NHL MATCHUPS AND BETTING TRENDS

Updated on: March 18, 2024

NHL GAMES & RECORDS

If you’re betting on the NHL, then you’re definitely viewing the NHL Matchups on daily basis. This featured is loaded with information for every kind of sports bettor and is essential when it comes to winning your wagers.

Similar to the NHL Scoreboard, every matchup begins with a designated home and away team and those clubs are designated a rotation number that’s determined in advance by the sportsbooks. The NHL Games are listed in order of that rotation and the NHL Matchups also shows the times of those contests, which is presented in Eastern Standard Time Zone (ET).

The NHL Record section is the ‘nuts and bolts’ of the NHL Matchups feature. The Record is listed next to each team and it’s broken down into two sections.

(OVERALL RECORD)
(AWAY OR HOME RECORD)

The Win-Loss-OTL is simple to understand, especially the first two. The OTL stands for Overtime Loss, which means the team was tied after 60 minutes of regulation through three periods but was defeated in overtime or the shootout.

If you are in a state where sports betting is legal, please check out our online sportsbook directory to find the best and most secure places to make NHL bets.

Additionally, take a look at the BetMGM Bonus Code Review to discover how you can engage in NHL betting through the BetMGM Online Sportsbook.

NHL BETTING TRENDS

Sports bettors looking to follow the action can do so in the NHL Matchups Betting Trends section. Before you break down the percentages from the sportsbooks, you should understand the betting lines.

OPENING LINE
CURRENT LINE

The NHL Matchups provide Money-Line odds for each team and one is always listed as the favorite and an underdog. To determine these roles, a minus (-) sign is next to the favorite while a plus (+) is given to the underdog. A number is followed and the higher the number, the more likely for that favorite to win and also more likely for the underdog not to win. The Opening Line is the initial number that the oddsmakers at sportsbooks send out for bettors to wager on while the Current Line shows the active betting lines for that matchup. The O/U (Over-Under) is the total goals scored for each matchup, another popular wager for NHL bettors.

The NHL Betting Trends is a great snapshot to see what bettors are playing. The percentages always add up to 100% based on both sides (teams) or the over/under (total). Our NHL Matchups page show the total amount of money wagered on a game. This section is broken down into three columns:

PUCK, MONEY, O/U

The Puck column stands for the Puck Line, which is another popular wager in the NHL. Instead of playing the money-line, bettors can wager on a team to win by 1 ½ goals and receive an increased return on their bet. Or, you can take 1 ½ goals with an underdog and lower your return.

The Money is the Money-Line wagered on the game and the O/U is the total goals. The Over is always listed on top of the Under in the last column.

Betting Trends normally leans to favorites and over wagers since the betting public isn’t always keen to play underdogs, especially when you have to win outright and almost everybody loves seeing goals scored.

The Puck column normally received great two-way action, except when the favorite is too heavy to back on the money-line price.

NHL MATCHUP HISTORY

The NHL Matchup page is not only great for the current action on the ice but also the previous days. Bettors can scroll through every matchup and see historical betting results, line movement and betting trends. These tools can turn a novice bettor into a serious one and it’s a must-have if you’re interested in taking that next step.