Canada’s Top Hockey Betting Sites in 2021
Hockey has serious claims to being Canada’s national sport. It boasts action taking place all year, which is enjoyed by a massive and devoted fan base.
Hockey – or ice hockey, if you want to be technical – is a fast-moving, thrilling sport. It generates many betting opportunities for supporters in Canada, the United States and overseas.
In this guide we’ll answer the questions:
- How do I sign up with a hockey betting site?
- What are the leading leagues to bet on?
- What are the most popular hockey bets?
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Olympic Hockey
Hockey at the Winter Olympics is massive. The sport might just be Canada’s best chance
of a Gold medal.
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NCAA Basketball
College basketball is where NBA stars of tomorrow cut their teeth. These sportsbooks
cater for it best.
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The PGA Championship
The US PGA Championship is one of the Majors in golf. These websites are recommended
for betting on it.
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NCAA Football
NCAA football is a talent pool for future NFL players. View the best sites for college
football betting.
How we Review the Best Hockey Sites
How to Sign Up to a Hockey Betting Site
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Once you’ve decided to bet on hockey, you should select a site you want to use
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When you’re online, look for the 'Register' or 'Sign Up' button – most operators display this prominently on the homepage
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Fill in the site’s registration form with all required details
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There may be the need for a security question and answer, giving you an extra layer of protection
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Now it’s time to come up with a username and password
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Enter any promotional code you may have been given to generate a bonus
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Make sure you confirm your age and accept the site’s terms and conditions
Popular Hockey Bets
When you arrive at a hockey betting site, you will see a broad range of ways in which you can bet on the forthcoming games.
Don’t worry if you're used to decimal odds and the markets are displayed as American-style moneyline odds or British fractionals. Our Odds Calculator below is the perfect tool to help you.
Some of the most popular hockey bets are:
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Match result bets
The most straightforward bet on a game of hockey. Who do you think will win?
However, be careful that you know what you are betting on. Is it the result at the end of regulation time? Or does it include overtime – used to decide a game when the teams are tied after four periods of 15 minutes each.
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Puck line bets
These bets are unique to hockey, but they are a variation of handicaps or point spreads.
The sportsbook hands one team a 1.5-point start, which means the favourite must win by at least two goals for the bet to collect.
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Over-under bets
How many goals do you think the teams will score between them? The sportsbook will set a number and it’s up to you to decide whether the total will be over or under that.
Most fans want to see an exciting game and will bet on overs accordingly. That means there can often be value in the unders.
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Correct score bets
Many sportsbooks will offer the chance to predict exactly what the final score of the match will be. If you wager on the right outcome, your bet will pay out on it.
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Future bets
If you believe one team has a great chance of winning their NHL division, you can back them to do so from early in the season.
Similarly, if you think they will go all the way and win the Stanley Cup, the sooner you wager on them the better the odds should be.
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Grand Salami bets
This is an over-under market offered by some sportsbooks. It relates to the total goals in all matches played in one league on a single date.
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Accumulators
If you want to back more than one outcome in a series of matches, you can try an accumulator. These bets are also known as accas or parlays.
The potential is there to win big from small stakes – but all your predictions have to be right before you can collect.
Types of Hockey Betting Bonuses
The modern global betting industry is intensely competitive. This is good news for bettors, because sportsbooks need to come up with ever more alluring offers to attract and keep customers.
One popular and successful method of drawing in new clients is bonuses. These tend to fall into three categories:
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Welcome Bonus
- The instant you sign up with a sportsbook, you usually receive a free bet – or a boost to multiply your initial deposit
- Nowadays it is unusual for a sportsbook not to offer a welcome bonus because of the need to stand out in their market place
- Always take a few minutes to check the T&Cs – it’s essential to know that the bonus doesn’t include any awkward conditions
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Enhanced Odds
- When there’s a big hockey event in the offing, maintain a keen watch for an offer of enhanced odds
- Ordinarily this will apply to the game result, but sometimes it will be applied to another popular market
- New and existing customers are normally offered enhanced odds. Look out for limitations on your stake, though.
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VIP Club
- Once you have been a loyal customer of a sportsbook for some time, you may be tempted to extend that loyalty by joining a VIP club
- Customers singled out like this are made to feel special, as if they are part of an elite
- Being in the club may have fringe benefits such as free bets and access to exclusive offers and enhanced prices
Main Hockey Competitions to Bet on
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The NHL (National Hockey League)
The NHL (National Hockey League)
The NHL is the highest level of the sport. Founded in Montreal with four Canadian teams more than 100 years ago, the league now has 31 clubs – seven of them in Canada.
The Stanley Cup is presented to the team that wins the end of season playoffs each year. No side has won it more often than the Montreal Canadiens, who have lifted the trophy 34 times.
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The KHL (Kontinental Hockey League)
The KHL (Kontinental Hockey League)
The premier hockey league in Europe and Asia, with 25 clubs across several countries including China and mostly Russia.
Each season the top sides playoff for the right to be crowned champion. The winners are presented with the Gagarin Cup.
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The SEL (Swedish Elite League)
The SEL (Swedish Elite League)
Sweden is, like Canada, a hotbed of hockey. It hosts a respected league consisting of 14 teams who each play a 52-game schedule.
The team who advance through the playoff series and become Swedish champions are presented with the Le Mat Trophy.
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Liiga
Liiga
Finland, another Scandinavian country with a devoted hockey following, hosts the second strongest European domestic league.
The 15 member teams play 60 matches each in the regular season. The playoff winners receive a championship trophy called the Kanada-malja.
Mobile Hockey Betting
Given the popularity of hockey in Canada, and the huge advances being made in digital technology, the opportunities to bet on mobile phones are more numerous than ever.
Fans can access betting apps and sites on all types of devices, such as Android and iPhone models, which makes mobile hockey betting easy. You can bet anywhere you have an internet connection.
Conclusion
Taking the opportunity to bet on hockey in Canada has never been so straightforward. The wide selection of digital sportsbooks on the market ensures plenty of chances to enhance your sport watching experience.
To find out all you need to know about sports betting in Canada, check out our homepage.
FAQs
How does hockey betting work? It’s all about opinions. If you think you know what is going to happen in a game, you can back up your thoughts by betting on that outcome.
Your returns, when you get it right, will be dictated by the odds about the bet you place.
Where are the best sites to bet on hockey? Many sportsbooks across the world now offer in-depth markets on hockey matches and futures.
These days you can expect to find a sportsbook has an app to complement its online offering. Our guide will help you to work out which are the best for you.
What are hockey betting lines? A numerical expression of the probability of an outcome of a match or competition.
What are the most popular hockey bets? Match winner bets will always be widely used because people tend to have a strong opinion about which way the game is going to go.
Many bettors also enjoy the over-under bet because it usually maintains interest in a match throughout its duration.
Is hockey betting legal in Canada? Absolutely, but it is recommended that you bet only on fully licensed betting sites.
What is hockey spread betting? Spread betting is closely related to financial market speculation. All you do is forecast whether the result of a spread will be over or under, and buy or sell accordingly.
Please bear in mind, though, that just like in high finance, while you can win big you can lose big too.
What are the main hockey competitions to bet on? - The NHL
- The KHL
- The SEL
- Liiga
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