Ice Hockey Betting

Ice hockey betting began informally in Canada. Friends would place unregulated wagers as they attended local games. In the early years of the 20th century, bookmakers began trickling into the playing areas and quoting odds.

When the Ice Hockey League began in 1923, betting on the sport became more structured. The government regulated betting, and the league itself sought compensation from bookmakers, who were now real entities with physical outlets. At the time, betting was still confined to localities.

As the game grew and spread, betting also scattered to new areas. The broadcasting of games enabled more people to bet on games far from where they were.

Ice Hockey betting today

Today, ice hockey is one of the most popular sports betting options on many platforms. Betting spikes during winter and significant events such as the Winter Olympics. However, there is still ice hockey to bet on all year round as some games are played on controlled indoor ice surfaces.

Online betting has been a major boost for the ice hockey betting industry. It has spread to many parts of the world, so much that bets are now placed even by people who are just learning how to bet on sports. Sports betting tips columns on ice hockey attract an excellent readership. To cap it all, the Ice Hockey League in Canada is today branded the 'bet-at-home' Ice Hockey League.

Odds are the probability of something happening. If something is very likely to happen, e.g., the favorite team wins, it has low odds and gives bettors low returns, and vice versa. Odds are determined by factors such as team form, new signings, injuries, head-to-head record, a particular player's temperament (e.g., when betting on a caution), and position in the league standings.

Odds are usually calculated and provided by bookmakers. Players only make their picks based on an assessment or pure instinct. The odds for a particular game may change within the week or unit period.

For instance, if a team has a high probability of winning and their star player is injured in training, their odds change. Players placing bets after the injury do so per the new odds. However, those who had placed earlier bets retain their bet slips.

Odds are expressed as either Moneyline (+/-), fractions, e.g., 10/1, or decimals, e.g., 5.2.