How to Use Our NHL Odds, Picks & Betting Tools

The NHL schedule runs almost every night from October through the Stanley Cup Final, which means there are dozens of hockey betting opportunities to sort through. This page is designed to keep everything in one place: today’s best bets, matchup previews, public betting splits, futures markets and core education for newer bettors.

Start with Today’s NHL Picks & Matchup Previews

Each day we highlight our latest NHL picks and predictions – including sides, totals and occasionally player props. In the game previews you’ll find key stats like expected goals, recent form, special teams performance and goaltending notes, all of which matter when you’re pricing a hockey matchup.

Use those write-ups as a starting point, then compare our analysis to the live numbers at your sportsbook and the public betting data on this site before you lock anything in.

Read the Market with NHL Public Betting Percentages

Our NHL public betting chart shows the percentage of tickets on each side of the moneyline, puck line and total for that day’s games. That data is useful in a few ways:

• Identify “crowded” favorites: When a favorite is pulling 70–80% of tickets and the price has climbed, you may be paying a premium just to bet with the crowd.
• Spot contrarian angles: When a side is getting fewer tickets but the line is moving in its favor, that often signals sharper opinion backing the less popular team.
• Pair tickets with line movement: Always compare the public splits to how the moneyline and puck line have moved over the day. Movement against the majority is especially interesting in hockey markets.

For a deeper breakdown of how to use this data, see our NHL betting strategies guide, which walks through examples of line moves, goaltending news and situational spots.

Understand NHL Moneyline, Puck Line & Totals

Hockey markets move differently from football or basketball. The moneyline is still the most popular way to bet a side, but the puck line (usually ±1.5 goals) and totals behave differently around key numbers and goaltending changes.

If you’re new to hockey betting, start with:

• How to Bet on NHL – basic odds, bet types and timing.
• NHL Bet Types Explained – moneyline, puck line, totals, period bets & more.
• NHL Betting Strategies – pace, goaltenders, special teams and schedule spots.

Build Smarter Props & Parlays

Props and parlays remain popular with NHL bettors thanks to shots on goal markets, power-play scorers and same-game parlays. To keep the entertainment factor high without taking on unnecessary risk:

• Use our parlay calculator to understand true payouts and implied odds.
• Limit long-shot parlays to a small percentage of your bankroll.
• Anchor props to consistent roles – first-line forwards, top-pair defensemen and top power-play units.

Go Beyond Tonight: NHL Futures & Long-Term Positions

Not every hockey bet has to settle tonight. Our NHL futures odds page tracks prices for Stanley Cup futures, conference odds, division winners and player awards. Futures can be useful if you:

• Have a long-term view on a team’s underlying numbers that hasn’t hit the standings yet.
• Want portfolio exposure to elite teams without betting every game on the nightly schedule.
• Plan to hedge or trade out of positions later in the season as prices move.

Before you add futures, make sure you understand how hold, schedule and playoff format affect pricing. Our general sports betting guides include resources on futures, bankroll management and hedging basics.

Where to Go Next for NHL Betting on TheSpread

Bookmark this NHL hub and use it as your nightly starting point. From here you can:

• Read the latest NHL top stories, betting news and picks.
• Check real-time ticket splits on the NHL public betting chart.
• Study long-term prices on the NHL futures odds board.
• Level up your hockey handicapping inside our sports betting guides library.