NHL Betting UK 2024

NHL bets - Table of content

• NHL best bets
• Best betting sites and free bets
• Stanley Cup betting odds
• NHL live stream UK
• NHL teams
• NHL Schedule
• FAQ

What are Ice hockey and NHL?

Ice hockey is the fastest ball game in the world where both teams have a total of five outfield players and a goalkeeper. The actual playing time of an ice hockey match lasts 60 minutes and is divided into three 20-minute periods.

The biggest, most famous, and best league in ice hockey is the National Hockey League (NHL), played in North America between teams from the USA and Canada. In the 1920s, a famous American sports writer and novelist Paul Gallico described the NHL in a way that is still relevant today:

Guide to betting on Ice Hockey

There are several factors you should be checking before placing your bets on NHL games. A lot of the same applies to other sports as well, like checking the lineups and injuries, but NHL and hockey have some unique features when comes to betting as well.

NHL betting trends - Popular NHL betting markets

Moneyline bets

Moneyline betting means that a player bets on the winner of the match, including overtime and shootout. If the game is a tie after 60 minutes, money line bets are still alive. NHL moneyline bets always end up with some team winning.

NHL 3-way bet

The NHL changed its rules in 2005 so that every match ends with a win for the other team and no official draws have been known since then. Thanks to 3-way betting, you can still bet on a draw as the result of an NHL game even though that is no longer the case on the ice.

With NHL 3-way betting, bettors predict the final score of the game after 60 minutes. This kind of bet would not include an overtime period or a shootout. 3-way betting is basically similar to full-time result betting in football.

Puck Lines

One of the most well-liked hockey betting markets is called puck line betting. The purpose of puck line betting is to make handicap situations in a hockey game.

Bookies usually set puck lines -1.5 for the favourite and +1.5 for the underdog. To make your bet hit: the underdog can win outright or lose by one goal, but the favourite must triumph by a margin of two goals. Overtime and shootouts are always included in puck line wagers.

Goal lines & Over/Under

Over/under betting is one of the most understandable betting formats. Take, for example, the over/under of 5.5 goals. If you think the teams combined scores are over 5.5 in a single match, bet on the over option. On the other hand, if you believe in a low-scoring game with less than 5.5 goals -> bet on the under.

Look for expected goals and goalie stats to make the best possible decision with the goal line and over/under bets.

Live NHL odds

As with all popular sports leagues, many betting sites offer live NHL odds for in-play action. Ice hockey is one of the fastest games in the world. That is why NHL live betting is both challenging and interesting. Situations and odds change in the blink of an eye, and paying attention is the key to winning.

NHL future odds

NHL future odds are usually a hot topic among NHL bettors. Generally, people talk about Stanley Cup odds, but NHL future betting includes much more.

NHL future odds include betting markets such as:

• Hart Trophy odds (NHL MVP)
• Art Ross Trophy Odds (Player with most point scored)
• Vezina Trophy (Best goaltender)
• Calder Trophy Odds (Rookie of the year)

In addition to the above, there are also opportunities to bet on whether Team X will make the playoffs, whether a player will reach a certain number of points during the season, or will Alexander Ovechkin break Wayne Gretzky's all-time goal record. And these are just a few examples of a wide range of betting markets on NHL betting sites.

Stanley Cup odds

Betting on the NHL Stanley Cup winner is a real long-shot betting. Betting on the winner of the upcoming NHL season starts immediately after the end of the previous season.

Below you will find the best Stanley Cup betting odds. The current favourite to win the Stanley Cup is the 2010-11 champion, Boston Bruins. 

We will update NHL odds to win a cup as the season progresses. 

Stanley Cup betting odds - Fitzdares

Odds updated May2023

• Carolina Hurricanes - 9/4
• Vegas Golden Knights - 5/2
• Dallas Stars - 3/1
• Florida Panthers - 10/3

Odds to win Stanley Cup - LeoVegas

Odds updated May 2023 

• Carolina Hurricanes - 12/5
• Vegas Golden Knights - 13/5
• Dallas Stars - 59/20
• Florida Panthers - 16/5

The best NHL betting sites in the UK

Many betting sites offer high-quality odds on NHL betting. Below you'll find a few bookmakers whose ice hockey betting and NHL betting odds are the best. 

Fitzdares

One of the UK's newest and fastest-growing bookies goes by the name of Fitzdares. In the year 2018 launched betting site has put a lot of effort into horse racing but gladly they also appreciate ice hockey betting. The brand offers Stanley cup odds along with many other outright bets. They have also shared some exciting hockey facts on their Instagram.

If you want a more in-depth look at the bookmaker, check out our full Fitzdares betting review.

+ £50 money back as bonus if your first bet loses + 10 free spins
+ Betting using mobile phone bill
+ NHL future odds

• Start ice hockey betting at Fitzdares >>

How to watch NHL in UK

There are few operators in the UK who provide NHL matches to NHL fans. The latest NHL streaming service is Viaplay, which signed a five-year deal in April 2022 to broadcast NHL matches in the UK. Viaplay and other brands operate on a monthly fee base, and subscription costs are usually a few tens of pounds per month.

NHL live stream UK

However, there are several alternatives to paid services. For example, betting sites such as Bet365 and Unibet offer free NHL live streams on over 1000 top matches during the season.

Read more about free live streams on betting sites below: 

Unibet

Unibet is one of the biggest bookmakers in Scandinavia, where ice hockey is the most popular winter sport. The brand offers great ice hockey betting odds, free bet offers, and the opportunity to watch live NHL on UK TV.

• Jump into Unibet>>
• Create a free Unibet account. 
• Make a first deposit and claim your welcome offer. 
• Go to "Live Streaming" 
• Choose a game to watch! 

You can watch NHL games and other sporting events without a monthly charge. Just make sure that you have at least £0,01 in your Unibet account or you have placed a bet in the last 24h. 

Bet365

Betting site giant Bet365 will not leave ice hockey bettors cold. The bookie offers tons of NHL odds and a comprehensive betting news section with news and articles from the National Hockey League. Bet356 also offers a lot of live streams to sports events globally, including NHL.

If you want to find out more of the site's services, check out our full Bet365 betting review. 

Follow this step-by-step guide and watch NHL live stream free online: 

• Go to Bet365>>
• Open a new account at bet365.
• Make your first deposit
• Navigate to the live streaming section.
• Enjoy the action by clicking on the chosen NHL game!

Watch NHL games and other sports free of charge as long as you keep your account balance positive.

NHL teams

32 teams are playing in the NHL this season. Teams are divided into two different conferences and four different divisions. Seven teams in the league are from Canada, and the rest are from the United States.

Eastern conference

Sixteen teams play in the Eastern Conference, split into two eight-team divisions. The conference includes the Canadian hockey team Toronto Maple Leafs. According to a recent study, Toronto is the most Google-searched NHL team in the UK. So if you are wondering: "What team to support in NHL?" Toronto might be the answer.

The best team in the Eastern Conference is rewarded annually with The Prince of Wales Award. The award honours the Prince of Wales (also known by his later titles King Edward VIII and the Duke of Windsor), who donated it to the NHL in 1925.

Western conference

As in the East, the Western Conference has sixteen teams in two eight-team divisions. One of the teams in the West is the reigning league champions, Colorado Avalanche. Fun fact: Avalanche's owner is a businessman Stan Kroenke, who also owns the English Premier League team Arsenal.

The best team in the Western Conference receives after the end of the season the Clarence s. Campbell Bowl. The award is named after Clarence Campbell, who served as president of the NHL for a long time.

NHL Schedule

Regular season

7.10.2022 - 13.4.2023

The NHL's regular season consists of 82 games for each of 32 teams. 41 of the games are at home, and 41 are away. There is a total of 1,271 games in a season. Each team will face each other at least once, but within the same division, teams will play each other 4-5 times. The best team in a regular season wins the President Trophy. The 2022-23 NHL season starts on October 7 and finishes on April 13, 2023.

Stanley Cup Playoffs

Starts April 17 2023

After the regular season, 16 teams qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs. The top three teams in each division make up the first 12 teams in the playoffs. The last four playoff spots go to the two best remaining teams from both conferences. These teams in each conference will be wild-cards and can come from either division.

In a Stanley Cup playoffs, there are three rounds before the Stanley Cup finals. Teams from both divisions play two elimination rounds before the conference finals. Four wins from each playoffs round will take the team to the next stage. The Stanley Cup Playoffs start shortly after the regular season. The official date for this season is not confirmed yet.

Stanley Cup finals

Starts June 2023

The winner of the conference finals goes ahead to the Stanley Cup finals. The Stanley Cup Finals are usually played during the first two weeks of June. 

Other NHL events

NHL Global Series

7-8.10 & 4-5.11.2022

The NHL season started in Europe after a few years' break. The NHL Global Series brought four NHL teams to the Old Continent to battle for points in the Czech Republic and Finland. The Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks met twice at the O2 Arena in Prague. A month later, Colorado Avalanche and Columbus Blue Jackets battled it at the Nokia Arena in Tampere.

Here are the results: 

• San Jose Sharks - Nashville Predators 1 - 4 (Prague, O2 Arena)
• Nashville Predators - San Jose Sharks 3 - 2 (Prague, O2 Arena)
• Columbus Blue Jackets - Colorado Avalanche 6 - 3 (Tampere, Nokia Arena)
• Colorado Avalanche - Columbus Blue Jackets 5 - 1 (Tampere, Nokia Arena)

In 2007, UK hockey fans saw two official NHL games in London. The capital city and O2 Arena hosted two sold-out games between California-based teams Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings. Since then NHL has not visited the UK, but NFL and NBA games are played in London almost yearly. Ice hockey fans are optimistic that NHL hockey will one day be played again in the UK.

NHL Winter Classic 2023

2.1.2023

The NHL Winter Classic 2023 offered a matchup between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins. The event played at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts, on January 2, 2023. Fenway Park is home to the MLB club Boston Red Sox and will attract 40,000 spectators. The match ended in a 2-1 win for Boston. 

NHL All-Star Weekend

3-4.2.2023

The NHL's season will take a short break in early February when the world's biggest hockey league hosts the All-Stars weekend. The legendary event will be held at the BB&T Center in Florida. All-Stars weekend will bring together all the brightest stars of the NHL to show their best skills and amaze viewers.

Atlantic division wins All-Star Game

NHL Stadium Series

18.2.2023

Shortly after the NHL All-Star weekend in early February, it is the turn of the NHL Stadium series, the second outdoor match of the NHL season. The game at Carter-Finley Stadium will see Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals face-to-face in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Stadium Series match will be the ninth in a row.

This match ended in a 4-1 victory to Carolina Hurricanes. 

NHL betting / FAQ

About the author

Article by:

Teemu Mattila

With a career starting in 2015, Teemu has an extensive background in content writing, collaborating with global companies in Finnish and English. Since 2022, he has been working with Bojoko, focusing on sports betting and casino content, combining his passion for sports and the iGaming industry.

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