How to Bet on the NHL Puck Line: -1.5 vs +1.5, Empty Nets, Overtime and When Each Side Makes Sense

Updated October 2026 · By the BetHubCA team

The puck line is the NHL's answer to a point spread, and it's one of the most misunderstood bets in hockey. On paper it's simple: one team gets a goal and a half, the other gives one up. In practice, the way hockey games end (pulled goalies, empty-netters and overtime) makes the puck line behave unlike any spread in football or basketball. Get your head around those quirks and you'll know exactly when -1.5 or +1.5 makes sense, and when you're better off on the moneyline or not betting at all.

How the puck line settles

Almost every NHL game gets a standard puck line of 1.5 goals:

• Favourite -1.5: wins if the favourite wins by two or more goals.
• Underdog +1.5: wins if the underdog wins outright or loses by exactly one.

Because the half-goal can't be split, there's no push. Every game produces a winner and a loser on the puck line.

Here's how real results would settle a bet on Team A -1.5 vs Team B +1.5:

The OT and shootout rows matter a lot. A game decided after regulation always finishes one goal apart. That means -1.5 can never win in overtime or a shootout, and +1.5 always wins in those games.

Why the price, not the spread, does the work

In football, the spread changes from game to game (3.5, 7, 10.5) and the price stays around -110. In hockey, the spread is almost always 1.5 and the price moves instead. A big favourite at -1.5 might be +120; a modest favourite at -1.5 might be +220. The underdog +1.5 might be anywhere from -140 to -270.

So the puck line is really a question of price: what are you being paid to need a two-goal win, and what are you paying for the safety net of one extra goal?

Empty-net goals: the puck line's secret engine

When a team trails by one goal late in the third period, it typically pulls its goalie for an extra attacker. That gives it a better chance to tie, but also leaves an empty net. If the leading team clears the puck into that net, a 2-1 game becomes 3-1.

For puck line bettors, that changes everything:

• A favourite leading by one late has a real chance of adding an empty-netter and covering -1.5.
• An underdog trailing by one late is at real risk of conceding an empty-netter and losing +1.5.
• Teams sometimes pull the goalie when down by two as well, creating more chances for late goals either way.

Coaches have become more aggressive about pulling goalies earlier in recent years. That tends to create more late goals, both for the trailing team (tying it up) and for the leading team (empty-netters). Watch how both coaches typically manage the end of games.

Overtime: the underdog's friend

Regular-season overtime games always end one goal apart, so every game that reaches OT is a win for +1.5. For the underdog side, that's important: you can lose the game and still win the bet. Teams that play lots of tight, low-scoring games tend to reach overtime more often, which makes them natural +1.5 candidates if the price is right.

In the playoffs, overtime is sudden death with no shootout, but the result is still a one-goal game, so the same logic applies.

Puck line vs moneyline: a direct comparison

Let's compare with a made-up line: Favourite -175 moneyline, -1.5 at +150; underdog +150 moneyline, +1.5 at -185.

To choose, ask how likely you think each scenario is. If you think the favourite wins about 65% of the time but that most of those wins are by one goal or in OT, the moneyline fits your view better than -1.5. If you think the favourite is likely to dominate, maybe because the underdog's starter is out and it's on a back-to-back, -1.5 at +150 might be worth it.

When -1.5 (the favourite) makes sense

• The favourite is much stronger at 5-on-5 and creates lots of chances.
• The underdog is starting a backup goalie or is badly short-handed.
• The underdog is on the second night of a back-to-back or at the end of a long trip.
• The underdog's coach tends to pull the goalie early, raising empty-net chances.
• The price is high enough that you'd rather take the risk than lay a big moneyline price.

The trap: -1.5 feels like a "value" way to bet a heavy favourite because the odds are plus money. But it loses every single one-goal and OT win, and those are very common in the NHL.

When +1.5 (the underdog) makes sense

• You expect a tight, low-scoring game, perhaps between two defensive teams with strong goalies.
• The underdog has a good goalie in form and tends to keep games close.
• The total is low (5.5 or under), which usually means fewer multi-goal margins.
• You think the game has a good chance of reaching overtime.

The trap: +1.5 can look "safe" because it wins so often. But the price is usually steep, -200 or worse, which means one loss wipes out about two wins. Over time, safe-feeling bets at steep prices are where many bettors quietly lose money.

Reverse puck lines and alternate lines

Reverse puck line

A reverse puck line flips the usual handicap: the favourite +1.5 or the underdog -1.5.

• Favourite +1.5: the favourite wins, or loses by one. Usually a very short price, often -300 or shorter, because it covers so many outcomes.
• Underdog -1.5: the underdog must win by two or more. Usually a long price, like +350 or more.

The underdog -1.5 is a classic "upset with emphasis" bet. It's fun at long odds but hits rarely.

Alternate lines

Many books offer -2.5, +2.5 and sometimes beyond. A favourite at -2.5 needs a three-goal win, often priced at +250 or more. An underdog at +2.5 is usually a very short price. Alternate lines can suit strong opinions, but the margin is often bigger than on the standard puck line. Always convert to implied probability and compare.

Puck lines on periods

Some books offer period puck lines, typically ±0.5 or ±1.5 for a single period. First-period lines suit teams with strong or weak starts. They're smaller, high-variance markets with wider margins, so use them sparingly.

A puck line decision checklist

1. Confirm the starting goalies.
2. Check the total. A high total suggests more goals and more chance of multi-goal margins; a low total suggests tighter games.
3. Look at schedule spots: back-to-backs, travel, rest days.
4. Think about game script: is the favourite likely to build a lead early? Will the underdog chase late?
5. Compare puck line and moneyline prices against your own estimate of each scenario.
6. Shop the price at two or more books if you can.
7. Stake flat and small.

Worked example in Canadian dollars

Say you like the Canadiens at home against a team on the second night of a back-to-back with its backup in net. The line: Canadiens -160 moneyline, -1.5 at +165.

• Moneyline: C$16 to win C$10. Implied 61.5%.
• Puck line -1.5: C$10 to win C$16.50. Implied 37.7%.

You estimate the Canadiens win 64% of the time, and you think about two-thirds of those wins would be by two or more given the matchup. That's about 43% for -1.5. Compared with the implied 37.7%, that's a bigger gap than the moneyline (64% vs 61.5%). On your numbers, -1.5 is the better bet. If you'd estimated only half of their wins would be by two or more (32%), the puck line would be poor value, and the moneyline would be the better choice.

That's the whole skill: estimate the scenarios, then compare with the prices.

Puck lines in parlays

Some bettors put favourites at -1.5 into parlays to boost the payout. Every -1.5 leg is a coin flip or worse, so parlays of several -1.5 legs rarely land. Others use +1.5 legs as "safe" parlay fillers, but steep prices compound too: three legs at -200 each have about a 30% combined implied chance (0.667 × 0.667 × 0.667). Treat any puck-line parlay as a small, occasional bet.

Common puck line mistakes

• Forgetting that OT and shootout wins never cover -1.5.
• Treating +1.5 at -250 as "free money".
• Betting -1.5 on every favourite because the price is plus money.
• Ignoring the starting goalies.
• Not comparing puck line value with the moneyline.
• Betting late in the game on emotion after a goal changes the line.

Track your puck line bets separately

Puck line bets behave differently enough from moneylines that it's worth tracking them on their own. For each bet, note:

• The side (-1.5 or +1.5) and price.
• The final margin and whether the game went to OT or a shootout.
• Whether an empty-net goal decided the result.
• The closing price, to see if you beat the market.

After a season, you'll see patterns in your own betting. Maybe your -1.5 bets lose mostly to one-goal wins, suggesting you overrate how often favourites dominate. Or your +1.5 bets win often but lose money overall because the prices were too steep. Those lessons are worth more than any single tip.

Puck line terms in one place

• Puck line: the 1.5-goal handicap.
• Reverse puck line: favourite +1.5 or underdog -1.5.
• Alternate puck line: handicaps other than 1.5, such as 2.5.
• Empty-netter: a goal scored after the opponent pulls its goalie.
• Cover: winning against the handicap.

Where Canadians can bet NHL puck lines

Provincial sites like BC's PlayNow and Loto-Québec's Mise-o-jeu offer NHL puck lines, and single-game bets have been legal in Canada since August 2021. Offshore crypto books such as Cloudbet also offer puck lines, alternate lines and period lines; Cloudbet holds a Curaçao licence and is not authorized by any Canadian province. This site doesn't serve Ontario or Alberta residents. For the other main hockey lines, see our guide to hockey betting lines.

Bottom line

The NHL puck line is a 1.5-goal handicap whose behaviour is shaped by empty nets and overtime. -1.5 needs a decisive regulation win; +1.5 covers one-goal losses and every overtime game. Neither side is automatically good value. Estimate how likely each scenario is, compare with the prices, wait for goalie news, and keep stakes small and flat.

If betting stops being fun, help is free, confidential and 24/7: Gambling Support BC 1-888-795-6111, Manitoba's Problem Gambling Helpline 1-800-463-1554, Quebec's Jeu : aide et référence 1-800-461-0140, or 211 elsewhere.