How to Bet on Hockey Correctly: What You Need to Know
Advantages of Betting on Hockey
A large number of comebacks. Hockey traditionally has a lot of sensations, as well as unexpected comebacks, when one of the teams turns the tide of the game in its favor in one of the periods. It is for this feature that many people dislike betting on hockey online. However, professional players take advantage of this unpredictability. After all, with a skillful approach, it makes it possible to win at favorable odds.
High frequency of matches. Hockey teams play matches every two to three days, which allows bettors to keep abreast of the current form of their opponents and track their psychological state and lineups. In addition, the high frequency of games allows for high-quality collection and analysis of statistics, which is also one of the advantages of hockey.
The 22Bet DE sports betting website offers a comprehensive range of betting options for hockey enthusiasts in Germany. You’ll find various markets there to bet on your favorite event.
Disadvantages of Betting on Hockey
Small number of broadcasts. Hockey leagues (with the exception of the NHL) are almost always broadcast only locally, making it difficult to watch the game online. Fortunately, a good Internet easily solves the problem, but even it does not compensate for the lag of the broadcast from real time. This factor makes playing live bets difficult.
Low betting limits and large margins. The fact that the upper betting limits are not impressive is also determined by the fact that the bookmakers’ rating of hockey is not the highest. The exception is NHL meetings. But even there the maximum will be noticeably less than, for example, in the NBA. In addition, the hockey line can be subject to hefty margins.
Types of Bets
Main outcomes. In hockey, as in many sports disciplines, there are three main outcomes: W1 (victory of the first team), W2 (victory of the second team), and X (draw). They usually impose a minimum margin and offer the highest betting limits. There is also a “Double Outcome” or “Double Chance”. It is designated in the line as “1X” or “X2”. This is a bet on the selected team not to lose in regulation time. A double outcome “1 2” means there is no draw in regulation time.
Handicap. What is a handicap in hockey betting? Just like all other sports, this is a team bet wherein one is conditionally an advantage. For instance, if you bet on a handicap of -1.5, it means that the team has to win by at least two goals for your bet to win. A +1.5 handicap basically means you don’t want the team to lose by more than one goal. It makes sense that minus handicaps are usually given to favorites and plus handicaps to outsiders in order to compensate for their lag.
A bet with a handicap can be an integer, so you need to understand what a +1 or -1 handicap is in hockey. The difference from a fractional handicap is simple: with a whole handicap, the bet can be calculated not only as a win or loss, but also as a return. If you chose a handicap of -1 for the first team and the match ended with a score of 4:3, the bet just “hit” the handicap value. Taking it into account, the result is a draw, in which case the bet amount is simply returned by the bookmaker. Some bookmakers that accept bets on hockey online allow you to buy another half puck to add to the handicap with a 40% loss of odds: this helps the player to play it safe.
Also among bets on hockey there is a “handicap 0” option. This bet is also placed on a specific team and will be returned by the office in the event of a draw.
Total. The total number of goals scored in a match or period. The player is offered a certain value (in most cases not an integer), and he must guess whether the two teams will score more than the specified number of goals or not. Often several totals are offered for one match. As in the case of a handicap, a number of bookmakers allow you to buy half a puck for the total.
Other rates. Markets in hockey can be very interesting. In some offices, the hockey line may be limited to the four above offers, while in others it may include dozens of different positions. For example: bets on the team that will score the first goal, individual totals for each team and all strong players, total in a shootout, time of the first goal, number of penalties in the match, who will win more throw-ins and other events.
When exploring the 22Bet lobby, users can find various markets and competitive odds. The extensive sportsbook makes it a popular choice for both novice and seasoned bettors.