The National Hockey League (NHL) is the professional hockey league of the United States and Canada. The arenas for the various NHL teams pack it in when teams come together for sixty minutes of action on the ice of a hockey rink. Whether enjoying the sport of hockey in person or from home, NHL fans can up the ante a bit and bet on the hockey games. When betting on hockey, a hockey bettor wagers on the outcome of the underlying game. The final score determines whether you are a winner or a loser of the bet.

Before wagering on an NHL hockey game, a hockey bettor must first establish a sports betting online account at an Internet sports betting site that accepts NHL wagers. Most Internet sports books take action on NHL games, so you can choose the most reliable sports betting site that you feel comfortable betting at. After selecting an Internet hockey betting site, you must set up a betting account with the sports book. After providing the necessary details to open the account, one wishing to bet on hockey must fund the account, so that they can begin betting on hockey games. Most sports books on the Internet accept a variety of credit or debit cards to fund the betting account. Additionally, bettors can often transfer money over the wire from their bank accounts or by using a service like Western Union. Alternatively, a hockey bettor may utilize an e-wallet account such as NETeller to fund their betting account. These means of deposit may also be utilized in cashing out winnings.

Once a betting account is set up and funded, the hockey fan may then choose the game they want to bet on. The betting line for a hockey game will look like the following sample hockey betting line:

Boston Bruins +145

Pittsburgh Penguins -165

In this sample hockey line from Players Only Sportsbook, the Pens are listed at -165. This means that a bet on the Pens in this hockey game would return $100 for every $165 wagered. A negative number in a hockey money line reflects the amount of money it takes to win $100. Obviously, this would mean that Pittsburgh is the favored team. The Bruins are listed as a plus 145 in this hockey line. The positive 145 reflects the amount of money that can be won for every $100 wagered. In hockey betting, a positive money line tells how much will be won per $100 wagered.