Professional hockey betting strategies

Hockey betting strategies help you win more Single bets and increase your earnings in the long term. We reveal the most popular strategies and explain how to use them with examples.

"Ladder" on a total under 7.5

A ladder is a strategy based on several Single bets. It works well for any kind of match. on a bet of TU 7.5 typically don't exceed 1.20, so this strategy's success rate will be high in the long run.

Strategy fundamentals

Pick a match and bet 1–3% of your bank on a TU 7.5.
If the bet wins, wager the entire winnings on a TU 7.5 in

another match. Continue placing bets like this.
Until you're satisfied with your profit and complete the

strategy. If

you're just starting to

use this strategy, we recommend ending after a

streak of

four or

five wins.

How to choose matches

Choose matches in low-scoring leagues like the KHL, or matches between teams with average results. For matches between low-scoring teams, the odds of a TU 7.5 bet will be too low (under 1.10). The chances of losing increase when betting on games of higher‑scoring teams.

Slovan in KHL — Slovan scored an average of 1.6 points per match in the 2018-19 season, the lowest result among all KHL teams. The worst performing team in the NHL, the Anaheim Ducks, averaged 2.4 points (30% more). Photo: Dmitry Niko / shutterstock.com

Chasing the period total

This strategy works well for bets on matches of the most successful NHL teams. It's all in the statistics: teams score more than one goal in at least one period in about 80% of the NHL matches.

A player bets on a total over 1.5 in the first period, and if the bet loses, increases the wager according to the formula. In the event of a win, the earnings compensate for the loss.

The chasing formula helps increase your bank enough so that if a bet wins, the

player earns a

profit. Here's the

chasing formula:
(x + y) ÷ (k - 1)
x – potential winnings of the first bet in the strategy
y – amount lost in previous iterations
k – odds of the event you bet on

Strategy fundamentals

Select a match and bet on a TO 1.5 in the first period.
If the bet loses, bet on a TO 1.5 in the second period.
If it loses again, bet on the third period.
If the bet wins, you can end the strategy.

Consider the Buffalo Sabers vs. Washington Capitals match. Washington was one of

the

2018-19 NHL season leaders based on

points scored. In

Washington's last 10 games, they scored more than one goal in

every period.

Bet on a TO 1.5 in the first period
Odds – 1.50
Amount – EUR 10
Loss
Bet on a TO 1.5 in the second period
Odds – 1.30
Amount – EUR 83,34
Loss
Bet on a TO 1.5 in the third period
Odds – 1.50
Amount – EUR 216,66
Win – EUR 324,99

In the end, you wagered a total of EUR 310 and won EUR 324,99. Net winnings:

EUR

14,99.

How to choose matches

Analyze the team statistics. Look for clubs that have scored more than one point in each period in at least 8 of their last 10 matches.

If you follow the NHL closely, try to bet on the matches of low-scoring teams. The odds for totals in their matches are higher than in the matches of higher-scoring teams. The higher the odds, the less money you'll need for chasing.

The "2 out of 6" strategy

This strategy works well for bets on any matches. It's based on dividing up your bank by placing six bets with odds of at least 2.00 for the entire allocated amount. When two bets win, the series is over and can be restarted. The number of series depends on the player.

Strategy fundamentals

Select six events with odds of at least 2.00.
Allocate an amount for this strategy and distribute it

evenly across the

bets: 1) 1% of your bank 2) 2% of your bank 3) 4% of your bank 4) 6% of your bank 5) 8% of your bank 6) 12% of your bank
When two events win, end the series and start the

next one.

Pick six events. Your bank is EUR 100.

Bet 1
Odds – 2.00
Amount – EUR 1
Loss
Bet 2
Odds – 2.20
Amount – EUR 2
Win – EUR 4,4
Bet 3
Odds – 2.50
Amount – EUR 4
Loss
Bet 4
Odds – 2.10
Amount – EUR 6
Loss
Bet 5
Odds – 2.00
Amount – EUR 8
Win – EUR 16

Now that two bets have won, you end the series. You wagered a

total of

EUR 21 and

won EUR 20,4. Loss:

EUR 0,

Start a new series.

Bet 1
Odds – 2.00
Amount – EUR 1
Win – EUR 2
Bet 2
Odds – 2.50
Amount – EUR 2
Loss
Bet 3
Odds – 2.50
Amount – EUR 4
Win – EUR 10

Two bets have won. You wagered EUR 7 and won EUR 12. In

this series, your net winnings were

EUR

5, and

EUR 4,4 after two series.

How to choose matches

Add at least two bets you're sure of to each series. If they win, the series will be successful regardless of the other matches.

Choose events with odds of at least 2.00. If the odds are too low, the strategy won't work because just two out of six winning bets won't be profitable.

For the first three stages, bet on events that you're confident in. The sooner the series ends, the more likely you are to earn a profit. The wagered amount grows significantly in later stages, and the series will most likely end in a loss if the later bets lose.

Chasing draws in periods

This strategy works well for betting on low scoring championships. Players bet on a draw in the first period. If the bet loses, you increase the amount based on the chasing formula and place a bet on a draw in the second period. The essence of the strategy is the high odds offered for draws. If the bet wins, a player profits 2–3 times more than the amount wagered.

The opposite strategy of chasing non-draws also works. This is a riskier option, as the odds for one of the teams to win are low, so if several bets lose in a row, the bet amount will increase by several times. If you go with this strategy option, then calculate in advance how many losses your bank can handle.

How to use the strategy?

Select a match and bet on a draw in

the

first period.
If this bet loses, place another bet on

a

draw in

the

second period.
If there wasn't a draw in either of

the

matches, find another match and

continue the

strategy.

How to choose a match

It's important to find matches in championships where the average total score is less than 6 goals per game. Due to the small number of goals, it's more likely that the teams will be tied in one of the periods. In this case, you have a better chance of ending the strategy faster with a win.

Pick matches of even clubs. When there's a big mismatch, the favourite will likely defeat their opponent and score goals in every period. But if there's a minimum difference between the teams' abilities, then the game will be more cautious with a higher probability of a draw.

Chasing an outsider win in a playoff

Players choose a playoff series, wait for the first match to end and bet on the losing team to win the second match. If the bet loses, you increase the bet amount based on the chasing formula and bet on the team behind to win the third match.

This strategy is based on how rare playoff shutout wins are in hockey championships (they rarely end 4:0). Due to the fact that you have placed your bet after the first match, the odds go up, which increases your potential winnings.

Season	KHL series with no points	NHL series with no points
2018/19	4 of 15	4 of 15
2017/18	4 of 15	2 of 15
2016/17	5 of 15	2 of 15

The number of series ending 4:0 in the NHL and KHL in

the

last three seasons

How to use the strategy

Pick a playoff series and wait for the first match to

end.
In the second match, bet on the team who lost the

first to

win.
If this bet loses, place the next bet according to

the

chasing formula.
If the series ended with a score of 4:0, continue the

strategy in

the

next round of

the

playoffs.

How to choose a series

In the first round of the playoffs, select a series without division winners. Teams with the most points in the regular stage face weaker opponents. The higher the mismatch between teams, the more chances that the favourite will win the series 4:0.

Ladder for the favourite to win

Players place bets on the favourite to win, taking into account additional time and shootouts. If the bet wins, the player bets the entire amount won on the favourite to win another match, and after 3-4 wins, ends the strategy. If the team loses, the player only loses the initial bet amount and doesn't risk the entire pot. Constantly increasing the amount allows you to increase the pot even with low odds.

How the strategy works

Choose a match with an obvious favourite and

outsider.
Bet on the favourite to win.
If the bet wins, pick the next match and

bet the

entire amount won on

the

favourite.
After 3-4 wins, end the strategy.

How to choose a match

Watch the tournament table closely. The best matches are between teams from the top 3 and bottom 5. Championship trends are also important, for example, CSKA and SKA suffer fewer losses than other teams in the KHL.

Keep your eye on the schedule so your strategy doesn't fall on back‑to‑back leader matches. Back-to-back means that a team is forced to play matches every day. When this happens, the players don't have time to rest, so the team goes into their second match exhausted. The situation is even worse when back‑to‑back matches are away, and the players waste their time and energy on flights.

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