Best Canadian NHL Betting Sites
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NHL Betting in Canada
Hockey is one of the most exciting and fast-paced sports in North America., with huge interest in both the US and Canada. From Montreal Canadiens to Vancouver Canucks, generally offering very high-quality hockey, it's easy to understand why fans in Canada are so passionate about the sport. Of course, this has also led to a surge in betting on the sport along with the rise of online gambling.
Most bookmakers in the country offer tons of options for betting on NHL games and while there is risk involved, those who follow the league closely are bound to spot some good opportunities. Understandably so, the demands on the betting sites have also increased, so read on to find out how we judged the best betting sites for the sport.
Key Information About the Best NHL Betting Sites
| 📺 Operator |  |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🏒 NHL Betting Coverage | 120-150 markets | 70-80 | 30 | 70-80 | 120-150 |
| 📊 NHL Betting Margins | 4.1% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.2% | 5.3% |
| 👷 NHL Same-Game Parlay | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| 📺 NHL Live Streaming | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| 💰 NHL Promotions | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| 👉 Visit Site | Bet on NHL | Bet on NHL | Read review | Bet on NHL | Bet on NHL |
Best NHL Betting Sites - Our Top 5 List
Although the NHL and hockey in general are very popular in Canada, with an increase in online sports betting as well, it might be difficult to pick out the best betting site for the sport. Therefore, our experts have used the NHL as a foundation to put together a top 5 list of hockey betting sites, focusing on the factors that truly matter for this type of betting. Hopefully, this will guide you towards a better NHL betting experience.
#1 Best NHL Betting Site: bet365
bet365 has always been one of the best for sports betting and the NHL is no different, with very comprehensive coverage on this front. Punters who sign up on the site will find everything from money line, player shots on goal, player points, race to and more when browsing the markets for an NHL game. In short, everything you need is there.
The site also has a very nice same-game parlay tool, meaning you can combine several markets for one game into one bet. This is a great way to maximise the odds and the market offering for this tool on bet365 is fantastic. We also made sure to test bet365's betting margins when we tried the site out, and the average came in at 4.1%. This is a very commendable score, assuring no high fees are being charged.
In addition to the impressive coverage and same-game parlay tool, bet365 also shines on the promotions front for NHL. Boosted odds are offered regularly for the games and there is also a boost (up to 70%) to rely on for parlay bets. The best promotion, in our opinion, is the early payout as bet365 will mark your selection as a winner if your back team goes up by three goals in the game.
Live streaming is also offered for the NHL games on bet365, further strengthening its position as the best NHL betting site, and the live interface is quite nice overall. Any bettor in Canada who wants to give NHL betting a go should definitely sign up on bet365, and we have a guide for just that.
Pros
- Great NHL Coverage: 120-150 markets
- Low NHL Betting Margins: 4.1%
- Great NHL Promotions
- NHL Live Streaming
- Same-Game Parlay Tool
#2 Best NHL Betting Site: Betway
Betway is one of the best bookmakers in the world, and certainly among the best in Canada, so it is no surprise to see that the NHL coverage is good too. There are around 70-80 markets for each NHL game and all of the popular ones are present, with everything from puck line to player points and shots on target.
Cash out is not available for all of the markets but Betway makes this very clear, so there will be no confusion on that front. Furthermore, the betting margins were very low when we tested them, with an average of 4.9%. It is easy to see why Betway has become so popular among punters, even if the website design is not overly pleasing.
In terms of promotions, there are a few options for those who like to bet on NHL. The popular parlay, which gives customers a $10 free bet every week if they stake $25+ on accas, applies to NHL betting. There is also a special deal for the NHL playoffs for those who place first goalscorer bets, as the winnings will be doubled if the successful player then scores again (free bet up to $100).
No live streaming of the NHL is offered, unfortunately, but Betway is a very solid choice for the competition. Those who like to bet on multiple sports, as we highlighted in our review of the site, should definitely sign up for Betway as the coverage is commendable for all sports. In other words, a great bookie overall.
Pros
- Good NHL Coverage: 70-80 markets
- Low NHL Betting Margins: 4.9%
- Okay NHL promotions
Cons
- No Same-Game Parlay Tool
- No NHL Live Streaming
#3 Best NHL Betting Site: 888sport
Anyone who has placed bets on 888sport before will know that we are talking about a very good sportsbook. Many different sports can be found and the market depth is almost always impressive. Therefore, as the bookie does so well in many respects for the NHL, we were a bit disappointed by the market depth.
There were only around 30 markets available for each game, at least when we tested the site, and all of the games were not published well in advance (only two at a time). This aside, however, there is a same-game parlay tool which is fairly decent. At least all of the popular markets can be found here, so this is a plus.
Furthermore, 888sport has a good promotion dedicated to the NHL which is available once per day. Anyone who places a $20+ bet builder on an NHL game will get a $5 free bet, which can be used on any ice hockey market. There is also an acca club which applies to the NHL, with acca bets of $20+ needed during the week to unlock a $5 free bet.
Live streaming is not offered, as is the case for all sites but one on this list (bet365), but 888sport certainly has a lot going for it when it comes to betting on the NHL. It is a shame that the depth of markets is rather poor, otherwise the bookie probably would have been in the top 2 on this list.
Pros
- Low NHL Betting Margins: 5.2%
- Good NHL Promotions
- Same-Game Parlay Tool
Cons
- NHL Coverage: 30 markets
- No NHL Live Streaming
#4 Best NHL Betting Site: LeoVegas
LeoVegas might sound like an outsider on this list and that is partly true. The site has never really made a name for itself with sports betting, more so pushing their casino product, but the sportsbook is actually very good. This is due to the fact that the well-known provider Kambi is behind it, ensuring good NHL coverage with all the markets you could ask for.
In our test, we found that LeoVegas was behind bet365 with 70-80 markets offered before every game. All of the popular ones are still present, though, such as player point, period markets and a lot more. There is also a same-game parlay tool on the site, which is a big plus even if the offering could be better (markets-wise) for this feature.
The betting margins were good, with an average of 5.2% in our test, and this means bettors don't have to worry about excessive fees. Unfortunately, we could not find any promotions for NHL other than a general acca profit boost. This is something that must be improved in order to attract more NHL bettors, that is for sure.
There is also no live streaming of the action, which is not ideal since the live interface leaves a bit to be desired. LeoVegas will certainly suffice for most NHL bettors but it makes sense to pick one of the betting sites with promotions instead.
Pros
- Good NHL Coverage: 70-80 markets
- Low NHL Betting Margins: 5.2%
- Same-Game Parlay Tool
Cons
- No NHL Promotions
- No NHL Live Streaming
#5 Best NHL Betting Site: Parimatch
Last on the list, we find Parimatch. The site is generally a very strong bookie and it was named one of the best for soccer betting by us. There are a few reasons for its position on this list, though, but let's focus on the positives first. An impressive 120-150 markets are offered for each game, thus in line with bet365 and this should not be underestimated.
During our test of the site, we also found that the betting margins were 5.3% which is a nice low score. So why fifth place on this list? Well, while the market depth is very good, there is no same-game parlay tool on the site. This is perhaps not a big con for the time being, but same-game parlays are bound to get bigger and bigger.
Furthermore, there are no promotions for NHL and this is a big disadvantage especially since a few others on this list offer such good ones. To top things off, no live streaming is offered of the action and these factors combined justify the position here. There is room for improvement, in other words, even if the bookie is a very solid choice still thanks to the market depth.
Pros
- Great NHL Coverage: 120-150 markets
- Low NHL Betting Margins: 5.3%
Cons
- No NHL Promotions
- No NHL Live Streaming
- No Same-Game Parlay Tool
How We Ranked the Best NHL Hockey Betting Sites
It goes without saying that a lot of work went into our top 5 list of the best NHL betting sites in Canada. Focusing on the factors that truly matter, we were able to narrow down the list significantly and then tested the qualifying sites ourselves. We have already touched on most of the key factors in the list above, but below we will delve a bit deeper into why these matter.
If you are interested, you can also take a look at our page for how we rank betting sites in Canada, which will help explain our motivations for the Esports rankings as well.
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NHL Coverage and Markets
The most important factor when betting on the NHL, in our opinion, is the coverage and the depth of markets. Having more options is always better for the bettors and there is nothing more frustrating than coming up with a bet that you cannot place. Therefore, we made sure to highlight the number of markets offered in our breakdown of each site.
In addition to this, we also looked at whether there was a same-game parlay tool on the site and how many markets were offered on this front. Bet365, for example, offers around 150 markets for each game and also has a same-game parlay tool which has more or less all of these markets, which makes for endless possibilities.
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NHL Odds and Betting Margins
Another important thing to look at when betting on the NHL is the odds. Those of you who have placed bets before will know that the odds differ from betting site to betting site and keeping tabs on things can thus result in more money. Most of the sites are pretty well-aligned for the odds these days, though, so the best metric to use is betting margins.
Essentially, this is the fee that a bookmaker charges you for placing the bet and this affects how much winnings you take home. We made sure to test the betting margins for each site and also highlighted the figures. If you tend to place bets with relatively low odds, perhaps with high stakes, choosing a site with low margins is certainly beneficial.
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NHL Promotions
Promotions are key when betting on any sports and the NHL is no exception. While many bettors try to find the best welcome offers around, it is also important to look at the promotions offered by each site and this ultimately will keep you satisfied as a customer. When testing the best NHL betting sites, therefore, we assessed the promotions offered.
Using bet365 as an example yet again, it is clear that the bookie is pretty far ahead of the competition on the promotions front. The fact that backed selections are marked as winners if the team goes three goals up is a very nice feature. Having a parlay boost is not too shabby either, so bettors should definitely look out for this.
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NHL Live Betting
Finally, live betting is an important piece of the puzzle as placing bets during the NHL games can result in good winnings. It is important for bookies to have a nice interface for live betting, in other words, while a feature such as live streaming makes this even better. For each site on our top 5 list, we made sure to highlight the situation on this front.
NHL Betting Lines Explained
Within each betting market, there are several different betting types, or lines, that you can choose to wager on. These include:
- Moneyline: This is the most common wager when betting on NHL games. Bettors simply predict who they think will win the game. Keep in mind, betting on the underdog may result in a higher payout.
- Point spreads: This is known as the puck line in hockey betting. With a puck line bet, a wager is placed on either the favourite or the underdog to win or lose by a certain point spread. Most commonly, you will see -1.5 goals for the favourite and +1.5 for the underdog. If you bet on the favourite team, they will have to win by two goals for you to be successful. If you wager on the underdog, they can win or lose but only by a single goal.
- Game totals: Also known as an over/under bet, this type of bet involves wagering on the total score of the game. Bettors must predict whether the total score of the game will be over or under a number that has been set by the sportsbook.
Tips and Strategy for Betting on the NHL
If you’re looking for a strategy to base your NHL wagers on, here are some tips to keep in mind:
- Goaltender stats: Know which goaltenders are highest ranked, as a goaltender can play a crucial role in the outcome of a game. Be sure to factor a goalie’s recent performance into your betting strategy as well.
- Team schedules: Becoming familiar with a team’s schedule can be very beneficial. For example, knowing when a team is on a long road trip, and therefore tired or overworked, can help you make more grounded decisions when placing wagers.
- Betting on the underdog: Unlike other major sports in North America, the best and worst NHL teams generally have a very small difference in success rates. In fact, even the worst NHL teams still win approximately 35% of their games. For bettors, this means that there is a lot of value in betting on the underdog.
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Thomas is responsible for all content on BettingGuide Canada. With his extensive knowledge of the gambling industry and college degree in law, he knows what you should look out for when choosing the best casino or sportsbook.