What is a puck line in hockey betting?
Written by Short answer
Puck line = hockey's spread, almost always 1.5.-1.5 needs a 2-goal win.An overtime or shootout win is a 1-goal win.Empty-net goals swing a lot of puck lines.
The puck line is hockey's spread. It's 1.5 goals almost every game, and the odds change instead of the line, just like baseball's run line.
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Overtime and shootouts
Puck line bets include overtime and the shootout. Every overtime or shootout win ends 1 goal apart, so the favorite at -1.5 can't cover in those games.
Empty-net goals
A team trailing by one late often pulls its goalie for an extra skater. That raises the chance of a tying goal and also the chance of an empty-net goal against. A 2-1 game can turn into 3-1 in the last minute, which flips the puck line.
My take
The puck line on a favorite pays plus money for a reason. Treat it as its own bet with its own price, not as a cheaper moneyline.