As if NHL games and NHL betting aren’t exciting enough, we want to take it one step further and up the ante using NHL prop bets. Betting on props bets for the NHL, allows sports bettors to take advantage to earn a little extra cash betting on unique or fun instances in a game that has no effect on the final outcome of the game.

Most of the Prop wagers are available on a game-by-game basis, only as we approach the latter stages of the season will we see more props. Check out the next NHL coach to be fired odds. The best NHL prop bets odds were last updated on November 15, 2023:

NHL Prop Bets BetUS Bovada BetOnline
To win Pacific +120 Golden Knights +110 Golden Knights +130 Golden Knights
To win Central +100 Avalanche +110 Avalanche +110 Avalanche
To win Atlantic +220 Panthers +210 Panthers +220 Panthers
To win Metropolitan +230 Hurricanes +220 Hurricanes +220 Hurricanes
Will the Washington Capitals Draft Matvei Michkov With the 8th Overall Pick? BetUS
No
Yes

While they are strictly just for fun wagers, you do need to have a little insight into some prop bets to ensure you aren’t throwing your money away. Having an NHL prop bet strategy will greatly help in that sense, and knowing individual players and their capabilities will help you nail those NHL prop wagers.

Luckily, we’ve created an NHL prop betting guide that will give you some insights into proposition bets, how to read the NHL odds, and how to be successful betting on NHL props. We don’t recommend basing your entire NHL betting strategy on getting rich betting NHL props, but you can make some picks that could pad your bankroll for your big boy bets.

NHL Proposition bets

What is an NHL Prop Bet?

NHL prop bets are siding wagers that are placed on an event or instance within a game that doesn’t affect the final outcome of the game. These can be anything, it depends how creative your online sportsbook is with creating these wagers. A good example of an NHL prop bet is predicting which team will score first in the game.

Many prop bets are tied to player performance, called NHL player props. They don’t affect the outcome of the game at all, which is refreshing as so many rides on a game’s outcome. You can bet on a variety of player props that are updated in real-time.

Most of the NHL player props are in the form of a total, or over/under as they’re commonly referred to as. You can bet on the number of goals a player might get in the game. Other forms of NHL player prop bets are in the form of a yes or no question based on what a certain player might do.

The most popular NHL prop betting for players would be if you placed a wager on how many points Sidney Crosby would get in a game. The oddsmakers set the lines as an over/under, and you have to predict if he will score more or less than that set line. Of course, you’d need to look at the team and goaltender that’s on the opposing team to determine which side of the wager to take.

The line could look something like this:

  • Sidney Crosby over 4 points (-110)
  • Sidney Crosby under 4 points (-110)

For this example, you have to determine how many points Sidney Crosby will get in the game, this includes goals and assists – and if your estimate is higher or lower than the projected 4. If you choose to bet the over, you are saying that you think that Crosby will get over 4 points that game. If you bet the under, you think Crosby will get less than 4 points.

If he gets exactly 4 points, you will have a push, and receive your wager back. Many times sportsbooks will do half points in their lines to avoid this, like 4.5 to force the over/under.

You will notice the odds are evenly spread on both bets because the likelihood of both of these is relatively the same. Like we said, oddsmakers are pretty good at determining these over/unders and the actual total usually isn’t that far off.

Some other NHL player prop bets you can bet on for any game include props for goals scored, shots taken, assists, and saves for goalies.

Some props can sort of tie into NHL Futures betting, which means that a prop will be active throughout the duration of the NHL season. You might bet on a unique outcome that will happen at some point in the season, as the overall over/under on a team’s point total or win total.

NHL Propositions

Why choose NHL Prop Betting?

Now that we’ve outlined NHL prop betting and how it all works, you might wonder why you’d bet on these instead of game outcomes or more lucrative betting types. There are a few reasons why some of the professional sports bettors lean toward a few prop bets each and every NHL game.

First of all, betting on the moneyline or game outcome can get stale pretty quick, and sometimes betting on NHL props can make things a bit more fun and exciting, and even if the team isn’t the best, you can still get value out of their top player if he racks up points in a game. When betting player props, the team doesn’t have to win, but if you enjoy watching Connor McDavid, you can still bet on him and not worry much about how the Oilers perform as a whole.

Finding great value is another important piece of NHL prop betting. Even if the game is an absolute dud, you can still salvage the betting opportunity by choosing a few props that you can almost guarantee will cash. While some sportsbooks prevent you from wagering top dollar on props, you can ensure you pick a few winners and walk away with some extra betting dollars each game.

NHL Props odds

If you’re an NHL daily fantasy fan, and you monitor all of the players regularly, you will know the players better than you would know the actual NHL teams. DFS players have a huge advantage when betting on player props, as you do much more research when it comes to drafting your NHL Fantasy team, and you do plenty of research each week when choosing your active roster, so you have a good idea how players will perform each game. Props offer a great avenue to bet on NHL games without having to actually handicap each team.

Our best advice is to follow some NHL beat writers that specialize in sports betting and do regular NHL previews. Sports betting beat writers will always hunt down some great prop bets to guide you in preparation for each game. They do plenty of research and take most of the work out for you so you don’t have to spend time monitoring stats and pre-game reports.

NHL Props

Top Online Sportsbooks for NHL Prop Betting

We think you may be ready to bet on a few NHL props, so we want to help you find a sportsbook to start placing your wagers on. We can help guide you towards the top online sportsbooks for NHL prop betting because we’ve used and reviewed each one.

The top online sportsbooks we promote offer the best NHL odds and lines, exceptional proposition lines, and even some great NHL betting bonuses that you can take advantage of while you’re there.

Before you jump in and sign up at the first sportsbook you find, be sure to review some of the sportsbooks to find the right one based on your needs. Ensuring that a sportsbook has great NHL props, the deposit and withdrawal options you need, and updated NHL lines will be your main priority.

Betting on NHL props is simple, and finding an online sportsbook to place a wager at should be just as easy! Ensure you bet responsibly and have a little fun with your NHL betting.


NHL Prop Betting FAQs

Meet the author

Dean Etheridge

Dean Etheridge brings decades of sports knowledge and betting insights to his writing. Hailing from Coventry, England, he offers an engaging British perspective on everything from soccer to cricket. Dean has established himself as a reputable voice on English Premier L...