Hockey lines refer to one of the two most common types of hockey betting, the other being spread betting. Both types of betting styles divide the two competing teams into a favourite (that is, the team expected to win) and an underdog (the team expected to lose). Cases where there is neither a favourite nor an underdog are quite rare, but in matches where the two teams are equally skilled it can be possible. Bookmakers create odds for bets based on the game records, the skill of the players, any injured players, and other factors for each game. However, where spread betting attempts to estimate how much the favourite will win a given game by, hockey lines are designed to give varying odds on the likelihood of each team winning outright.
To compare, spread betting is designed to give roughly equal odds to each team, essentially handicapping the underdog. For example, a spread bet might estimate that the favourite will win a game by three and a half points. Half points are used in order to prevent a push, which is when the point margin is met exactly and no bets win or lose money. In this game, bets would be placed that either the favourite will win by at least four points, or that the underdog will either lose by less than four points or win the game.
Hockey lines, on the other hand, give specific odds to both teams winning the game. Obviously, the odds placed on the favourite winning are going to be significantly higher than the underdog, in most cases. When matches are predicted to be very close, the odds may not differ by much, but most games will see a fair disparity between odds. The way hockey lines will typically be listed is as follows:
Team A: -200
Team B: 250
This means that Team A is expected to win, and that it will take a bet of 200 dollars on Team A in order to win 100 dollars. A bet of 100 dollars in Team B would pay out 250 dollars if Team B were to win. Obviously, betting on the underdog can be very risky when their odds are not good, but can also win a lot more money than consistently betting on the favourite. Hockey lines are a popular way to enjoy hockey, and in fact many fans will bet against their own teams. This is because this way, if their team wins they are happy, and if their team loses they are happy (because they make some money in the process). To get started playing the hockey lines, simply log on to a sports betting website and register for an account.
