NHL Hockey Betting Guide For 2024

USA Hockey Betting

The National Hockey League typically runs from October to April, taking up a little over half the calendar year. At this time, 30 teams play over 1,200 games en route to the Stanley Cup.

Now, for the everyday fan out there of sports, the season structure of the NHL might not be that significant. However, sports like hockey have expanded greatly due to online sports betting and fantasy options, so more and more fans are really checking out the seasons from start to finish, including the playoffs and finals, to find out when and how they can place their wagers.

USA Hockey Betting is here to act as your hockey betting resource site, and as such we will go over some of the ins and outs of the NHL season.

Any season of the National Hockey League is packed full of action, and any team can get hot during a season and work their way into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. And on a game-by-game basis, the entire world of possibilities is opened up in terms of which team will win, which will score the most goals, etc.

The better one is able to understand this season structure in the National Hockey League, the easier it becomes to follow the sport and to place your wagers on various teams and players. As with most things in life, understanding a thing makes one more proficient at that thing.

Most Popular Sportsbook For NHL Hockey Betting - All U.S. Players Welcome

BetOnline is our favorite online sportsbook for betting on NHL Hockey game lines, futures, and props. With a generous welcome bonus, numerous rewards, and multiple banking options, BetOnline has quickly moved to the top of our list regarding reputable online sportsbooks.

BetOnline's online sportsbook offers betting lines on regular-season games, the playoffs, and the finals. To top it off, there are also multiple options to bet on international hockey, including leagues from around the world and Olympic match-ups.

BetOnline accepts US players over the age of 18 and international bettors as well. Recently Betonline started accepting Bitcoin and other popular altcoins to fund accounts.

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Best NHL Betting Sites Open To US Players In 2024

Site Name	Bonus Offer	USA	Rating	Visit Link
Betonline Sportsbook	50% max $1,000	Yes	9.7	Visit Site
MyBookie	50% max $1,000	Yes	9.6	Visit Site
Bovada Sportsbook	50% max $250	Yes	9.5	Visit Site
Sportsbetting.ag	50% max $1,000	Yes	9.4	Visit Site
Bookmaker.eu	50% max $300	Yes	9.4	Visit Site

NHL Conferences and Divisions

The National Hockey League is comprised of 30 different teams, 23 of which are in the United States and 7 of which are in Canada. These teams are evenly dispersed among two conferences, the Eastern and Western, and each conference has two divisions.

Western Conference

Pacific Division

The Pacific Division in the Western Conference is primarily made up of teams from the west coast of North America, including US and Canadian teams. There are 7 teams altogether in this division, which are:

• Anaheim Ducks

• Arizona Coyotes

• Calgary Flames

• Edmonton Oilers

• Los Angeles Kings

• San Jose Sharks

• Vancouver Canucks

Central Division

With the NHL's Central Division, you're dealing primarily with teams that are located in Middle America, between the two coasts, and also a Canadian team from the middle of Canada. These teams include:

• Chicago Blackhawks

• Colorado Avalanche

• Dallas Stars

• Minnesota Wild

• Nashville Predators

• St. Louis Blues

• Winnipeg Jets

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

The Atlantic Division of the NHL is basically comprised of teams that border the east coast of North America. Many of these teams are located directly on or very near the coast, while others are in coastal states or provinces. These teams are:

• Boston Bruins

• Buffalo Sabres

• Detroit Red Wings

• Florida Panthers

• Montreal Canadiens

• Ottawa Senators

• Tampa Bay Lightning

• Toronto Maple Leafs

Metropolitan Division

The Metropolitan Division of the National Hockey League has two things in common. One, these teams comprise large metro areas of particular states or territories. Two, most of these teams are in or around the east coast of North America. The teams include:

• Carolina Hurricanes

• Columbus Blue Jackets

• New Jersey Devils

• New York Islanders

• New York Rangers

• Philadelphia Flyers

• Pittsburgh Penguins

• Washington Capitals

The Regular Season and Playoffs for the USA National Hockey League

The regular season of the NHL typically starts around the first week of October. This past season, it started on October 7, where all 30 teams had an opening game. From there, the teams' schedules are a little more sporadic, in a sense, in that you will not find every team playing every night.

Over the course of the next four or so months, all 30 teams in both conferences will play a total of 82 games each, which adds up to 1,230 regular-season games. It used to be a rarity that the Eastern Conference and Western Conference would meet, outside of All-Star week, which takes place mid-season.

However, as they did in Major League Baseball (MLB), whose league mirrors the NHL in many respects, the National Hockey League started more interleague play, which means the East and West's respective teams face off 448 times per year.

Hockey Compared To Other Sports

Another sporting league the NHL has a lot in common with is the National Basketball Association, believe it or not. And like the NBA, the NHL's playoff structure is rather large. 8 teams from each conference are selected for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, based on which teams have the best records in their respective divisions and conferences, for a total of 16 teams in the playoffs. All told, there will be four round of playoffs.

The opening round, the semi-finals, the conference finals, and the Stanley Cup Finals, where the last two teams alive will face off for the Stanley Cup. Each playoff series is a best of 7 series, which means the winning team must win 4 games. And all series are played in a 2-2-1-1-1 format.

This means that the team with the better record gets the home-ice advantage and gets its first 2 games at home, followed by 2 away games. Then, if necessary, the team with the better record gets games 5 and 7 on the home ice.

Although the 4th most popular sport per fan ratings and participation, the Stanley Cup Playoffs rival March Madness in terms of pure excitement. Every year it seems like something amazing happens, from overcoming 3-0 deficits to win a series to the worst team in the playoffs making the Cup.

After the initial rounds of the playoffs, the winners of the Eastern and Western conferences play a 7-game series for the Stanley Cup.

To learn more about betting on the NHL regular season and playoffs check out our guide to hockey betting tips for USA residents.

The Stanley Cup Finals

US friendly Stanley Cup Betting options make up the most popular hockey betting lines of the season. The Eastern winner faces off against the Western winner, and the home-ice advantage goes to the team whose record was the best during their 82 regular-season games. Having the home-ice advantage matters more in hockey than one may initially realize, and this may help influence your bets.

Since their lockout year in 2005, the team with the home-ice advantage has won the Stanley Cup Finals 71.4% of the time. Being comfortable in front of your fans and not having to travel for the first 2 games, and then getting that all-important game 7 at home if necessary, has helped the majority of Stanley Cup winners take the trophy home.

While the finals are scheduled for 7 games, they certainly do not always last that long. All a team needs to win is 4 games, and winning in 4 through 6 is something that also happens a majority of the time.

Whether you're an occasional hockey fan, a hardcore fanatic or just someone who likes to dabble with bets, understanding the season structure of the NHL can help you research and place better bets on games as the action unfolds.

Resources

NHL Official Website