The best betting site for gamblers in Canada is Betway
If we had to choose just one betting site for gamblers in Canada, we’d pick Betway. Betway has one of the most comprehensive sportsbooks in the nation. It has coverage of the NHL and all other major sports like the NBA, NFL, CFL, MLB, and international leagues like the English Premier League, with over 12,000 total betting markets.
In addition to that, it has very good sign-up bonuses. You can earn up to $250 in deposit matching when using this sportsbook for the first time, and depositing and withdrawing your cash is quick and easy. It supports Interac, Visa, Mastercard, and more for deposits.
It’s also very trustworthy. Betway was founded in 2006 and is licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority, and uses the latest security technology like HTTPS, SSL, and 256-bit encryption to keep your data safe.
Due to its great sportsbook, fantastic sign-up offers, and streamlined user experience, Betway is our top pick for betting on the NHL in Canada.
- More than 12,000 betting markets available
- Wide variety of casino games
- Audited & licensed by eCOGRA
The best betting sites for the NHL – Our Top Picks
Want to explore your other options for betting on the NHL? Here are a few other top betting sites for the NHL in Canada.
888sport
888sport is owned by the 888 Group, a very well-known online gaming company based in Gibraltar, and listed on the London Stock Exchange. It has a very diverse sportsbook with a ton of betting markets, simple sign-up bonuses, and live betting for NHL matches. With top-notch customer service and easy deposits and withdrawals, it’s definitely worth checking out if you want to bet on hockey.
- One of the best platforms for mobile betting
- Unique promotions for new gamblers
- Diverse markets with lots of special bets
Intertops
Intertops makes this list due to its stellar reputation. It’s been around since the late ‘90s and has the distinction of being the first-ever online sportsbook to offer gambling on sporting events. It’s not old-fashioned, though. The Intertops website is sleek and streamlined on both desktop and mobile devices, and it’s easy to place bets on dozens of sports leagues including the NHL.
bet365
Bet365 is based in the UK and is licensed globally by the Malta Gaming Authority, and has been serving Canadians for a number of years. It has more than 45 million customers around the globe and is one of the most trustworthy, easy-to-use, and safe sports betting sites available, making it a great choice for beginner gamblers in Canada.
- More than 20 million users worldwide
- Excellent interface on desktop & mobile
- Highly competitive odds for all events
How we rate the best NHL Betting Sites
Wondering how we’ve picked out the best NHL betting sites for Canada? Here are a few factors that go into our decision.
- Range of sports, markets, and bet types – More variety is always better, so we prefer operators that offer plenty of sports leagues, betting markets and types of bets.
- Bonuses & promotions – Free bets, deposit matching, and other such promotions are great for new gamblers, so they factor heavily into our rankings.
- Ease of banking & payouts – It’s always best to choose a gambling operator that makes it easy to deposit your cash and withdraw your winnings using a wide variety of payment methods.
- Safety, security & customer support – The security of your personal information is very important, and 24/7, responsive support is also beneficial if you have any questions or issues with your chosen betting platform.
- Mobile support – Most top sportsbooks are now available on mobile devices, and we prioritize those that offer a good mobile experience, and/or have iOS and Android sports betting apps.
Which NHL games are good to bet on?
The NHL provides great betting opportunities throughout the entire season. The regular season consists of 82 games played by each of the 31 teams in the NHL, so there are hundreds of games to choose from.
The NHL playoffs and the Stanley Cup are also very commonly bet upon, either in a game-by-game format, or to predict the winner of a division or the NHL championship.
The NHL All-Star game is also great to bet on, though it can be much less predictable due to the format of selecting the best players from the league’s different divisions.
Which leagues are the most important in hockey betting?
Wondering which leagues are commonly bet upon by hockey spectators? Let’s take a look at a few popular leagues in hockey betting now.
NHL (National Hockey League)
KHL (Kontinental Hockey League)
The KHL is based in Russia and includes teams in Russia, Belarus, China, Finland, Latvia, and Kazakhstan. It’s the second most popular hockey league in the world, and the premier league in Europe and Asia. However, it’s hard to watch in North America, so it’s not very common to find Canadian sportsbooks that offer many KHL betting opportunities.
SHL (Swedish Hockey League)
The SHL is the most-attended hockey league in Europe and includes a total of 14 teams. It’s very popular in the Nordic countries including Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland, but there aren’t many SHL betting opportunities in Canada or America.
Which markets are usually available for gamblers when betting NHL online?
The typical NHL game will have a huge variety of betting markets available. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Money line bets
- Over/under wagers
- Point spread
- NHL puck line bets
- Regulation time bets
- NHL parlays
- Period-based betting (first, second, third periods, overtime)
- Prop bets on individual outcomes( first/last team to score, the total number of shots, blocked goals, etc.)
The Odds in the NHL
The odds in the NHL are usually quite competitive across different sportsbooks. However, it’s still a good idea to compare odds on different gambling platforms to make sure you find the best possible odds for your bet.
Like most sports leagues, NHL betting markets usually have short-term bets – like bets on the score of a game or the winner – and long-term bets, like who will win the MVP title or Stanley Cup in a given season. Learn more about NHL odds and bets below.
Odds ranges in the NHL
In an NHL game that’s expected to be close, the typical money line bet will be around -110 to -120 for the favored team, and +110 to +130 for the underdog.
However, these odds will vary a lot during lopsided matches. Favored teams may be as high as -300 with underdogs at +300 or more. Obviously, this means you can win big if you bet on the underdog – but when betting a favorite, you need to be careful as you could lose quite a bit of money.
What can gamblers bet on when it comes to the NHL?
This depends on the sportsbook you use, but most sportsbooks support basic betting styles like 1×2 bets, system bets, accumulator bets, combo bets, and parlay bets.
Betting maximums and maximum combined odds also vary depending on your sportsbook. We recommend contacting the operator directly if you have questions about how much you can bet on each game and maximum withdrawal limits.
Short-term betting in the NHL
Short-term bets usually consist of bets made on a single NHL game, though in the playoffs, it’s common to gamble on the outcome of a best-of-5 series – you can bet on each game individually, or choose the overall winner.
Because it offers gamblers plenty of chances to look for favorable odds across different sportsbooks and place bets on multiple NHL games, short-term betting is very popular among hockey fans.
Long-term betting in the NHL
Long-term betting in the NHL primarily focuses on which team will win their conference championship or the Stanley Cup.
It’s very common for bettors to gamble on the likely winner of the NHL before the season starts – but most sportsbooks offer plenty of other bets, such as the total number of points earned by a particular team during the season. You can sometimes even gamble on transfers and free agency, draft picks, and much more.
Live betting/In-Play betting in the NHL
NHL live and in-play betting options are varied, but most sportsbooks offer a good number of bets once the game has gotten underway. You can bet on the score after each period, injuries, whether or not one team will hold or lose its lead, and make tons of other special and prop bets once the game begins.
FAQs for NHL betting
Hockey blends the statistical analytics of baseball with the fast-paced action of sports like soccer and basketball, making hockey a great sport to bet on. Lines for NHL games often change a lot before each game starts, so there are plenty of opportunities to place favorable bets and win big. Absolutely. Since it’s the biggest and most important hockey league in the world, the NHL attracts bettors from the US, Canada, Europe, Russia, and many other countries – and there are tons of unique betting markets where you can find fantastic odds, place bets, and come out with a profit. If you’re a hockey fan and know a lot about the sport, you can just sign up for an account at one of our recommended Canadian NHL online sportsbooks, and start placing bets right away. If you’re not a long-time hockey fan, though, it may be a good idea to spend some time familiarizing yourself with the sport, different players, and the available bets you can make to ensure you place wise bets. Reading sports betting blogs is also very helpful if you need to learn more about strategy, and the basics about different types of NHL bets. Yes, the NHL is a safe and fair market to bet on. Hundreds of different sportsbooks offer betting on the NHL, and the league is well-regulated and free of any major corruption scandals.
Is the NHL a good sport to bet on? Is there any opportunity to make a good profit within NHL? How do I best get started by betting in NHL? Is NHL a safe and fair market to bet on?
The stars in the NHL
The NHL is home to a huge number of talented, famous hockey players. Let’s take a look at a few of the biggest stars in the NHL now.
Connor McDavid
Connor McDavid entered the NHL at the age of just 18, joining the Edmonton Oilers in the 2015 draft. Since then, this young talent has risen meteorically – scoring 324 points in the past 3 seasons. He is currently averaging 1.3 points per game since he entered the league, making him the current leader in scored points per game throughout the NHL.
Nikita Kucherov
Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning was the MVP the 2018-2019 season and set a record for points with 128 scored during this season, making him one of the most promising young players in the league.
Sidney Crosby
Veteran Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins has scored 100 points in six different seasons, and is widely considered to be the best player in the league thanks to his versatility and ability to both defend and score big goals.
Andrei Vasilevskiy
With 14 shutouts in both of the previous two seasons, Vezina Trophy-winning goal Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning had a .925 save percentage and 2.40 goals-against average in the 2018-2019 season, making him arguably the best goalie in the league.
The best teams in the NHL
Wondering which teams are the favorites in the NHL? Let’s take a look at a few of the best NHL teams now, so that you can learn more about the NHL betting landscape.
Boston Bruins
Though they were defeated by the St. Louis Blues in the 2019 Stanley Cup, the Eastern Conference Champion Boston Bruins are loaded with top talent including Zdeno Chara, Brandon Carlo, and Charlie McAvoy, and are always top contenders in their conference.
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning may not have done well in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, but they had an absurdly good regular season thanks to goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy and talented players including Brayden Point, Steven Stamkos, and Nikita Kucherov. They’re poised to be one of the most powerful franchises in the NHL in the next few years.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs recently added forward Alexander Kerfoot and defenceman Tyson Barrie, who join veterans like Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner to create a formidable force on the ice. Head coach Mike Babcock was recently replaced by Sheldon Keefe, who is sure to make even more changes to bring the Leafs into playoff contention.
Vegas Golden Knights
Though they’re the newest NHL franchise, the Vegas Golden Knights are a force to be reckoned with. They advanced to the Stanley Cup in their inaugural 2017-2018 season, led by players like William Karlsson, David Perron, and Jonathan Marchessault. Recently, head coach Gerard Gallant was replaced with Peter DeBoer, formerly of the San Jose Sharks.
Bet On The NHL And Win Big While Watching Your Favourite Sport
Canadians have been betting on the NHL for decades, and if you’re an NHL fan and you haven’t started placing bets on NHL games, now is the time to start. The NHL is a very popular sport to bet on in Canada, so there is plenty of action that will provide you with unique opportunities to place smart bets.
Not only that, but the fast and dynamic nature of hockey means that watching the NHL while betting on games is fun and entertaining – whether you win or lose. There are plenty of betting markets to choose from, and every major sportsbook operator in Canada offers NHL betting, so it’s easy to get started.
So take a look at one of our recommended sportsbooks above and sign up for an account, and you can get started with NHL gambling right away.
