NHL totals betting — also known as over/under betting — involves wagering on whether the combined goals scored by both teams will finish above or below a posted number, most commonly set at 5.5 or 6. Unlike football totals, where the margin of outcomes is wide and numbers vary significantly, hockey totals tend to cluster around a narrow range, making the half-goal distinction between 5.5 and 6 critically important. A bettor taking the over 5.5 needs six or more total goals, while the under cashes with five or fewer.
The totals market in hockey becomes especially valuable when bettors can identify goaltending mismatches, back-to-back scheduling fatigue, or teams deploying backup netminders. Pace-of-play metrics like Corsi, expected goals (xG), and shots on goal per game offer sharper edges than simply following recent scoring trends. From a vig perspective, NHL totals often carry slightly higher juice than moneylines or puck lines, particularly on marquee games, because books know recreational bettors gravitate toward overs. Comparing the vig across sportsbooks on these markets is one of the most straightforward ways to protect long-term profitability, since even a few cents of reduced juice compounds meaningfully over a full season.
↑ 7-day trend: NHL totals average vig has worsened by 0.07 percentage points over the past week (from 4.65% to 4.72%). Odds margins are widening, meaning bettors are getting less value per wager.
Cross-Sport totals Vig Comparison
NHL totals averages 4.72% vig across 10 sportsbooks. Here's how that compares to other active sports:
| Sport | Avg Vig | vs NHL |
|---|---|---|
| NHL | 4.72% | — |
| CFL | 5.21% | 0.49% lower |
| NCAAF | 4.76% | 0.04% lower |
| NFL | 4.97% | 0.25% lower |
| NFL Preseason | 4.61% | 0.11% higher |
Vig Rankings
| # | Sportsbook | Vig | Grade | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BetOnline.ag | 3.51% | B+ | 5 |
| 2 | LowVig.ag | 3.51% | B+ | 5 |
| 3 | theScore Bet (ESPN Bet) | 4.36% | B | 7 |
| 4 | DraftKings | 4.40% | B | 31 |
| 5 | BetMGM | 4.59% | B | 5 |
| 6 | Hard Rock Bet | 4.97% | B | 17 |
| 7 | FanDuel | 5.04% | C+ | 5 |
| 8 | betPARX | 5.41% | C+ | 7 |
| 9 | Bally Bet | 5.41% | C+ | 7 |
| 10 | BetRivers | 6.02% | C | 7 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which sportsbook has the lowest NHL totals vig?
BetOnline.ag currently has the lowest vig at 3.51%, earning a grade of B+.
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.