NHL Betting With Bitcoin
The National Hockey League (NHL) is the most famous hockey league in the world. The league consists of 31 teams, with 24 stemming from the US and another seven coming from Canada – a nation that enjoys a strong affiliation with the sport.
Back in 1917, the NHL was conceived with just four teams – all of them Canadian. Over the years it has grown into a popular sport worldwide, and even those who are not familiar with it are likely to have seen clips of the heavy-handed game being played on a perfectly smooth ice rink.
In recent years, TV viewing figures have shown a determined rise in the number of NHL fans – not least in the Stanley Cup Finals. But more about that later. Simultaneously, emerging cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin (BTC) have made their way into mainstream culture. This has led to an increase in the number of sportsbooks which accept BTC, resulting in the perfect marriage of the NHL and crypto to fans’ delight.
Being a fan is one thing, but backing the right teams is another. Luckily, we’ve put together a fool-proof guide to betting on the NHL using Bitcoin. We show you what to bet on, when to bet, and how to sign up to a Bitcoin bookie, right here.
If you fancy skipping a few steps and placing a BTC bet on a game of hockey right now, go ahead and try one of our recommended crypto sportsbooks.
How to Bet on NHL With Bitcoin
If you feel like delving into the world of NHL, one way to get the action going is by placing a bet with Bitcoin (BTC). This will require a few preliminary steps if it’s your first time dabbling in crypto.
To kick things off, you will need to sign up to a cryptocurrency exchange. You’ll have to make a deposit using a credit or debit card, and these funds can then be exchanged fairly easily for BTC. You can also swap it for other mainstream cryptocurrencies such as Ether (ETH), Litecoin (LTC) and Bitcoin Cash (BCH) at most crypto exchanges. If you need any help, just take a look at our step-by-step guide to buying Bitcoin.
Once you’ve done all that, you can start looking for a sportsbook to place your bets. Before you sign up, the first thing you need to do is make sure they accept BTC for deposits and withdrawals. This used to be tricky, but now there are hundreds of casinos and sportsbooks which happily accept it. In fact, some only accept crypto.
Some people make the mistake of signing up to the first Bitcoin sportsbook they come across. But this can prove to be a costly mistake. Just like you would do with normal currency, when looking for a place to bet with BTC you should shop around for a sportsbook that suits you. As a hockey fan, you’ll want to make sure they have a healthy spread of NHL bets. Next, you should think about what’s important to you in a sportsbook.
Bitcoin bonuses and promos can be particularly lucrative. Because the value of the coin can rocket in just a few days, sportsbooks sometimes struggle to keep up. For instance, a special offer that was meant to equate to $100 can quickly become $150, $200, or more.
Security is important at all sportsbooks, but it’s particularly relevant when betting with BTC. This is because any scam artists out there with a fake BTC betting site will find it quite easy to move the funds away anonymously.
Luckily, we’ve already taken the time to test and review a number of BTC sportsbooks for you. If you want to see our favourites, just check out our top 5 BTC betting sites below.
Top 5 Bitcoin Sportsbooks for NHL Betting
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Biggest Events in NHL
The National Hockey League itself is the most widely watched hockey league in the world, and the highest level of the sport that all would-be athletes aspire to. But what could be considered the most popular events in the NHL?
Without a doubt, the Stanley Cup Finals (sometimes called the Stanley Cup Final) are the crowning achievement in the NHL. First awarded in 1893, the Stanley Cup is the oldest professional sports trophy in the US. This lends it a great deal of prestige, and helps explain the excitement that surrounds the finals each year.
For all you basketball fans, the format of the Stanley Cup will be quite familiar. A best-of-seven series between the champions of the Eastern and Western Conferences culminates in a final between just two teams, with one emerging victorious. Plenty of people tune in to watch, as well. Last year, NBC and NBCSN averaged between three million and seven million viewers over the six-game finals. In 2007 game two of the finals peaked at just 450,000 viewers, so it’s clear to see that the NHL is growing in popularity rapidly.
The U.S. loves a big, flashy sporting event, so it’s no surprise the NHL has carved out a spectacular weekend each year that unites fans of all different teams. The NHL All-Star Weekend is a collection of events, games and exhibitions building up to a three-game series of three-on-three matches.
Players consist of some of the finest athletes in the league, playing with one another rather than in their usual teams. If a game remains tied after its 20-minute duration it goes straight to a shootout with no overtime. All action, all great fun, and all in the name of charity. Well, nearly anyway – funds go towards the players’ pension funds. It’s not quite the NFL, after all!
Most Popular Bets on NHL
The NHL is fast-paced and full of action, which means there are plenty of ways to place a bet on the action if you have a few spare Bitcoin. Here are a few of the most popular bets that fans around the world tend to place.
- Money line. Yes, it’s an old favourite in many sports, but the money line is certainly one of the more frequent bets placed on the ice. This bet is about as straightforward as they come; bet on the team you think will win and if they win, you win! Of course, few matches are 50/50, and the odds will reflect this. It can therefore be tempting to bet on the underdog in order to access more alluring odds. But in many cases, backing the favourite for a smaller win may prove the smart move.
- Puck line. If the money line bet isn’t appealing enough, and you’re pretty sure you know it’ll be a close game or a hiding, the puck line bet may be the way for you. With the puck bet you still bet on the team you think will win or lose, but they will have to do so with a margin of 1.5 goals or more either way. So, if you anticipate Team A giving Team B a real beating, you can get better odds betting on the buck line than the money line.
- Over/under. Another big bet in the world of the NHL, the under/over market allows you to take a punt on the total number of goals in the game. This means that you only have to guess how many goals will be scored, and not necessarily which team will score them. This bet can be the perfect recipe for two leaky defences or two sides who are inept in attack.
Did You Know?
- Before the puck was invented, hockey was played with a rather interesting choice of item instead…frozen cow poo!
- Not all mascots are people in funny suits…the Pittsburgh Penguins once used a live penguin instead!
- If both goalies get injured, the rules get a bit crazy…anyone can fill the position – including a lucky fan, if chosen!
NHL Betting Strategy
So, we’ve gone through some of the most popular bets on the NHL, but how can you use this knowledge to your advantage? Hockey can be a crazy sport, but that doesn’t mean you have to be goofy when it comes to betting. Place your BTC on the smart option by following our NHL betting strategies.
If a team is in top form, don’t be afraid to double down with a money line bet and a puck line bet. If you think a team is going to win by some margin, it can be tempting to stick all your BTC on the puck bet. But splitting your bet between both that and the money line can help leverage your risk. If the team win without beating the puck line, you can cover yourself to break even or maybe turn a small profit. If they do go on to win big you’ll still win a substantial amount, albeit less than you would if you put it all on the puck line. But over the long term this is a lower risk strategy that should pay dividends.
Similarly, you may want to bet big on puck lines with short odds if you believe it will be a fairly even contest. Even when getting less than even odds, if can often be profitable to bet big in this scenario – just make sure you do your research beforehand.
Got a calendar and a big red maker? Make use of them to plot out the season and it could reap some serious rewards. Keeping tabs of when teams are playing home and away – and how far they have to travel – can help you make an educated guess on which teams might be liable to a poor patch. Similarly, teams that have to play multiple games in a short space of time are likely to suffer from fatigue. This is well worth taking into consideration when planning out your BTC NHL bets.
In many sports the forward lien run the roost and take all the plaudits, but many consider the goalie the most important player on the rink. Not only that, but goalies are often rotated during a hectic schedule. This is the polar opposite of soccer in the Premier League, for example, where goalkeepers tend to retain their position throughout the season. If it looks like the goalie might be switched up, take this into account when placing a bet. Make sure you check the NHL news for the likely line-ups on the morning of the game before placing any bet.
Verdict
The NHL is not without its critics. It’s not hard to understand why, considering the unconquerable popularity of other U.S. sports like the NFL, and the fact that players frequently burst into explosive acts of violence on one another. But it’s also true that hockey is a great American (and Canadian) pastime. The history etched into the Stanley Cup is evidence of this.
Whether you’re a huge hockey fan or just looking to get into the sport, placing a bet using BTC is a great way to get involved. And here’s why:
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- Take advantage of a new and increasing hockey fan base for the best odds
- Bet quickly and securely using Bitcoin (BTC)
- Study the schedules to give yourself an edge
- Follow our strategy and play the puck line for maximum profits
