The first thing to know about ice hockey betting is which result your market settles on. A 60-minute or 3-way market settles on regulation time only, so a draw is possible. A moneyline includes overtime and, in the NHL regular season, a shootout, so there is always a winner. Many hockey games go past regulation, so the same game can win one of those bets and lose the other. The puck line and NHL timings are covered further down.
How a hockey game is decided
Regulation is three 20-minute periods. In the NHL regular season, a tie after 60 minutes goes to a five-minute, three-on-three sudden-death overtime and then to a shootout if needed. In the playoffs there is no shootout. Teams play full 20-minute five-on-five overtime periods until someone scores. In the official final score, a shootout win counts as one extra goal for the winning team, so a game tied 2–2 and won in a shootout is recorded as 3–2.
Around a fifth to a quarter of NHL regular-season games go past regulation. That is far more often than football matches finish level, so the gap between 3-way and moneyline prices is large.
60-minute result vs moneyline: one game, two outcomes
Take a game that is 2–2 after 60 minutes, and the home team then wins in overtime.
| Bet | Price | Settles on | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home, 60-minute 3-way | 2.30 | 2–2 after regulation | Loses |
| Draw, 60-minute 3-way | 4.20 | 2–2 after regulation | Wins: ₦2,000 returns ₦8,400 |
| Home moneyline (incl. OT and shootout) | 1.75 | Home win in OT | Wins: ₦5,000 returns ₦8,750 |
The 3-way price is higher because it carries the draw risk. Use 3-way only if you think a team will win within 60 minutes. If you only care about the winner, the moneyline is the market to use. The 3-way market works like football’s 1X2 betting, except that a hockey draw is followed by overtime, and the market you choose decides whether that overtime counts.
The puck line (±1.5)
The puck line is hockey’s standard handicap. The favourite at −1.5 must win by two or more goals, and the underdog at +1.5 wins the bet if it loses by one or wins outright. On 8XBET, as at most bookmakers, puck lines include overtime and the shootout. That leads to a useful rule: any NHL game decided after regulation is a one-goal game. Regular-season overtime is sudden death and a shootout adds exactly one goal, so the −1.5 side cannot win once regulation ends level. If you expect a tight game that may go to overtime, the +1.5 side wins in every such game.
Empty-net goals
A team trailing late usually pulls its goalkeeper for an extra skater. That increases the chance of a late goal at either end. Say the favourite leads 3–2 with 90 seconds left and scores into the empty net. The game ends 4–2, and the −1.5 bet that looked lost a minute earlier is paid. Empty-net goals are a big reason puck line favourites can still be good value at 2.30 or higher.
Totals and overtime
Most NHL totals lines on 8XBET are set at 5.5 or 6.5 goals. Overtime and the shootout goal count towards the total in full-game markets. If the game is 2–2 after regulation and decided by a shootout, the official score is 3–2, a total of 5. An over 4.5 bet wins and an over 5.5 bet loses. If you want to remove that extra goal, look for a regulation-time total. Period totals settle on the 20 minutes of their own period only.
Player markets
Common props include anytime goalscorer, points (goals plus assists), shots on goal and goalkeeper saves. A shootout goal does not count as a player goal in NHL statistics, so an anytime-scorer bet does not win from a successful shootout attempt. Saves props depend on the opposition. A goalkeeper facing a team that fires many shots will usually make more saves, even if he plays badly. Our player props guide covers void rules if a player is scratched.
NHL games in WAT: late-night face-offs
The 2026–27 NHL season opened on 29 September 2026. It is the first since 1993–94 in which each of the 32 teams plays 84 games, and the regular season runs into April before the playoffs. Since the US clocks went back on 1 November 2026, the East Coast is on standard time (UTC−5), six hours behind WAT:
- A 7:00 pm ET face-off starts at 01:00 WAT.
- A 10:00 pm ET West Coast game starts at 04:00 WAT.
- Weekend matinee games at 1:00 pm ET start at 19:00 WAT, the friendliest time for live viewing in Nigeria.
When the US moves back to daylight time in mid-March, each of these starts an hour earlier in WAT. For most Nigerian fans, NHL betting means placing pre-match bets before bed. Take the team news and confirmed starting goalkeepers into account first, because a backup goalkeeper starting can move the moneyline. On 8XBET the night’s NHL games are usually listed well before your evening, so you have time to compare lines. If you are awake for a matinee, read our in-play betting page first, because live hockey prices are suspended after every goal and penalty.
Beyond the NHL
European leagues, such as Sweden’s SHL, Finland’s Liiga, Switzerland’s National League and Germany’s DEL, play in the evening in Europe, which is a more convenient time in Nigeria. Overtime and shootout formats vary between leagues and competitions. IIHF tournaments, for example, use different overtime rules from the NHL. Confirm which result a market settles on whenever you bet outside the NHL.
FAQ
Why did my winning team still lose my bet?
You probably placed a 60-minute 3-way bet, and the game was tied after regulation. Only moneyline or “including overtime” markets count what happens after 60 minutes.
Is the puck line ever different from ±1.5?
Yes. Alternative lines such as −2.5 or +2.5 are sometimes available at bigger or smaller prices. The ±1.5 line is the standard one, and the most widely bet.
Hockey often means late nights, so set your limits early. Our responsible gambling page has support details.
