Ice hockey is generally popular in countries where cold weather allows for the formation of natural ice surfaces. Although the world's most famous championship, the NHL, is not played on a lake, this trend can be observed in the history and popularity of the sport.
There are many things you can bet on related to ice hockey by choosing from the wide selection of recommended bookmakers.
Ice Hockey Basics
A match consists of three periods of 20 minutes each, so we can see a total of one hour of pure playing time. However, if the game stops due to a fight between two hockey players, the clock is stopped.
On the ice, each team can have five field players and one goalkeeper at the same time, but the full squad consists of more players, roughly around 20-22 individuals waiting for deployment. Substitutions are frequent during matches due to the physical demands of the game.
Ice hockey is fast-paced and exhausting, with no real time-wasting, so lines are often changed quickly during the game, without waiting for a game interruption, making substitutions on the fly during the ongoing match. From a betting perspective, this also has significance, as a team that attacks quickly and effectively can easily exploit slow substitutions.
A valid goal can only be scored with a stick; intentionally putting the puck into the net with a foot or hand results in an illegal goal. In many cases, players use the stick not only to hit the puck but also each other. This is not considered a fair move and, more importantly, it is against the rules. It can lead to a decrease in the number of players, and the team with a player disadvantage almost always needs to focus on defense.
In this situation, taking advantage of the power play or defending against it is separately tracked in statistics, showing that it is a common and significant element of the game. You can also bet live on whether teams will capitalize on the situation or not. Some teams are particularly strong in this area, while interestingly, other clubs struggle with power plays.
Betting on Hockey Matches
The most basic betting option in ice hockey is also related to the outcome of matches, that is, which team will win the game.
Betting on the Winner of the Match
The 1X2 betting market is also available, where a draw in regular playing time is a possible outcome, but in most leagues, the matter does not end here. Overtime and penalties follow. Therefore, we can also bet on whether the final result will include overtime. This way, we protect ourselves from a draw, which occasionally occurs in ice hockey.
In more prominent matches, we can specifically bet on whether there will be extra playing time in the game or whether one team will not win in regular playing time.
In cases of equal strength, overtime can easily occur, but there are also betting strategies that are based on the fact that a team has not had a draw in a long time, so it is expected in the near future.
Betting on the Number of Goals in Ice Hockey
In many sports, especially team sports, it is common to bet on the number of goals scored in a match, predicting how many goals or points will be scored during the game.
We can bet on over and under limits because they specify not whole but half limits, for example, whether there will be more than 4.5 goals or fewer.
A lot of statistics and their comparison can also be helpful in this area. For example, if we know that a team is good at capitalizing on power play situations while the opponent defends poorly in penalty kill situations, then we have a basis for the idea of a high-scoring match.
Betting on Periods
An interesting and specialized area of ice hockey betting is when we place separate bets on the three periods of the game. This can include betting on how many goals will be scored by the teams in each period in an over-under format, which team will win the game segment, or how many power plays the viewers will witness. The latter can be a very unique opportunity and is not offered for every match.
When betting on the three game periods, statistics are of great help, or if we know the physical condition of the players because conditioning can diminish in the final minutes, resulting in more inaccuracies. When betting on periods, we should not make random guesses, as that would be gambling and not informed betting.
Conclusion on Ice Hockey Betting
The playing area is not very large, and the players move quickly on skates, so ice hockey is a truly fast-paced sport that can be challenging to follow for beginners.
Where is the puck? I have heard this question countless times, and thanks to the players' skills, they can hide the puck so well that even after hundreds of matches, I lose sight of it. With a wealth of statistics and knowledge of the players and teams, ice hockey is an area where you can bet well and at great odds.
Just checking the odds and tables will not lead to results, just like in other sports.
