What is Puck Line Betting?

Have you ever bet on the point spread? If you have, then you’ve got a big headstart in understanding what the puck line is in betting. While sports like basketball and American football offer the option to bet on the point spread, in hockey, you bet on the puck line.

Basically, puck line betting allows sportsbooks to offer close to even money on hockey teams by giving them a positive or negative handicap. We’ll take a look at the ins and outs of puck line betting, as well as how to make this hockey-specific bet type work for you.

What Does the Puck Line Mean?  

In sports betting the puck line is equivalent to the point spread, but exclusively in hockey. You’ll see the puck line written as the same number, with a plus for the favourite team and a minus for the underdog.

One key difference to point spread betting is that puck line betting is almost always a 1.5 spread, whereas point spreads can vary hugely.

For example: Pittsburgh Penguins +1.5 Detroit Red Wings -1.5

This means that the Pittsburgh Penguins would have to win by at least 2 goals (more than 1.5) in order for a puck line bet on them to pay out. The Detroit Wings could actually lose by up to 1 goal (less than 1.5) and a bet on them would still pay out.

How Does the Puck Line Work?  

We’ve looked at what a puck line bet is, but there are variations that you can make. Below are the three most common variations of a puck line bet.

●    Period Puckline: A period puck line bet allows you to bet on the outcome of individual periods of the hockey game. You’ll usually see them as +0.5/-0.5 as the time period for the goals to happen is much smaller.  
●    Reverse Puckline: A reverse punchline gives the favourite a head start (usually +1.5). This might sound like a crazy bet, but if you believe the underdog can win by 2 or more goals, you’ll likely get a very generous price.
●    Alternate Puckline: An alternate puck line bet bumps up the spread. Normally the puck line spread is 1.5, but an alternate will be 2.5 at least. 

Should You Bet Puck Lines or Moneylines?

Moneyline betting and puck line betting are the two most common types of bet in hockey. They’re also almost exactly as profitable as one another.

The moneyline is a more straightforward bet to work out in terms of odds, as it’s simply a bet on which team will win. The puck line is more complex to work out in terms of odds, as the margin of victory is also taken into account.

If you enjoy the challenge of working out a puck line, then go for that. If you prefer the simplicity of a moneyline, that’s a great choice too. It really all boils down to personal preference.