Online sportbook odds offer plenty of variety. From all of the regulars - like NFL betting, NBA betting and baseball betting - all the way down all sorts of quirky exotics and entertainment props.

Looking for a way to cool off? Try some NHL betting. With parity at a high, any team can win out on any given night and offer a good payout. The fastest game on earth is exciting, profitable and gut-wrenching, but before you start laying down your cash, here’s a how-to for NHL betting.

Money Line

Betting the NHL money line is pretty simple: if the team you bet on wins the game (regulation, overtime or shootout) you win the game. That’s the easiest way that to bet NHL sportsbook odds.

There are several factors in the pricing of money lines. Some factors include home-ice advantage, which goaltender is in net (starter or backup), type of rest/days off for both teams and how good online sportsbook handicappers believe the quality of both teams.

Spread

Betting the NHL on the spread is similar to betting baseball on the spread: the spread is always 1.5 goals. Generally speaking, the team that is favored on the money line will be the team that is -1.5, which means they have to win by two goals for you to cover, while the underdog will be +1.5 goals, which means that if they lose by one goal, you still win.

There are some intricacies involved with betting the spread. For example, overtime and shootouts are a no-no if you are betting on the team that has to win by two goals because overtime and shootouts can only provide a maximum of one goal. But on the flipside, in the NHL, when a team is leading by a goal late in the game, the trailing team will pull their netminder in favor of an extra attacker to tie the game, which can lead to an empty net goal and a two-goal win.

The reason for betting the spread is usually because the juice you have to lay on the favorite is much smaller since you are predicting a two-goal win. In other words, it’s a cheaper price to pay for the favorite but they have to win by two goals.

Over/Under

Over/under in NHL betting is simply the combined total of goals scored in a game. Keep in mind that since the NHL implemented new rules a few years ago, scoring has increased.

Since overtime rules in the NHL have changed, over/unders have adjusted accordingly. There used to be ties in the NHL, which meant that if you were tied heading into overtime, the game could end in a tie. That would clearly affect the total because sometimes you would be in need of a goal and you wouldn’t get it. But with the new rules, a shootout counts as one goal, which means that at worst, you will get one additional goal in overtime, which obviously helps your cause for the ‘over’ and hurts your cause for the ‘under’. Make sure you do your research with your online sportsbook of choice!