Our experts have ranked and reviewed the best NHL betting sites so you can sign up, claim bonuses, and start betting on the NHL confidently.
NHL Sportsbook | Our Sports & Markets Score |
---|---|
1. BetMGM | 10/10 |
2. Caesars Sportsbook | 10/10 |
3. FanDuel | 9.75/10 |
4. bet365 | 9.75/10 |
5. bet365 | 9.5/10 |
6. Fanatics Sportsbook | 9.25/10 |
7. BetRivers | 9.25/10 |
Deciding which NHL betting sites you want to use this season can seem overwhelming—but it doesn't have to be.
The National Hockey League provides sports bettors with a fast-paced, highly competitive sport to wager on each and every game. The experience of betting on a hockey game while watching it either in person, at the local sports bar, or from the comfort of your living room is absolutely electric.
Hockey is one of the fastest games to watch; pair that with the aggression and skill level of the NHL players, and you can’t go wrong.
Thanks to NHL betting apps and websites, you can bet on NHL games from the comfort of your own home! Today, you can sign up for your favorite site to bet on NHL games. There are always plenty of NHL odds to bet on during the nine-month season, with multiple games played almost every night during the regular season. With the best online sportsbooks, you have plenty of opportunities to get in on the NHL betting action.
Our reviews are incredibly thorough and include every criterion, from deposit options, bonuses, and customer service to mobile compatibility and odds selection—all to help you pick your top online NHL betting sites.
We never recommend an unsafe or insecure sportsbook. When looking for a new sportsbook, you should always ensure they have SSL encryption, which protects your personal information, especially when dealing with your hard-earned money!
All NHL sportsbooks recommended on Gambling.com are SSL-secure and encrypted.
We rate sportsbooks for the NHL as we do for every other major league. Our rigorous 10-step process ensures we only recommend licensed, secure, and trustworthy sportsbooks that have been regulated in your state.
We've signed up for all the top books available in the U.S., depositing real money, claiming sportsbook promos, analyzing odds, placing bets, and withdrawing winnings. After doing so, we grade each one in 10 different categories, including sports & markets, with a score out of 10.
We average them together to get an overall "Sports & Markets" score, which you see ranked above. We've also included the overall score for each sportsbook, which acts as a tie-breaker.
Getting into the game at any NHL betting sites discussed above is easy.
Betting on the NHL is legal online in the following states: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington D.C., West Virginia, and Wyoming.
Betting on the NHL is legal at retail locations in the following states: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington, Washington D.C., West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
State | NHL Betting | In-State NHL Teams |
---|---|---|
Alabama Sports Betting | None | None |
Alaska | None | None |
Arizona Sportsbooks | Online & Retail | None |
Arkansas Sportsbooks | Online & Retail | None |
California Sports Betting | None | Anaheim Ducks, L.A. Kings, San Jose Sharks |
Colorado Sportsbooks | Online & Retail | Colorado Avalanche |
Connecticut Sportsbooks | Online & Retail | None |
Delaware | Online & Retail | None |
Florida Sportsbooks | Online & Retail | Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning |
Georgia Sports Betting | None | None |
Hawaii Sportsbooks | None | None |
Idaho | None | None |
Illinois Sportsbooks | Online & Retail | Chicago Blackhawks |
Indiana Sportsbooks | Online & Retail | None |
Iowa Sportsbooks | Online & Retail | None |
Kansas Sportsbooks | Online & Retail | None |
Kentucky Sportsbooks | Online & Retail | None |
Louisiana Sportsbooks | Online & Retail | None |
Maine Sportsbooks | Online & Retail | None |
Maryland Sportsbooks | Online & Retail | None |
Massachusetts Sportsbooks | Online & Retail | Boston Bruins |
Michigan Sportsbooks | Online & Retail | Detroit Red Wings |
Minnesota Sports Betting | None | Minnesota Wild |
Mississippi Sportsbooks | Online* & Retail | None |
Missouri Sports Betting | None | St. Louis Blues |
Montana | Online* & Retail | None |
Nebraska | Retail Only | None |
Nevada | Online & Retail | Vegas Golden Knights |
New Hampshire | Online & Retail | None |
New Jersey Sportsbooks | Online & Retail | New Jersey Devils |
New Mexico | Retail Only | None |
New York Sportsbooks | Online & Retail | Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, New York Rangers |
North Carolina Sportsbooks | Online & Retail | Carolina Hurricanes |
North Dakota | Retail Only | None |
Ohio Sportsbooks | Yes | Columbus Blue Jackets |
Oklahoma | None | None |
Oregon | Online & Retail | None |
Pennsylvania Sportsbooks | Online & Retail | Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins |
Rhode Island | Online & Retail | None |
South Carolina | None | None |
South Dakota | Retail Only | None |
Tennessee Sportsbooks | Online Only | Nashville Predators |
Texas | None | Dallas Stars |
Utah | None | Utah Hockey Club |
Vermont Sportsbooks | Online Only | None |
Virginia Sportsbooks | Online & Retail | None |
Washington Sportsbooks | Retail Only | Seattle Kraken |
Washington D.C. Sportsbooks | Online & Retail | Washington Capitals |
West Virginia Sportsbooks | Online & Retail | None |
Wisconsin | Retail Only | None |
Wyoming Sportsbooks | Online & Retail | None |
With 31 teams in the league, 24 of which reside in the United States and seven in Canada, each team will play 82 games in a season.
The NHL is divided into two conferences: the Eastern and Western. The conferences are divided into Atlantic and Metropolitan in the Eastern Conference and Pacific and Central in the Western Conference.
During the Stanley Cup Playoffs, teams compete against other teams within their division, then move on to the next round to compete for their division title. Once the division titles are awarded to the winning teams, the four teams move on to compete in the conference finals.
The two teams left standing after the conference finals will head to the Stanley Cup Finals.
The first thing you’ll want to do when learning how to bet on the NHL is to learn how the NHL odds work.
Betting on the NHL is easy, and the odds aren’t too complicated to understand, but we want to help you understand how to bet on the NHL.
When you hear us or your favorite sportscaster talking about the NHL odds, we refer to the numbers next to the team that reflect how likely a team is to win a game. Or, in the case of specials or totals, how likely is it that a particular occurrence will happen?
In the case of American odds, your NHL odds will be framed as a positive or negative number. Here's an example:
These odds will reflect how much you would win on a $100 wager or how much you would have to bet to win $100. The plus sign indicates an underdog; the number is the amount you would win on a $100 bet. The negative sign reflects a favorite; the number is the amount you would have to bet to profit $100.
The more likely a team is to experience a specific outcome, the shorter its odds will be.
Now that you know how the odds work and how to determine your potential winnings based on the NHL odds, we can go over the basic betting types to prepare you for betting on the NHL.
Each team in the NHL plays 82 regular season games between October and April. (Bettors can also bet on preseason games at select books.) It’s a drive to pile up points and qualify for the playoffs. Teams get two points for a regulation, overtime, or shootout victory, while an overtime or shootout loss nets a squad one point in the standings. Losses in regulation do not earn any points in the standings. Generally speaking, you can bet on each and every game on the NHL schedule.
The NHL All-Star game is not the most competitive matchup, but it makes up for this with high entertainment value for both the skills competition the day before and the game itself. Many books allow you to wager on the outcome of the different skills competitions, including hardest shot, shooting accuracy, and fastest skater. You can also bet on the actual All-Star Game, including player props. It’s an offense-heavy affair, so expect all the typical lines to be inflated.
The NHL Playoffs, more than those in any other sport, are a marathon and not a sprint. The two-month endurance test usually weeds out teams with thin roster depth, injury bugs, or a lack of consistency. In terms of betting, you’ll find all of the same betting markets for each individual game as you would during the regular season. But you’ll also be able to place prop bets on each round, and you’ll see that this is where the odds for futures bets can swing dramatically from game to game.
The quest for the championship ends here, with two teams squaring off to have their names etched on the Stanley Cup—and NHL history. (The winning team literally has the names of their players etched onto the side of the trophy!)
When betting on the Stanley Cup, you’ll again find all the bets you’d expect from game to game, along with series props for both team and player performance. One thing to watch for is special offers and promos, as many books will drop a bonus or two as the Finals are set to begin.
Above all, responsible gambling is the most crucial part of betting on the NHL. Sports betting is always meant to be a source of entertainment and never a source of income.
The National Hockey League, along with the NBA and MLB, has launched the "Never Know What's Next" campaign to encourage responsible sports betting. Because you never know what could happen next in a live game, it's important to set betting limits and stick to them beforehand. Betting can get beyond your control quickly if you're not thoughtful about your spending and playing habits.
BetMGM, one of our recommended NHL betting sites, launched a PSA with 2023-24 NHL MVP Connor McDavid encouraging bettors to be responsible. Across NHL sportsbooks, there are several tools you can use to stay on top of your betting habits, including:
If you feel that your gambling is getting out of control, you can call 1-800-GAMBLER, text 800GAM, or chat online with a professional; all are available 24/7, 365 days a year. You can get directed to resources such as signs of problem gambling, local support, treatment options, counseling, and more.