Puck Line Betting Explained: How Hockey's Point Spread Works
The puck line is hockey's version of the point spread, set at -1.5 or +1.5 goals for nearly every game.
By
Eric Pauly
Feb 8, 2026
7 min read
What Is the Puck Line in Hockey?
The puck line is the standard point spread in hockey betting. Unlike NFL or NBA spreads, which change from game to game based on the matchup, the puck line is almost always fixed at 1.5 goals. The favorite is listed at -1.5, meaning they have to win by 2 or more goals for a puck line bet to cash. The underdog sits at +1.5, which means they can lose by a single goal and still cover. It is hockey's version of spread betting, adapted for a sport where final margins are tight and one-goal games are the norm.
After tracking NHL bets across the past two full seasons, I can say that the puck line is one of the most misunderstood markets in hockey. Bettors either overlook it entirely in favor of the moneyline or treat it like a guaranteed value play on underdogs without checking the math. This guide covers how puck line odds work, when the puck line makes more sense than the moneyline, and how the empty net factor plays into late-game results.
article Summary
The puck line is a 1.5-goal spread applied to nearly every NHL game. Favorites at -1.5 pay plus-money because winning by 2 goals is hard in hockey. Underdogs at +1.5 are priced at heavy juice because one-goal losses still cover. The puck line becomes most useful when the moneyline on a heavy favorite is too expensive to justify the risk.
How the Puck Line Works
The Fixed 1.5-Goal Spread
In most sports, the point spread shifts to reflect each matchup. A 10-point spread in the NFL tells you the sportsbook sees a significant talent gap. In hockey, the puck line stays at 1.5 for nearly every regular season and playoff game. The adjustment happens in the odds, not the spread. A -1.5 favorite in a close matchup might be priced at +180, while a heavy favorite might sit at +120. The underdog side works the same way: +1.5 in a tight game could be -160, while a big underdog might be -220. Understanding how to read betting odds helps you evaluate whether those prices offer value relative to the matchup.
Why 1.5 Goals Is the Standard
Hockey is a low-scoring sport. The average NHL game produces roughly 6 total goals, and a significant percentage of games are decided by a single goal. Setting the spread at 1.5 reflects the reality that blowouts are relatively rare compared to football or basketball. A 2-goal margin is meaningful in hockey, which is why the favorite at -1.5 almost always pays plus-money. The sportsbook is asking you to predict not just a winner, but a comfortable winner, and that is a harder ask in a sport where one bad bounce can flip a game.
What Happens With Overtime and Shootouts
This is where puck line betting gets interesting. NHL regular season games that are tied after regulation go to overtime, and if still tied, to a shootout. The final score in overtime reflects the actual winning goal (e.g., 4-3), while a shootout win is always recorded as one goal more than the losing team (e.g., 3-2). In both scenarios, the winning team wins by exactly one goal, which means the -1.5 side loses and the +1.5 side wins. Overtime and shootout results heavily favor the +1.5 underdog in puck line markets.
Puck Line vs Moneyline: When to Use Each
When the Moneyline Is Too Expensive
The puck line exists partly because NHL moneylines on heavy favorites can get steep. If a team is -280 on the moneyline, you are risking $280 to win $100. That is a lot of exposure for a sport where upsets happen regularly. The same favorite at -1.5 might be priced at +130, meaning a $100 bet returns $130 in profit. The tradeoff is clear: you need a 2-goal win instead of any win, but the payout is substantially better. I started incorporating puck line favorites into my NHL betting approach during the 2024-25 season and found it smoothed out the swings that come from laying heavy moneyline juice on favorites that sometimes lose outright.
When the Moneyline Is the Better Play
If the moneyline is reasonably priced, there is often no compelling reason to take the puck line. A team at -140 on the moneyline is not expensive enough to justify adding the 2-goal requirement. The puck line adds risk without enough reward when the moneyline price is manageable. As a general guideline, the puck line on the favorite side becomes more attractive as the moneyline price moves past -200. Below that threshold, the moneyline usually offers a better risk-to-reward ratio.
Underdog Puck Line Bets
Taking the +1.5 on an underdog means you win if that team wins outright or loses by exactly one goal. The catch is the price. Underdog puck lines are almost always priced at heavy negative odds (-180 to -250 range) because one-goal games are so common. You are paying a premium for that safety net. Comparing these prices across sportsbooks matters because a few cents of difference in the juice adds up over a full season. Closing line value tracking can help you determine whether your +1.5 underdog bets are consistently beating the market.
The Empty Net Factor
How Empty Net Goals Affect Puck Lines
One of the most unique aspects of puck line betting is the empty net goal. When a team is trailing late in the third period, they pull their goalie for an extra skater. This happens in a large number of NHL games, especially when the deficit is one goal with a few minutes remaining. The team with the lead then has a chance to score into an empty net, which turns a 1-goal lead into a 2-goal margin. That single play can flip a puck line result from a loss to a win for the -1.5 side.
Why This Matters for Bettors
Empty net goals are not random. They happen in predictable situations and at a high enough frequency to affect the math on puck line bets. Roughly 20-25% of NHL games feature at least one empty net goal, and the majority of those go to the team that is already winning. This means the -1.5 favorite covers more often than you might expect based solely on how the game plays out through the first 55 minutes. Factoring in empty net probability is essential when evaluating puck line prices. If you are modeling NHL games and ignoring the empty net dynamic, your projections will undercount -1.5 covers.
Live Betting and the Puck Line
The empty net factor also creates opportunities in live puck line markets. If a team leads by one goal midway through the third period, the live puck line on the favorite might still offer plus-money because the market is pricing in the possibility of a tied game or overtime. But if you believe the trailing team will pull their goalie and the leading team will capitalize, the live -1.5 can offer value in that window. Live betting on puck lines requires fast decision-making, and having access to real-time odds across multiple sportsbooks helps you find the right price quickly.
Alternate Puck Lines and Line Shopping
What Are Alternate Puck Lines?
Some sportsbooks offer alternate puck lines at -2.5 or +2.5 (and occasionally -0.5 or +0.5). A -2.5 line requires the favorite to win by 3 or more goals, which pays significantly more but hits far less frequently. A +2.5 underdog line is safer (the team can lose by up to 2 goals) but comes with extremely heavy juice. These alternate lines are useful for bettors who want to adjust their risk and reward, but the vig on alternate puck lines tends to be higher than on the standard 1.5 line. Checking the vig before placing alternate line bets is worth the extra few seconds.
Line Shopping for Puck Lines
Puck line odds vary across sportsbooks more than most bettors realize. One book might have the favorite at -1.5 (+155) while another has the same team at -1.5 (+170). That 15-cent difference on plus-money odds is significant over the course of a full NHL season. Using odds comparison tools to scan puck line prices across books is one of the simplest improvements a hockey bettor can make. OddsJam pulls real-time odds from 40+ sportsbooks and highlights where you are getting the best puck line price on any NHL game.
Final Thoughts
The puck line is a straightforward market that rewards bettors who understand the nuances of how hockey games play out in the final minutes. The fixed 1.5-goal spread, the impact of overtime and shootouts, and the empty net dynamic all create pricing patterns that differ from any other sport. If you have been betting NHL moneylines exclusively, the puck line is worth incorporating into your analysis for games where the favorite is expensive.
Like any betting market, the puck line is not a cheat code. It is a tool that works well in specific situations and poorly in others. Track your results, compare prices across sportsbooks, and let the math guide your decisions rather than defaulting to one side of the line. For a broader look at how spreads function across all sports, the spread betting explained guide covers the fundamentals.
Puck Line Betting FAQ
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