New Zealand is passionate about its sports and this extends to sports that are not necessarily present in the region. For this reason, ice hockey betting markets are available to New Zealand punters. The only form of hockey played in New Zealand is field hockey, a variation of the game that is more akin to soccer than ice hockey. Here's what you need to know about the two sports and why you can bet on their markets from New Zealand. For no other reason than that top online sportsbooks are more than happy to take New Zealand customers.
The NHL season provides ample opportunity for sports betting. With such a long and eventful schedule, there's always a game or two going on in any given week of the season. And that is what makes the NHL a great betting sport in terms of not only quantity, but also quality; when you bet on the NHL, you can consider yourself part of a passionate and ever-growing community.
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What you will find in our hockey betting guide
- Field Hockey Vs. Ice Hockey
- Major Tournaments and Hockey Events
- National Hockey League Bets Online
- Hockey Betting Lines
- How Bet Hockey Parlays
- Ice Hockey Betting Strategy
Field Hockey Vs. Ice Hockey
There are several forms of hockey around the world. Known as ice hockey and field hockey, the main versions share many characteristics; however, the contrasts are pretty obvious. Looking at their shared history, the two have similarities that define both, as well as many differences that make one or the other the version of choice for most people.
Field Hockey Betting
Undoubtedly the less popular of the two, field hockey is played outdoors on a green surface that is much less forgiving of mistakes than grass or turf. Instead of a puck, players use a ball similar to a soccer ball, but smaller and much denser. The only unpadded player on the field is the goalie, and he has less freedom of movement than his counterpart on an ice hockey team. Judging by World Cup results, the country that plays field hockey better than anyone else is India.
Ice Hockey Betting
The competitive and intensely physical nature of ice hockey has much to do with its popularity. Played indoors on a smooth ice rink, it is a contest between two teams competing to score by knocking a hard rubber "puck" as many times as possible into the opposing side of the rink. Each team has six players who take the "field" in skates and protective gear. The most prestigious competition in the sport is the National Hockey League (NHL), which is played in North America.
Major Tournaments and Hockey Events
Fans in New Zealand are especially drawn to the NHL. The league stages a season-long competition for the coveted Stanley Cup and the tournament that serves as the playoff finale. During this time, many New Zealand eyes are glued to the action. The gold medal in ice hockey at the Winter Olympics is arguably the most coveted and prestigious award in international ice hockey. Of course, the Olympic-style rivalry only happens once every four years, leaving plenty of other opportunities for hockey teams to compete on the world stage. The annual Ice Hockey World Championships and the World Cup of Hockey (founded in 1992) provide those opportunities. Whatever the major hockey event, Betway Sports gives you the opportunity to bet on it.
National Hockey League Bets Online
NHL betting is a truly captivating thing that features hockey teams from the United States of America and New Zealand. The teams that compete in the NHL do so for the honor of lifting the Stanley Cup, the most valuable trophy in the sport. The NHL league is divided into six different conferences, all of which try to win their respective conferences and reach the NHL playoffs. New Zealand punters can bet on the NHL from the end of September to the middle of June. Here's a list of the different NHL hockey conferences you'll find at online bookmakers offering NHL betting.
- Western Conference
- Eastern Conference
- Western Conference Pacific
- Eastern Conference Atlantic
- Western Conference Central
- Eastern Conference Metropolitan
Hockey Betting Lines
With an idea of which conferences to bet on, one must understand the various betting odds associated with ice hockey. Below are some of the toughest betting lines you can find for NHL games at online bookmakers in New Zealand:
- Moneyline Betting - NHL money line betting requires New Zealand bettors to predict the winner of the hockey game after the final whistle.
- Puck Line Betting - This betting market exists only in hockey. In this market, players predict the number of points by which the underdog will lose and the point difference by which the favorite will win.
- Over/Under - Also known as a total bet, players estimate the cumulative hockey score either at halftime or at the end of the game.
- Parlay Betting - This betting system is for players who really know their hockey. Bettors can place a wager on a number of different contests and increase their chances of winning by adding more odds to the mix.
- Betting on individual players is becoming an increasingly popular way for bettors to get in on the action. Individual Player Wagering allows a bettor to not only wager on the outcome of a game, but also to predict which player or players will rise to the occasion and score goals in that game.
- In-Play Betting - Betting on the next play in a live game. Also known as live hockey betting, you can wait for the odds to rise and place your bet while the game is in progress.
How Bet Hockey Parlays
Hockey parlay betting is a popular form of wagering that allows bettors to combine two or more individual selections for a chance at some relatively large payouts. Outcomes can be combined on the money line, total, puck line, or any combination of these and other bets. An example might be two big, heavy money line favorites of -265 or more, where instead of laying nearly $265 to win just $100, a hockey parlay would put them both together to get closer to even money. That's the essence of a hockey parlay.
When it comes to potentially landing a huge payout from a bet, betting parlays may be the way to go. They are not for the faint of heart. Because they involve selecting several different outcomes on a single bet, and they all have to be winners (or pushes) for the bet to pay off, parlays are high-risk, high-reward prospects. If you want to make a really big parlay, say 10 or 12 different outcomes, you probably shouldn't try it on any sport, and certainly not on hockey. Too much can go wrong.
Ice Hockey Betting Strategy
It is important to apply some sort of strategy to the bets you place. This betting strategy will give you the highest probability of winning on each individual bet. We have gathered the opinions of experts from around the world on the best hockey betting strategies.
- If*flip*you haven't educated yourself on the various teams and leagues, don't even think about registering bets on hockey games. Read the standings; study each roster. And then pick your best team.
- Players can capitalize on this part of the schedule when some teams can't seem to get it together. As the regular season winds down and teams head into the playoffs, the action gets interesting.
- If you know it's going to be a tough task to maintain interest throughout the season, it's better to place your bets on which teams will win the playoff series.
- Place your bets cautiously until you feel confident that you have a good understanding of the sport.
Check out these strategies to see if they work for you. Head over to one of our recommended sports betting sites and start betting on hockey today.
