Totals betting in NHL preseason revolves around the combined number of goals scored by both teams, with the standard line typically set around 5.5 or 6.5. Bettors wager on whether the final combined score will go over or under that number. Preseason totals carry unique dynamics because rosters are in constant flux — teams split squads, rotate goaltenders by period, and give heavy minutes to AHL-caliber players. This roster instability tends to create scoring environments that differ significantly from regular-season norms, and oddsmakers don't always adjust quickly enough, particularly in the first week of exhibition play.
The totals market is most valuable when bettors can identify which goaltenders are starting and, more importantly, when they're being pulled. A team dressing its backup behind a patchwork defensive corps creates a very different game than one giving its starter a full 60 minutes of work. Vig on preseason totals tends to run slightly higher than regular-season totals, as books widen their margins to account for the unpredictability and lower betting volume. Comparing vig across sportsbooks becomes especially important here, since even small differences in juice compound over a full preseason slate where edges are already thin.
Analysis updated October 18, 2026. Odds data above refreshes hourly.
Cross-Sport totals Vig Comparison
NHL Preseason totals averages 7.18% vig across 8 sportsbooks. Here's how that compares to other active sports:
Vig Rankings
| # | Sportsbook | Vig | Grade | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | theScore Bet (ESPN Bet) | 5.74% | C+ | 1 |
| 2 | DraftKings | 6.18% | C | 1 |
| 3 | FanDuel | 6.50% | C | 1 |
| 4 | Bovada | 6.80% | C | 1 |
| 5 | Pinnacle | 6.93% | C | 1 |
| 6 | Fanatics | 7.34% | D | 1 |
| 7 | ReBet | 7.56% | D | 1 |
| 8 | BetRivers | 10.41% | F | 1 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which sportsbook has the lowest NHL Preseason totals vig?
theScore Bet (ESPN Bet) currently has the lowest vig at 5.74%, earning a grade of C+.
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 every hour, on the hour (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 average vig: A+ (under 2%) is exchange-level pricing, A (2–3%) very competitive, B+ (3–4%) above average, B (4–5%) the industry standard, C+ (5–6%) slightly below average, C (6–7%) below average, D (7–8%) high vig, D− (8–10%) very high, F (10%+) predatory.
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, BetAnything). 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 every hour, on the hour (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.