NHL betting offers a distinctive profile compared to other major North American sports. The low-scoring nature of hockey — most games land between 4 and 6 total goals — compresses moneyline odds and makes the puck line (the NHL's equivalent of a point spread, set at ±1.5 goals) a uniquely interesting market. Because upsets are frequent and even the weakest teams win roughly 35-40% of their games, underdogs carry genuine value more consistently than in sports like basketball or football. The three-way moneyline (win/loss/draw in regulation) adds another layer of market depth, and totals betting requires a sharp understanding of goaltender matchups and team pace.
Vig on NHL markets tends to run slightly wider than on NFL or NBA lines, largely because handle volumes are lower and books have less incentive to sharpen their numbers. Moneyline margins on marquee matchups — Original Six rivalries, national TV games, and playoff contests — typically tighten as sharper money flows in, while mid-week games between small-market teams often carry noticeably higher juice. The puck line and totals markets can vary significantly across books, making line shopping particularly rewarding in hockey. Even a few cents of reduced vig on a -1.5 puck line can materially change expected value over a full season's worth of wagers.
The NHL regular season runs from October through mid-April, followed by playoffs stretching into late June. Early-season lines tend to be softer as books and bettors alike adjust to roster changes, new coaching systems, and goaltender rotations. The sharpest edges often emerge during the condensed schedule stretches in January and February, when back-to-back games and travel fatigue create predictable situational spots. Goaltender availability is the single most impactful variable in NHL odds — a confirmed starter versus a backup can swing a moneyline by 30 cents or more. Home-ice advantage, while real, is less pronounced than in basketball, and bettors who overweight it often find themselves on the wrong side of inflated home favorites.
Dallas Stars @ Minnesota Wild
| Side | Market | Best Line | Worst |
|---|---|---|---|
| home | h2h | Pinnacle: +110 | +102 |
| away | h2h | Pinnacle: -121 | -130 |
| home | spreads | BetMGM: -235 (+1.5) | -286 |
| away | spreads | DraftKings: +210 (-1.5) | +175 |
| over | totals | Bally Bet: -113 (+5.5) | -125 |
| under | totals | LowVig.ag: +104 (+5.5) | -112 |
Edmonton Oilers @ Anaheim Ducks
| Side | Market | Best Line | Worst |
|---|---|---|---|
| home | h2h | BetOnline.ag: +115 | +102 |
| away | h2h | Bally Bet: -122 | -135 |
| home | spreads | BetUS: -205 (+1.5) | -227 |
| away | spreads | Pinnacle: +184 (-1.5) | +155 |
| over | totals | theScore Bet (ESPN Bet): -155 (+6.5) | -165 |
| under | totals | DraftKings: +136 (+6.5) | +120 |
| over | totals | BetOnline.ag: +102 (+7) | -108 |
| under | totals | Pinnacle: -113 (+7) | -122 |
Tampa Bay Lightning @ Montréal Canadiens
| Side | Market | Best Line | Worst |
|---|---|---|---|
| home | h2h | Pinnacle: +100 | -113 |
| away | h2h | LowVig.ag: -110 | -121 |
| home | spreads | FanDuel: -260 (+1.5) | -312 |
| away | spreads | BetUS: +232 (-1.5) | +185 |
| over | totals | Bally Bet: -104 (+5.5) | -116 |
| under | totals | LowVig.ag: -105 (+5.5) | -122 |
Buffalo Sabres @ Boston Bruins
| Side | Market | Best Line | Worst |
|---|---|---|---|
| home | h2h | LowVig.ag: +101 | -112 |
| away | h2h | Pinnacle: -112 | -123 |
| home | spreads | BetMGM: -250 (+1.5) | -312 |
| away | spreads | Pinnacle: +231 (-1.5) | +185 |
| over | totals | Pinnacle: -113 (+5.5) | -122 |
| under | totals | DraftKings: +102 (+5.5) | -110 |
Vegas Golden Knights @ Utah Mammoth
| Side | Market | Best Line | Worst |
|---|---|---|---|
| home | h2h | DraftKings: +100 | -110 |
| away | h2h | LowVig.ag: -110 | -126 |
| home | spreads | DraftKings: -250 (+1.5) | -303 |
| away | spreads | Pinnacle: +227 (-1.5) | +180 |
| over | totals | DraftKings: -115 (+5.5) | -128 |
| under | totals | Caesars: +105 (+5.5) | -105 |
Philadelphia Flyers @ Carolina Hurricanes
| Side | Market | Best Line | Worst |
|---|---|---|---|
| home | h2h | DraftKings: -205 | -220 |
| away | h2h | LowVig.ag: +191 | +170 |
| home | spreads | LowVig.ag: +125 (-1.5) | +114 |
| away | spreads | DraftKings: -135 (+1.5) | -148 |
| over | totals | LowVig.ag: -120 (+5.5) | -130 |
| under | totals | DraftKings: +110 (+5.5) | +104 |
Philadelphia Flyers @ Carolina Hurricanes
| Side | Market | Best Line | Worst |
|---|---|---|---|
| home | h2h | betPARX: -195 | -215 |
| away | h2h | theScore Bet (ESPN Bet): +180 | +160 |
| home | spreads | betPARX: +128 (-1.5) | +115 |
| away | spreads | BetMGM: -145 (+1.5) | -162 |
| over | totals | betPARX: -122 (+5.5) | -130 |
| under | totals | theScore Bet (ESPN Bet): +105 (+5.5) | -103 |
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best NHL lines today?
The table below shows which sportsbook has the best available price on each side of every upcoming NHL event. Line shopping across multiple books can save you 1–3% per bet compared to sticking with a single sportsbook.
How does NHL vig compare to other major sports?
NHL vig sits between NFL and niche sports. Hockey attracts decent volume, especially during playoffs, but less than football or basketball. Expect NHL vig to be 1–3% higher than NFL on average, with puck lines (spreads) typically carrying more vig than moneylines.
When is NHL season?
The NHL regular season runs from October through mid-April, with the Stanley Cup Playoffs extending through June. The season offers consistent daily games from October to April, making it a steady option for bettors during football's off-season.
Why are NHL puck line vig margins wider?
The puck line (±1.5 goals) is harder for books to price efficiently because hockey is low-scoring. A single goal swings the market dramatically. This uncertainty leads to wider margins. Moneyline bets in NHL tend to offer better vig for that reason.
What is vig (vigorish) in sports betting?
Vig — short for vigorish, also called juice or overround — is the margin a sportsbook builds into its odds. It's the difference between the true probability of an outcome and what the odds imply. Lower vig means you keep more of your winnings on every bet. For example, a standard -110/-110 line has about 4.76% vig.
How often is this data updated?
We pull fresh odds from The Odds API three times per day — at 6:00 AM, 2:00 PM, and 10:00 PM UTC. Each snapshot captures the latest lines from every sportsbook that has posted odds. The timestamp at the top of the page shows the most recent refresh.
How is the vig grade calculated?
Each sportsbook is graded on a letter scale based on average vig: A+ (under 2%) is exceptional, A (2–3%) is excellent, B+ (3–4%) is above average, B (4–5%) is the industry standard, C (5–6%) is below average, and D (above 6%) indicates high-juice markets.
Why does lower vig matter for bettors?
Lower vig directly impacts your long-term returns. A bettor placing $1,000 per week at a book with 4% vig loses roughly $40/week to the house edge. At 2% vig, that drops to $20/week — a $1,040 difference over a year. For serious bettors, shopping for lower vig is one of the most reliable ways to improve profitability.
What sportsbooks do you track?
We track both regulated US sportsbooks (DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars) and offshore books (Bovada, BetOnline, MyBookie, BetUS, LowVig.ag, BetAnySports). Data comes from The Odds API, which aggregates real-time lines from licensed sources.
How We Calculate These Numbers
- Data Source
- All odds on this page come from The Odds API, which aggregates real-time lines from licensed US and offshore sportsbooks. We track moneyline, spread, and totals markets across every sport with active betting lines.
- Update Frequency
- We pull a fresh snapshot of every tracked market three times per day — at 6:00 AM, 2:00 PM, and 10:00 PM UTC. Each snapshot captures the latest lines from every sportsbook that has posted odds for a given event. The timestamp at the top of each page tells you exactly when the data was last refreshed.
- Vig Calculation
- Vig (short for vigorish, also called juice or overround) measures the margin a sportsbook builds into its odds. We calculate it by converting the odds on each side of a market to implied probabilities, summing those probabilities, and subtracting 100%. For example, a market priced at -110/-110 implies 52.38% on each side — a total of 104.76%, meaning a vig of 4.76%. Lower vig means better value for bettors because you keep more of your winnings.
- Per-Market Breakdown
- We compute vig separately for each market type: moneyline (h2h), point spreads, and totals (over/under). The "average vig" shown for each sportsbook is the mean across all market types weighted by the number of events sampled in each market.
- Grading Scale
- Every sportsbook receives a letter grade based on its average vig: A+ (under 2%) is exchange-level pricing. A (2–3%) is very competitive. B+ (3–4%) is above average. B (4–5%) is the industry standard — a -110/-110 line is 4.76%. C+ (5–6%) is slightly below average. C (6–7%) is below average. D (7–8%) is high vig. D− (8–10%) is very high vig. F (10%+) is predatory pricing. See the full Vig Index Methodology for formulas, worked examples, and known limitations.
- Trend Tracking
- We store daily snapshots for 30 days, allowing us to show 24-hour and 7-day vig trends. A downward trend (improving) means sportsbooks are tightening their lines — often in response to increased competition or higher betting volume as a season heats up.