Hockey is one of the most popular sports in the world, having almost 2 billion fans the world over. The game evolved from stick and ball children’s games played in the United Kingdom in the 18th century. While the game of hockey has had multiple precursors with similar rules and playstyles, the game itself was officially created in the early 1910s in Montreal. Ever since, it has remained as Canada’s national sport (along with lacrosse).
Hockey is Canada’s most popular sport, with a huge chunk of the Canadian population having played hockey at some point in their life. Most children in Canada play hockey as a game and as a sport, and over 80 per cent of the Canadian adult population tunes in to watch Hockey every week. Hockey is also massively popular in countries like the United States (where it is the fourth major league sport), Russia, Sweden, Finland, and the Czech Republic. These five countries, along with Canada are known as the Big Six of hockey.
Hockey is also one of the most popular betting sport, especially in Northern America. In Canada, it is by far, the uncontested, most popular betting sport, and betting sites report that Canadian users are far more likely to use their services during hockey season, than any other sport season. A lot of these websites feature a coverage of numerous sports, including football, basketball, American football, and of course, hockey. Many of them also feature a number of popular and beloved casino games, for which you can get a bonus code like the bet365 free bets bonus code.
Online betting is a rather new phenomenon, however, it is becoming more and more popular in the mainstream. A large number of hockey fans are flocking to newly opened online betting sites. In an attempt to help the numerous fans of the sport who have come to these websites, we have written this article, to help new punters navigate their way through the world of hockey betting.
Look at Multiple Sites Before Choosing
Do some research before committing to the betting website. There are so many betting sites that offer a great variety of services and advantages, that sticking to the first one you find would be a waste. Look through the numerous betting sites that the internet has to offer, try some out, look at the tips they provide and the bonuses they offer. Once you’ve explored a good number of websites, then pick out your favorite and you are ready to start your online betting journey.
To help you out in your search, there are numerous aggregator websites which collect the best of the best online betting sites, and some that even rank these sites. Check some of these out as a first step on your journey.
Look at the Favorites First
Before starting to bet, take a look at the statistics of each of the teams and players competing. This will help you get a better understanding of the game, of betting, and of betting on the game. The two teams will likely be separated into the Favorite (the one likely to win) and the Underdog (the one less likely to win). Betting on the favorite is often the safer option, however, betting on the Underdog will result into a larger sum of money won, if the Underdog wins.
Of course, there are numerous different types of bets when it comes to hockey. Let us take a look at some different types of betting.
Bet on the Winner
The most basic form of betting is just simply to bet on the winning team. This type of bet is called a Money Line Bet, and is the simplest and most popular form of betting. This is where the Underdog vs. Favorite distinction is the most important, as betting on the Favorite team is often time a much more secure bet. However, as we said before, if a bet is placed on the Underdog, and the Underdog wins, a much higher sum will be awarded to the bettor. This is, of course, a high-risk maneuver, as the Underdog losing will result in the bettor losing a larger sum of money.
Betting on Players
Another form of betting involves placing bets on an individual player. Betting on players is quite a popular betting form among more season punters. It is a bit more complicated than a typical money line bet, as it involves a lot more research. A punter must look into the history, as well as the current status of a number of different players. Upon doing the proper research, a punter may then place bets such as, how many goals a certain player will score in a game, or how many the player will score in a season.
There are other forms of betting, but these are just a couple simpler ones that will help you start out on your journey.
Featured Image: NHL