The NHL season is now more than half over, and it’s time for everyone to sit back and enjoy the last stretch of warm weather. The puck has now officially left the ice, which means it’s time to put the skates, the pads, and the helmet back on. The only things missing are the gloves and the face mask.
NHL betting is a HUGE industry, with people placing wagers on every game. It’s almost like an unofficial national pastime, alongside football and baseball betting. Let’s take a quick look at what “puck line” means in NHL betting.
What Is A Puck Line?
A PUCK LINE is an acronym for the phrase “points-equalisation-chance-lines”, or “wherever the puck is at, that’s where the game is”. Put simply, it’s a line of betting on an NHL game where you try to predict the final score of the game. You win or lose based on how well you do in comparison to the “puck line”.
The way the puck line works is simple. You take the total number of points that will be scored in the game, and divide it by three. This will give you a whole number that you can use to find the “odds” (i.e., the implied probability of winning) for that game. For example, if you believe that the total number of points will be 65, then you would divide 65 by three to get the “odds” of winning, which works out to 4.7. This means that if you were to place a wager on a hockey game with the implied probability of winning equal to or greater than four and a half, then you would place a winning bet.
Why Use The Puck Line?
The main advantage of using the puck line is that it takes the variables (i.e., luck) out of the equation. The problem with most types of betting is that they don’t take the variables (i.e., luck) out of the equation. For example, let’s say you believe that the total number of points for a given game will be 70. This means that you are likely to win whatever bet you place because there are so many variables that could go in your favor. But if you are actually wrong and the total number of points is 65, then you have lost whatever bet you placed because you didn’t take the variables (i.e., luck) out of the equation. Using the puck line, you would have taken the variable (i.e., luck) out of the equation by basing your bet on the number of points that will be scored in the game.
This makes it much easier for you to place a successful wager. You don’t need to concern yourself with the variables, because when the puck drops the excitement will be all the greater. And what’s more, you will be able to enjoy the game as it should be enjoyed, without all of the distraction of the outside variables (i.e., luck).
How Do You Calculate The Puck Line?
To figure out the point total for a given game, you add up all of the goals that will be scored and multiply it by two. Then, you add up all of the assists (i.e., passing chances) and multiply that by one. Last, you add up all of the goals scored by the goalie regardless of whether or not he was “on-ice” at the time of the goal (i.e., the “even-strength” statistic) and multiply that by one. This gives you the total number of points for that game. For example, Vancouver scoring two goals and adding an assist would net them six points, and having no assists or goals would net them zero points.
Once you have the number of points for a given game, you can use simple division to figure out the “odds” of winning. As mentioned above, you take the total number of points for that game and divide it by three to get the “odds” of winning. For example, if you believe that the total number of points will be 70, then you would divide 70 by three to get the “odds” of winning, which works out to 4.7. This means that if you were to place a wager on a hockey game with the implied probability of winning equal to or greater than four and a half, then you would place a winning bet.
More About Puck Lines
One of the main reasons why the puck line is so widely used is because it makes things so much easier for bettors. The problem with most types of betting, is that it’s not as easy to figure out as it could be. For example, let’s say that you want to place a wager on the Boston Bruins to win the Stanley Cup. To figure out the odds of the Boston Bruins winning the Stanley Cup, you could look at their previous results or compare them to the rest of the NHL. Doing this by hand is very difficult, because there are so many variables that could affect the outcome of the game. However, with the puck line it’s just a matter of dividing the number of points by three to get the “odds” of winning. This is very easy to do, and it makes calculating the results of any given game much simpler.
Another reason why the puck line is so widely used is that it takes the excitement out of the equation. Every time the puck drops during an NHL game, the excitement builds as people try to figure out how the game will end. However, the problem with most types of betting is that they don’t take the excitement out of the equation. For example, let’s say that you want to make some money off of a certain upcoming NBA game. If you go to a bookmaker and put in a wager with the standard line, they are going to ask you how much you are willing to risk. The worst that can happen is that you lose your money, but the excitement of seeing how the game turns out is still there. This is a problem, because as much as you might want to experience the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat, sometimes it’s better to avoid things like that and keep things simple.
To conclude, using the puck line takes the uncertainty out of the equation, which makes it easier to place a successful wager. This also makes it much more interesting, because when the puck drops the excitement is going to be at its peak. What’s more, it means that you will be able to enjoy the game without all of the distractions of the outside variables (i.e., luck). Simply put, it’s the best of both worlds, and it’s what sports bettors prefer when it comes to placing wagers.