The puck line is the NHL's version of the point spread. It is set at 1.5 goals in nearly every game, so the price, not the number, does the adjusting.
The favorite is laid at -1.5 goals, so a bet on it wins only if it wins by two or more. The underdog gets +1.5, so a bet on it wins if it wins outright or loses by exactly one. Overtime and shootout results count, which matters: a game that goes past regulation is decided by a single goal, so the -1.5 side can never cover it.
Because the number is fixed, the price moves instead. Last season the favorite at -1.5 paid plus money in 94% of games, typically around +170, while the underdog at +1.5 cost a median of -205.
Hockey is close. In last season's regular season the moneyline favorite won 55% of games but won by two or more only 33% of the time, and 43% of all games ended with a one-goal margin. Empty-net goals late in the third period turn some one-goal games into two-goal games, which is a big part of why the -1.5 favorite covers as often as it does.
That gap between winning and covering is what the price is for. Taking a favorite at -1.5 pays more than the moneyline because it loses every one-goal win; taking an underdog at +1.5 pays less because it cashes every one-goal loss.
Puck line splits read differently from moneyline splits. On the moneyline the crowd backs the favorite almost every night. On the puck line the +1.5 side drew most of the bets in 60% of games last season, as bettors took the cushion on the side they expected to keep it close. The two markets can show opposite public sides for the same game, and that is normal rather than a contradiction.
Read each market's split against its own price. Our NHL game pages show the moneyline, puck line and total side by side, with the share of bets and the share of money on each.
NHL analytics tracks a short list of signals graded over two seasons of closing lines, and flags a game only when tonight's price still leaves value. For subscribers.
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The favorite has to win by two or more goals for a bet on it to win. A one-goal win, including any game decided in overtime or a shootout, loses at -1.5.
Almost always. Last season 98% of NHL closing puck lines were 1.5 goals. Most books also offer alternate puck lines, such as -2.5, at a longer price.
Last regular season the moneyline favorite won by two or more goals in 33% of games, while it won outright in 55%.
Usually the underdog at +1.5. Last season the +1.5 side drew most of the puck-line bets in 60% of NHL games, even though the favorite drew most of the moneyline bets almost every night.
This page defines puck line as we use it across the site. See how we track public bets and money →
Last updated: October 8, 2026 at 3:55 PM UTC
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