What is a Puck Line in Hockey?

by Daniel Price from
What is a Puck Line in Hockey?

When betting on hockey you have many options but what is a puck line in hockey? If you are a regular online gambler or just getting started, knowing how to bet the puck line can be confusing. We are here to help with our puck line betting guide and you will be betting using this thrilling ice hockey market in no time.

1. Puck Line Meaning

What is puck line betting? This is a question we are often asked and, in the simplest terms, puck line meaning is points spread betting but for hockey. However, hockey does not have points, the game is based on goals so puck line betting gives the favorite to win a goal disadvantage and the underdog a goal advantage, purely for betting purposes. Want to try puck line betting without risk? Take a look at the sports offer from Leon Bets – available when you register with the Leon bet promo code.

2. Puckline Betting Explained

Having answered the question what is a puck line in hockey? We can move on and explain how to bet on puck lines in hockey. The puck line is displayed as -1.5 goals for the favorite and +1.5 goals for the underdog. So, the -1.5 puck line meaning is the team with -1.5 goals is the favorite to win the game. What does puck line mean for the team with +1.5 goals? It means they are considered the underdog.

The beauty of betting the puck line is you can back the favorite to win but at an increased payout or back the underdog knowing they have a better chance of winning in terms of the bet but with a lower payout. That is the main difference between money line vs puck line. When betting the moneyline, you are betting on which team will win the game but what is a puck line bet in comparison?

When betting on the moneyline, you are backing which team will win the game, regardless of the winning margin. However, if you bet on the favorite using the -1.5 puck line, they must win by at least 2 goals for the bet to be successful. When betting on the underdog using the +1.5 puck line, they must win the game or lose by no more than a single goal for the bet to be successful.

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3. Puck Line Bet and Odds

This is an example of a puck line bet complete with odds. You can see which team is the favorite to win based on the puck line:

  • Boston Bruins +1.5 (-130)
  • Toronto Maple Leafs -1.5 (+110)

In this example, Toronto Maple Leafs are the puck line favorite to win the game and must win by 2 or more goals for the bet to be successful. The Boston Bruins are the puck line underdog and the bet would be successful if they win the game outright or lose by one goal. The numbers in brackets (-130) and (+110) are the odds.

Now you know the answer to what is a puck line in hockey and understand how to bet the puck line, we can move on and ask why bet on the puck line?

4. Why Bet on the Puck Line?

Having learned what is a puck line bet, what are the reasons for choosing this betting market? The main reason to bet using the puck line is when there is a clear gap between the teams in terms of who is going to win the game. If there is a strong favorite, backing that team on the moneyline is going to take a large stake to win anything significant. That is why we recommend you using one of our promotional codes, such as the 1XBET promo code and take advantage of the sports bonus offer.

However, the -1.5 puck line will give you a better price. It works the same way with the underdog, and if you believe they can keep the game close but will ultimately lose, you can back them using the +1.5 puck line to give you a better chance of landing a winning bet. Remember the puck line meaning, so even if they lose by a single goal, you will win the bet.

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When betting the puck line, you must analyse the two teams involved in the game. If the favorite scores plenty of goals and has a reasonable defense, they are a strong candidate to overturn the -1.5 goals. If the underdog has shown an ability to keep games tight, even against tough opposition, they could be worth backing at +1.5 goals. Even if you simply want better odds than offered by the moneyline, betting on the puck line makes sense.

Knowing what is a puck line in hockey opens a new way of betting on the sport, but it does not end there. There are puck line betting alternatives.

5. Puck Line Alternatives

There are three main puck line alternatives. You can use them in place of the regular puck line bet, and they are:

  • Period Puck Line Betting – The period puck line betting odds are based on a single period in a game at -0.5 for the favorite and +0.5 for the underdog.
  • Reverse Puck Line Betting – The reverse puck line betting odds flip the regular puck line odds, so the favorite is at +1.5 goals and the underdog is at -1.5 goals.
  • Alternate Puck Line Betting – The alternative puck line betting odds let you choose a different spread. So, rather than being -1.5 goals, you could choose -2.5 goals if you think a team is going to win the game comfortably. If you want an extra cushion when betting on the underdog, you could choose +2.5, but the payout will be smaller.

So, in addition to the regular puck line betting odds, you have three alternatives. They give you some flexibility with your puck line bet. And if you want to bet on mobile, check out our review of the best features from multiple sports betting apps available in our dedicated article.

6. What is a Puck Line in Hockey – FAQ

6.1 πŸ’ What is a puck line bet?

A puck line bet is ice hockey’s equivalent of the point spread.

6.2 πŸ’΅ How to win puck line bet?

To win puck line betting you must analyze the two teams, how they perform in terms of goal scoring and defending, and assess if either the favorite will overturn their -1.5 or the underdog will remain within their +1.5.

6.3 πŸ₯… What does puck line +1.5 mean?

The +1.5 puck line meaning is the team must win the game or lose by no more than a single goal for the bet to be successful.

6.4 ⛸️ Is puck line the same as spread?

When considering what is a puck line in hockey, it is often compared to point spread betting in other sports but is based on goals rather than points.

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