There are many betting lines at bookmakers for different sports. One popular option is hockey betting. Why is hockey the sport to bet on? Here are a few reasons why.
ADVANTAGES OF BETTING ON HOCKEY
Hockey is a spectacular and unpredictable sport. This statement is not always true. Exciting matches in amateur tournaments are hard to find, even in the decisive play-off games of the National Hockey League, there are downright boring encounters. This, unfortunately, is inherent in any sport. If you want news about hockey and other sports, you can easily find it on our website.
But there are a lot more exciting matches, especially in the NHL and the Youth World Championships. In the NHL, teams get an average of 5-6 goals per game (by comparison, in English Premier League football about 4 goals per game). League games often include back-to-back goals (sometimes with three or even four) and major blowouts with as many as eight or nine goals separating the teams. There are some talented players at MSC, although not as accomplished as those in the NHL. Their talent, together with their young age, makes the games spectacular and energetic.
The unpredictability factor of the sport makes betting on an underdog in hockey a sensible decision because such predictions often come true and watching matches brings not only a sense of excitement but also simply an aesthetic pleasure.
THE NUMBER OF MATCHES AND TOURNAMENTS
Hockey, unfortunately, does not have as many matches as football, where you can watch the big leagues all year round and bet on nearly a hundred matches a day.
By the way, in hockey, there are a lot of matches from September-October to April-May as well. In the NHL, for example, an average of six or seven games are played per game day. For the average person for whom betting is an enjoyable leisure activity, this variety is enough. For those who need even more options (e.g. bettor wants to make a big hockey express), then there are the following options in the world:
◘ American Hockey League. The second strongest championship in the USA.
◘ The Finnish League and the Swedish Hockey League. Their teams are among the youngest in the adult professional leagues.
◘ Champions League. The equivalent of the UEFA Champions League.
◘ Continental Cup. The equivalent of the Europa League.
◘ World Cup. Held every year in May.
◘ Olympic Hockey Tournament. Considered one of the main Olympics competitions, one level of the tournament is questioned due to the absence of hockey players from the NHL in the last two Olympics.
◘ Various youth and junior tournaments. For example, the MSC and the Glinka/Gretzky Cup.
There are also many other tournaments like the Continental Hockey League and the Czech Extraliga, but far fewer than in basketball or football.
MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF BETS
Hockey is an active team sport, and there are many different betting alternatives, typical of team sports:
◘ Match outcome. In professional hockey, the game cannot end in a draw, so in hockey betting, a draw in regulation time is taken as a draw outcome.
◘ Double chance. A bet on someone not losing in regulation time.
◘ Total and individual team totals. Betting on how much both or one team will score.
◘ Handicap. It is a bet on which team will win by a certain margin.
◘ To Score – Not to Score. A bet on which team is likely to score.
◘ Live Betting. This is a group of bets on when goals will (or will not) occur and also on how the score will change (e.g. the losing team will come back and win).
◘ Exact Score. A bet on the final score of a match.
◘ Totals. A bet on whether a certain outcome will be reached at some point in the match (e.g. a draw by the fifth minute).
All of these bets also apply to each of the periods of the match individually, and sometimes to overtime.
There are bets on the inherent phenomena of hockey. For example:
◘ Bets on the number of shots (total for the match or a certain period, some bookmakers have bets on the number of shots by one team);
◘ Bets on the number of penalty minutes or penalties;
◘ Bets on the number of throw-ins (for the entire match or one period);
◘ Bets on the number of forced tackles (for the entire match or per period);
◘ Bets on the number of fights, of which there are many in hockey.
Bets on individual performances are also not ignored in hockey. For example, there are bets on a goal by a hockey player.
There is a lot of variety in betting on any given match in ice hockey, and fans of multi-betting will love it. It is actual also for the best cricket betting sites in India.
BOOKMAKERS OFTEN COLLABORATE WITH ICE HOCKEY LEAGUES AND CLUBS
It costs a lot of money to keep hockey clubs, so they need sponsors. They are usually big companies and corporations, but lately, more and more clubs have started to cooperate with bookmakers.
For the clubs, this partnership only brings benefits, because the club gets money that is spent on the maintenance and development of the organization. The bookmaker’s office also benefits from this partnership, as the office starts to get new bettors. The bookmaker needs to make sure that the sport develops, the number of fans and, consequently, the number of customers grows. For this purpose, cooperation with clubs is optimal.
For bettors, such partnerships are also beneficial, because the bookmakers can make higher odds for the matches of the affiliated clubs by reducing the margin. For bettors who make a lot of multi-pairs with a lot of events, this is very important, because thanks to this the final betting odds become higher.
Bookmakers are also more likely to hold betting competitions with partners, where you can often win big prizes. Other bonuses are also available, such as free match broadcasts.
WHY IS HOCKEY NOT THE MOST POPULAR SPORT IN BETTING?
Reading the benefits of hockey betting, you get the feeling that it should almost be the most popular, but it isn’t. Here are a few reasons why:
◘ Hockey is not the most popular sport. It is historically played only in certain countries in the northern hemisphere, unlike football and basketball, which are played all over the world. Although there are national teams from Thailand and South Africa, they are more exotic than the norm for hockey. On top of that hockey is an expensive sport, so it is not available in poor countries and therefore not popular.
◘ The cooperation between clubs and bookmakers in hockey is relatively recent, whereas in football they started cooperating with betting agencies much earlier.
◘ A large number of betting options are available in both football and basketball. It is very important.
These three points, although showing the reasons why hockey is not popular, are not the disadvantages of betting on this sport. Regardless, hockey is a very productive and entertaining sport, and betting on it is varied and exciting.
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR WHEN BETTING?
If you start betting on hockey, you should be aware of the following features:
◘ In hockey, the vast majority of tournaments are long-term, with no rounds. Often teams have just one or two days to prepare for the next encounter. Fatigue is one of the reasons why the favorites lose. This has to be taken into account in the betting.
◘ In the long-term tournaments there are very few teams, who repeat a consistent performance. There are situations, when the team, which finished in the first place, has sunk to the bottom of the table at the end of the championship.
◘ In hockey, as in other sports, the loss of top players (caused by injuries) is very painful. If a team starts the match without its best forwards or defenders, it is bound to lose. However, this rule does not work in the case of substitute goalies. In hockey, it is not uncommon for substitute goalies to be “on fire” and play better than the main goalkeepers.
◘ Penalties and fouls can turn the game around. Betting on a power play goal by a team with a good shooting percentage is a safe bet.
Hockey is a great sport to bet on. It is spectacular and unpredictable, which can make even the most adventurous bet win. There are also plenty of betting options in hockey, from match outcomes to individual team totals, and cooperation with the bookmakers is developing, so there are higher odds and a variety of betting contests.
