petersburg or from Khabarovsk to Astana. Such frequent flights inevitably affect players’ physical condition, which can give the visiting team a certain advantage.
- Games between group leaders are particularly intense. For example, in 2021, matchups between CSKA (Moscow) and SKA (St. Petersburg) went to overtime three times; only one of six games ended with seven goals scored, and five matches were decided by a two-goal margin.
Betting on NHL matches
The NHL is the largest and most prestigious hockey league in the world. Therefore, NHL clubs never have roster issues. Moreover, the league’s management strives to maintain a roughly equal talent balance among teams, which increases competition. For example, in the 21st century, only two teams have managed to win the Stanley Cup twice in a row: the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Tampa Bay Lightning. In total, 12 different clubs have won the Stanley Cup over the past 20 years.
Nevertheless, teams within each division are clearly divided into favorites and outsiders. As of the end of February 2022, in the Eastern Conference, the gap between the top team (Florida) and the bottom team (Montreal) was 44 points. In the Western Conference, the difference between the first (Colorado) and last (Arizona) teams was 48 points.
On the official NHL Stats website, you can find extensive statistical data to help you select winning strategies for hockey betting.
Hockey betting strategies
In particular, we recommend the following strategies for hockey matches:
Exact score betting strategy
This strategy wins if the bettor correctly predicts the exact score of the match or of a specific period. The range of possible outcomes for this bet — especially in the Line — is extremely wide. For example, for the NHL game between the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals, the “Exact Score” market offers options ranging from 0:0 to 10:10. Therefore, we recommend using the “Exact Score – 6 Options” strategy.
Learn more about this strategy by following the link: Betting Strategy “Exact Score”.
Dallas Strategy
The Dallas Strategy applies to games with overall or individual totals and can be used in hockey betting as well.
This strategy, which can be applied to hockey matches, is described in detail in a separate article. Read more here: Dallas Strategy.
Anti-Favorite Strategy
We recommend this strategy to bettors who conduct analytics on team lineups. Although it is a high-risk approach, keeping detailed statistics significantly reduces the risks and increases the win rate. The Anti-Favorite strategy is discussed in detail in a separate article.
Draw betting strategy
According to statistics, NHL teams record a draw in regulation roughly every 5–6 matches.
If you place an accumulator bet combining “Draw” and “Overtime – Yes,” the total odds will allow you to lose 4–5 matches in a row and still remain profitable after each draw.
There are also other successful hockey betting strategies, which we will examine below.
Underdog betting strategy
Betting on an underdog to win is considered a risky strategy — by definition, underdogs lose more often than they win. However, bookmaker lines offer several betting options that allow you to play on the underdog.
For example, in the NHL game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and New Jersey Devils, the Devils were the clear underdog. The odds for their win in the Line were 4.88. Eleven days earlier, the Devils hosted the Penguins and lost by two goals (2:4). The odds for +2.0 handicap were 1.81, and for +2.5 were 1.59. So now it’s a matter of predicting whether the Penguins will win by a minimal margin or by two goals. For instance, Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Devils 3:2 at home — a minimal-effort victory.
If you believe the Devils won’t score at all, you can bet on their individual total Under 0.5. The odds for this bet are 11.0.
Martingale betting strategy
This group of strategies adjusts the next stake based on the previous result. The Martingale system is a classic example. The key feature of this approach is the requirement for a large bankroll, since profitability may only appear over extended betting sequences. The main drawback is the high risk of major losses if the bankroll runs out before a win occurs.
Negative feedback strategies are most effective at odds around 2.0. The classic Martingale is typically applied to “odd/even”, “red/black”, and “over/under” markets. In bookmaker listings, any bets with roughly equal odds can be used. In hockey betting, these include regular and Asian totals, individual totals, handicaps, and other wagers with odds near 2.0 (±0.05).
For positive feedback strategies, we recommend placing accumulator bets composed of selections with odds below 1.5. For example, a winning accumulator of 1000 ₽ consisting of TU 8.5, Double Chance (both teams to win), and Handicap +2.5 for the first team would yield a total return of 1.222×1.205×1.38=2.032 ₽. (Odds based on the NHL match between Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers, played on February 26, 2022.)
A positive feedback strategy also requires a large bankroll that allows restarting a new betting series.
However, if you stop after a successful series, you can secure a solid profit.
Accumulator betting strategy
Accumulator bets can be used within several of the strategies mentioned above. They allow you to significantly increase total profit at relatively low risk. Therefore, accumulators are especially effective when betting on favorites. An accumulator of three events with odds of 1.5 gives a total odds of 3.375. For NHL and KHL, it’s better to form such accumulators within a single match, as even strong favorites in these leagues don’t always win.
Shchukin’s Strategy
Shchukin’s Strategy is a variation of arbitrage betting (difference in odds on opposite outcomes between two bookmakers).
For example, at bookmaker X, the odds for Team 1 to score first are 1.59, and for Team 2, 2.44. At bookmaker Y, the same outcomes are priced at 1.55 and 2.48 respectively. Thus, you should bet on the higher odds for opposite outcomes in a ratio of 2.48/1.59. For instance, stake 1000 ₽ on the 2.48 outcome and 1560 ₽ on the 1.59 outcome. Although the payout will be 2480 ₽ in either case, your total stake is 2560 ₽, meaning a net loss of 80 ₽.
In conclusion, there are no risk-free bets. Even Shchukin’s Strategy, due to randomness and effort required, often ends up unprofitable for bettors. For example, the winnings may not even cover electricity and internet costs over a given period.
