Puck line

The puck line is hockey's version of a point spread, almost always set at 1.5 goals. Backing the favourite at -1.5 means your team must win by two goals or more. Backing the underdog at +1.5 means your bet wins if that team wins outright or loses by exactly one goal.

Because the line moves the goal margin, the prices flip compared with the moneyline: the favourite on the puck line often pays plus money, and the underdog often costs minus money.

Overtime matters

Puck lines at most books are graded on the final score, including overtime and the shootout. Any game decided after regulation ends with a one-goal margin, because overtime is sudden death and a shootout win adds a single goal to the winner. So if the game goes past 60 minutes, +1.5 wins and -1.5 loses, every time.

Worked example

Colorado -1.5 at +165 against Chicago +1.5 at -195 (illustrative).

• $40 on Colorado -1.5: a 4-2 win pays $40 × 1.65 = $66 profit. A 3-2 win loses the bet.
• $39 on Chicago +1.5: profit is $39 × 100 / 195 = $20. A 3-2 loss still wins.

Late empty-net goals often decide which side cashes, so the favourite's ticket can come down to the final two minutes.

What to check

Read the house rules for postponed games and confirm whether the line includes overtime. Some books offer regulation-only puck lines at different prices.