NHL Betting Odds

Hockey is not only a fantastic spectator sport; it’s also great for sports betting. Beginning on opening night and extending all the way to the Stanley Cup, NHL fans in Tennessee who want to bet on hockey have a lot of options.  Hockey bet types include moneylines, puck lines, totals, props, futures, and in-game live betting.

Tennessee sports betting apps provide all these options and more. Plus, with the recent successes of Tennessee’s Nashville Predators, fans in the state have never been more excited about hockey than they are today.  Here’s everything you need to know about betting on the NHL in Tennessee, including how to bet on hockey and live NHL odds from Tennessee online sportsbooks.

NHL 2022-23 odds and lines

Every season, TN online sportsbooks offer both live NHL game lines and NHL futures odds. These odds let you bet before and during the season on individual games, teams and players.  See below for the best current NHL game odds and futures odds on the next Stanley Cup winner. Click on any odds to go directly to the online sportsbook, claim your bonuses and lock in your NHL bets.

Is it legal to bet on the NHL in Tennessee?

Yes, sports betting became legal in Tennessee in 2019. Interestingly, TN was the first state to legalize online-only sports betting because there aren’t any retail casinos in the state. TN also requires operators that offer sports betting to use official league data, with the Tennessee Lottery overseeing sports betting.

That means you can bet on the NHL online, either via a Tennessee sports betting app on a mobile device or using a web browser on a laptop or desktop computer.

The law allows NHL bettors in Tennessee to make standard pregame bets such as on the moneyline, on the puck line, over/unders, and the like. Prop bets, such as on individual player performances, are not permitted on college sports, but you can place them on professional sports like the NHL.

In-game live betting allows those watching the games to bet on the action as it unfolds in real-time.

How to bet on NHL games online in Tennessee

It is a simple process to sign up for an account at a legal online sportsbook to bet on NHL games in Tennessee.

For those using a web browser, find the online sportsbook’s website and follow the instructions. Those on Apple mobile devices can download the iOS app from the Apple App Store, while Android users can find the app from the sportsbooks’ websites.

TN law requires those who bet on sports to be at least 21 years of age and physically present within the state (as determined by geolocation technology).  Registering for an account involves providing certain personal information, including:

• Name
• Age
• Physical address
• Email address
• Phone number
• Partial Social Security number

There are various methods for depositing funds to sports betting accounts, such as by e-check/ACH, credit and debit cards, prepaid cards, PayPal, and Skrill. Banking with sports betting sites also requires providing some personal information.

Such measures ensure sportsbooks that you are who you say you are. These requirements also assure you that your funds and activities on the sites are safe and secure. Thus, legal, regulated online sportsbooks are preferable to offshore betting sites where users don’t enjoy these protections.

The following regulated online sportsbooks are popular in other states and are live in Tennessee.

DraftKings

A top name in daily fantasy sports (DFS), DraftKings is also a major player as a sportsbook.  The fast, smooth interface has made DraftKings a favorite sportsbook for many. Different promotions like profit boosts, “double winnings” opt-ins, and insurance add to the experience.

FanDuel

Like its DFS rival, FanDuel Sportsbook is a popular choice in multiple states. The sportsbook provides a user-friendly experience with a huge range of wagering options, whether using the web-based version or mobile app.

BetMGM

The BetMGM online sportsbook has been a big hit where available with an intuitive, no-nonsense interface that allows users to find a wide variety of sports and different options for betting. BetMGM customers should keep an eye out for frequent promotions and bonuses.

While every online sportsbook has its pros and cons, of these three:

• DraftKings has a great reputation for delivering several props and futures.
• FanDuel has often shown to have competitive pricing.
• BetMGM has an impressive variety of props, parlays, and alternative lines.

NHL Bet Types

There are several ways to bet on the NHL. Here are some of the most popular ways to bet on hockey:

• Moneyline: Betting on a team to win outright according to the odds posted by the TN sportsbook at the time you make your bet.
• Puck Line: The equivalent of point spreads in other sports, betting the puck line means picking a favorite or underdog and factoring in the score when you bet.
• Totals: Also called over/unders, this is a bet on whether or not the total goals scored will be higher or lower than a line set by the sportsbook.
• Parlays: A parlay bet is when you combine two or more bets into one, with the odds adjusted accordingly.
• Futures: A bet on an NHL team to win the division, conference, or Stanley Cup, or on the number of games a team will win during the regular season.
• Props: Like a “side bet” on various results occurring with an NHL game, such as on whether or not a player will score a goal or how many saves a goalie will make.
• Live In-Game or In-Play: A bet made during an NHL game that is in progress. The odds for which adjust as the game is happening in real-time.

NHL Bets, odds, and payouts 

One of the simplest kinds of NHL bets is a moneyline bet. It is a straight-up wager on a team winning a game.

These bets pay out according to the predicted chance a team will win, which means betting on the favorite will pay less while betting on an underdog will pay more. Usually, correctly betting on the favorite will win you less than twice what you wager, while correctly betting on an underdog will win you more than twice your bet.

Moneyline odds are typically expressed as a number with a plus or minus sign in front (known as American odds). When the number is negative, that means the team is the favorite. The number represents how much you would have to bet to win $100. For example, if the Nashville Predators are a -175 favorite, you’d have to bet $175 to win $100.

When the number is positive, that means the team is the underdog, and the number represents how much you would win if you bet $100. For example, if the Predators were a +185 underdog, you bet $100, and they won, you’d win $185.

There are also two-way and three-way moneyline bets. With a two-way moneyline bet, you can bet on the visiting team or the home team, and if the game ends in a tie, the wager results in a “push,” meaning you get your money back. 

With a three-way moneyline bet, you can bet on the visiting team, the home team, or that the game will end in a tie. If you bet on one team to win and it ends in a draw, you lose your bet.

Betting the puck line

A puck line bet in hockey is like betting on point spreads in other sports. The puck line is most often set at either -1.5 goals for the favorite or +1.5 goals for the underdog. That means if you’re betting the favorite, your team must win by two goals or more for you to win your bet. If you’re betting the underdog, your team only has to avoid losing by more than one goal for you to win. 

You’ll usually see these lines expressed like this:

• Nashville Predators -1.5 (-165)
• Colorado Avalanche +1.5 (+220)

Notice how the odds are again expressed like they are with moneyline bets.

Betting on the number of goals scores

Over/under bets or betting on totals means betting on how many goals will be scored in an NHL game. Usually, these lines are set at around five or six goals. 

Again, the sportsbooks adjust the payouts according to the likelihood of outcomes. For example:

• Nashville Predators vs. Winnipeg Jets: O +5.5 (-110), U -5.5 (-110)

Betting on two or more games

A parlay bet involves placing a single bet on two or more outcomes. 

For example, you might combine betting on the Predators’ moneyline, an over/under bet, and a bet on a different game altogether. However, to win your bet, you have to pick all three of the outcomes successfully.

Thus parlay bets are always underdog bets and pay more than double your money (sometimes a lot more). A typical two-bet parlay might pay around +260 (you win $260 for a $100 bet), while a three-bet parlay could pay +608 (you win $608 for a $100 bet).

NHL futures and prop betting

Futures and prop bets can be an exciting way to introduce some variety when making NHL bets. Here are a few more examples:

• Win Totals: With these, you bet on a line on how many wins a team will get in the regular season.
• Divisional or Conference Winners: Here, you pick a team to win the division or conference.
• NHL Stanley Cup Winners: A popular futures bet is picking the next NHL champ.
• NHL Winter Classic: Making advance bets on the NHL’s once-a-year outdoor game played New Year’s Day on neutral ice. In 2020, Nashville lost to the Dallas Stars 4-2 in the Winter Classic.
• NHL Draft: Betting on who will get picked by which teams and in what positions in the annual draft.

How do futures and prop bets work in hockey?

NHL futures bets often involve wagering on a team’s performance in a given season (rather than in a single game). 

Again, the odds for these bets are expressed similarly to the example above. For example, late in an NHL regular season, you could bet on the Nashville Predators to win the Stanley Cup at +3500 at your favorite TN sportsbook. This would mean that the Preds are an underdog, only just barely on pace to make the playoffs.

NHL prop bets can cover a wide range of bets, including individual props and team props. An individual prop could involve how a player does in a particular game (e.g., goals scored) or how a player will do it over an entire season (e.g., win the scoring title, win MVP). Examples of team props can include picking which team will score the first goal, which will win the first face-off and the like. For more examples of both futures and prop bets, see below.

How live betting works in hockey

Live NHL betting can be fun and add excitement when watching a game.

Some standard examples of in-game betting include bets made during the first and second intermissions on the moneyline, the puck line, or the total goals for one or both teams. As you may guess, those odds all change from the start of the game. 

For instance, the Nashville Predators might be a -220 moneyline favorite when the puck drops, but if they are down 1-0 after one period, they might only be a -120 favorite. Then if they’re down 3-1 after two periods, they could be a +220 underdog.

If a game goes to overtime, there’s also an opportunity to bet on a winner before OT begins.

Other types of in-play NHL bets include betting on which team scores the next goal, betting on which team “wins” the rest of a period (or the rest of the game) from the moment the bet is made and betting on whether the goals scored in the next period will add up to an odd or even number.

In Tennessee, online betting apps are required to use official league data for settling in-game wagers.

NHL betting strategies

Start with the basics: Moneylines, puck lines, totals

New NHL bettors, in particular, are probably better off sticking with traditional pregame bets on the moneylines, the puck lines, and totals. More exotic bets such as props, parlays, and in-game bets seem more exciting and offer bigger payouts. Still, they are also often harder to research because they involve more variables to consider.

Serious sports bettors will discover there is an advantage to be had in venturing beyond these traditional types of bets. Sometimes these bets can be complicated since the oddsmakers are quite good at setting lines.

Even so, betting moneylines and puck lines are especially a relatively low-variance way of sports betting, which can be preferable to those looking to limit their risk.

How to find value in NHL betting

By spending some time researching teams, players, and match-ups can go a long way toward giving you an edge when betting on the NHL. 

One significant factor to consider when betting moneylines, puck lines, or over/unders is to consider the starting goalies for each team. 

Note the goaltenders’ overall statistics as well as how they have fared against the opponent they are facing. Pay attention to the team’s schedule and whether or not they are playing a “back-to-back” after having had a game the night before. Also note how sometimes on a back-to-back, a team will start their second-string goalie, which could give the other side an advantage.

Meanwhile, even though season-long stats are often useful, look at the recent performance, as hockey is a sport where teams can often go on streaks of winning and losing. Also, be aware of any significant injuries. Missing a key player can often affect the chemistry of the different lines a team runs out each night.

Those who bet on other sports but are less familiar with betting on the NHL also need to be aware that home-ice advantage isn’t always as great in hockey as in other sports. The Nashville Preds have won more than 60% of its home games throughout the team’s history, and Bridgestone Arena has a reputation as a tough place for visiting teams. 

That’s above the league average, though, which is only around 55% for home teams to win. In particular, the NHL playoffs have often shown visiting teams do better than what happens in the NBA, NFL, or MLB, including years when the home teams have a losing percentage.

Keep track of your bets

There are multiple reasons why it is smart to keep accurate records of your sports bets. One is simply to help you see at a glance what kinds of bets are the most successful ones for you.

You may do consistently well if you bet on totals and often lose betting the puck line, but if you aren’t keeping track, you might not even realize where you’re winning and where you’re losing.

Keeping good records also helps with bankroll management, which is important no matter what type of betting you are doing. 

These guidelines can be useful as well when it comes to avoiding issues with problem gambling. After all, if you aren’t keeping track of how much you are betting, you can’t know if you are betting more than you should.

Tennessee’s Nashville Predators

The Nashville Predators are TN’s only NHL franchise and one of two major professional sports franchises in the state along with the Tennessee Titans of the NFL, also based in the state capital of Nashville.

The Predators joined the NHL for the 1998-99 season. Playing in the Western Conference’s Central Division, the team missed the playoffs during its first five seasons, but made it in 2003-04, losing a tough six-game series to the top-seeded Detroit Red Wings in the first round.

Following the 2004-05 lockout season, the Predators made the playoffs six of the next seven seasons, making it to the second round on a couple of occasions.

Starting in 2014-15, the team began another run of playoff appearances. In 2016-17, they made it to the Stanley Cup Finals after beating the Anaheim Ducks 4-2 in the Western Conference finals. Nashville ended up losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the finals, 4-2.

Then in 2017-18, the team posted the best record in the Western Conference for the first time in team history before falling short again in the playoffs with a second-round loss.

Over the years, Nashville has sent a number of players to the NHL All-Star Game, including five-time selection Shea Weber (2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, and 2016). Other Preds who have made the All-Star Game multiple times include Pekka Rinne, Kimmo Timonen, and Roman Josi.

In 2016, the franchise hosted its first NHL All-Star Game at the Bridgestone Arena (formerly known as the Gaylord Entertainment Center). It has been the home ice for Nashville ever since their inaugural season. Known as the loudest arena in NHL, seating capacity for hockey at Bridgestone Arena is 17,159.

• Bridgestone Arena
• 501 Broadway
• Nashville, TN 37203
• Phone: 615-770-2000