More than four months have passed since the last slate of NHL games, but there is now finally a confirmed schedule in place for the conclusion of the 2019-20 season.
August 1 marks the resumption of hockey, with the Carolina Hurricanes vs New York Rangers kicking things off. The postseason format will see 24 teams battle it out, with the teams from each conference split into two centralised hubs in Toronto (Eastern Conference) and Edmonton (Western Conference).
Fans of the sport can now bet on futures markets with more confidence now that the format is locked in, and there is an array of betting opportunities within hockey in the coming months.
But before you start locking in your wagers, there are a number of important factors to consider, and none more so than the quality of the sportsbook you are using.
NHL betting markets
All top online betting sites offer hockey betting, but some have a much better selection than others, and if you have been sticking to just one sportsbook ever since you started betting, you might be missing out.
A look at the MyBettingsites NHL page will show you the areas in which some bookmakers excel - including those that go the extra mile when it comes to prop bets for each match, ultimately giving each user even more options than the standard range.
Sports Interaction, for example, has a superb hockey section, which contains not only NHL futures but also unique prop bets such as player head-to-head goals and assists match-ups for the postseason, NHL Draft betting odds, and more.
NHL betting offers
The beginning of each NHL season sees many people sign up to online betting sites, and given that in many ways the August 1 restart feels like a new season, sportsbooks can expect new customers to join in abundance during this period too.
Luckily for punters, most bookmakers offer a welcome bonus for new users, and these can come in the form of a deposit bonus or free bets.
Mr Green offers free bets to new customers, while 888sport has an excellent deposit bonus offer. Additionally, many betting sites offer existing customer promotions, and it is in that department where Betway shines brightest.
NHL betting odds
When it comes down to it, betting is all about getting the best odds, and ultimately making selections that you think have a better chance of coming off than the implied probability of the odds suggest.
A lot of successful bettors believe in the theory of betting the odds, rather than the game. Essentially, it means you should only bet at value, rather than just picking the team you think will win and not paying too much attention to the pricing.
For this reason, it is best to be registered with multiple bookmakers so that you can compare prices across all of them and take the best odds for each of your selections.
Of course, there is no one betting site that has the best odds for everything, but some - such as LeoVegas and William Hill - have excellent payout percentages, on the whole, meaning that many of their prices are fair.
Conclusion
Online betting sites provide hockey fans with a huge breadth of betting opportunities - far more than land-based betting shops.
You can bet in-play during games, take advantage of betting offers, and analyse odds from a wide variety of sportsbooks from the comfort of your own home.
Whether you’re looking for season-long prop bets or quick wager on your team’s game that evening, there will certainly be an online betting site that caters to you.
Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.
From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.
Email Paul anytime at [email protected]
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