When deciding where to place a hockey pick, the important question is not which market is universally best but which fits your objective and bankroll. This article lays out how regulators describe common hockey markets, how overtime and shootouts affect settlement, and a practical framework to pick between moneylines, puck lines, totals, and parlays.

Choose bet types by objective: singles for efficiency, puck lines and parlays for higher upside.

Always verify whether a market is regulation-only or includes overtime and shootouts.

Limit parlay exposure and track results separately from singles.

nhl hockey picks and parlays: choose the right bet type for your goals

What readers will learn

This section helps you decide when to use moneylines, totals, puck lines, or parlays depending on whether you prefer steady, price-efficient plays or higher-upside, higher-variance options. A key theme is matching bet choice to objective rather than searching for a single "best" market.

Regulatory catalogs and industry reporting show the main U.S. hockey markets are moneyline, puck line or spread, totals, 60-minute or regulation-only lines, player props, and parlays; knowing which market you are viewing is the first step in any nhl hockey picks and parlays plan, because settlement rules change how outcomes are decided. Massachusetts Sports Wagering Catalog

Quick summary of trade-offs

Singles such as moneylines and totals tend to offer lower variance and better long-term price efficiency; puck lines raise variance but can pay more per event; parlays raise variance and are a major revenue driver for operators, so they require tighter sizing and discipline.

Use the quick checklist below every time you place a slate-level decision: confirm your objective, size the stake relative to bankroll, check whether the line is regulation-only or includes overtime and shootouts, estimate any edge, and then place a bet consistent with that checklist.

Pre-game decision checklist to choose the right NHL bet type

Objective
Bankroll share
Settlement check
Edge estimate
Max stake
Correlation check

Use before placing any complex NHL wager

Common NHL bet types and how regulators describe settlement

Overview of moneyline, puck line/spread, totals

State wager catalogs consistently enumerate the core hockey bet types you will see on regulated menus: moneyline, puck line or spread, totals, 60-minute lines, player props, and parlays, and they often include sport-specific settlement notes that matter at payout time. Event and Wager Catalog from Ohio

Practically, that means the advertised menu is a starting point; for each market you should read the market label and the settlement language the sportsbook provides because states can vary in how they treat play that extends beyond regulation time.

Confirm settlement rules before you bet

Before you wager, check the market's settlement label on your sportsbook and note whether it says regulation-only or includes overtime and shootouts

Review market labels

What 60-minute (regulation-only) means

A 60-minute or regulation-only line settles based only on the score after three regulation periods; it ignores overtime and shootouts, so a team that wins in overtime would lose a regulation-only moneyline but win a full-game moneyline that includes OT and shootouts. NHL official rules on overtime and shootout format

For bettors, the difference can change both the probability you assign to an outcome and the market price; always compare label wording when you evaluate moneyline versus 60-minute options.

How overtime and shootouts change your picks: regulation-only vs full-game markets

NHL overtime and shootout format

The NHL regular season uses a five-minute sudden-death overtime followed by a shootout if the game remains tied, which directly affects whether a market that includes OT and shootouts will settle differently than a regulation-only line. NHL official rules on overtime and shootout format

Practical effects on moneyline and totals

Many state catalogs and sportsbook rules specify that hockey moneylines and totals include overtime and shootouts unless they are explicitly labeled regulation-only, and some catalogs note that a decided shootout is counted as one goal for totals settlement; that can flip a totals or prop result compared with a regulation-only settlement. Colorado Sports Betting Catalog of Events and Wagers https://williamhill.us/us/nv/support/house-rules/

Example: if a game is 2-2 after 60 minutes and a team wins in a shootout, a full-game total that includes OT and shootouts may settle as 3-2 depending on the sportsbook's shootout treatment, while a 60-minute total would have already been decided at 4 goals combined; read the settlement note to know which outcome applies. https://help.bet365.com/s/en-us/sportsrules/ice-hockey

Moneyline vs puck line vs totals: variance, pricing, and where parlays fit

Expected hit rates and variance

Singles such as moneyline, totals, and 60-minute lines are generally lower-variance options; they are closer to efficient one-leg pricing and, over time, tend to require a smaller margin for a sharp bettor to extract value. Massachusetts Sports Wagering Catalog

Puck lines, frequently offered as minus 1.5 for favorites and plus 1.5 for underdogs, increase variance because the favorite must win by multiple goals to cash, which lowers hit rate even when the payout looks attractive.

What is the best option to bet on ice hockey for different goals?

There is no single best option; choose singles like moneyline and totals for lower variance and better price efficiency, and reserve puck lines or small parlays for targeted, higher-upside situations while managing bankroll and checking settlement rules.

Parlays bundle multiple legs to multiply payouts and therefore multiply variance; industry reporting indicates parlays are a major revenue driver for sportsbooks and commonly carry a higher average operator hold than single straight bets, which implies greater difficulty for a bettor to break even long term. American Gaming Association state of the states report

Operator hold and implication for bettors

Because parlays have higher operator hold, size them conservatively and treat them as discretionary, higher-upside exposures rather than core expected-value plays unless you have a demonstrable pricing edge on multiple legs.

Use the simple rule: if your objective is consistency and capital preservation, prioritize singles; if you prefer speculative upside and accept lower hit rates, limit parlay exposure and track performance carefully.

Parlays and regulator limits: same-game correlations and permitted combinations

What regulators restrict

Regulators commonly restrict correlated or dependent parlays in their catalogs, meaning some same-game combinations are limited or prohibited depending on jurisdictional rules for dependent events. Ohio Event and Wager Catalog

How sportsbooks implement limits

Practically, sportsbooks enforce these restrictions either by blocking certain leg combinations in same-game parlays or by applying specific settlement rules that void or alter correlated legs, so you may see permitted combinations vary across states and operators. Colorado catalog of events and wagers

Funded Plays Challenges

Review market labels

Before building a same-game parlay, check the event rules page and the sportsbook's own same-game parlay interface to confirm which legs are allowed together and how correlated outcomes are handled.

Player props and settlement quirks unique to hockey

Common player prop types

Common hockey player props include goals, assists, shots on goal, and goalie saves; these appear in state wager catalogs and are treated as distinct markets with their own settlement language. Massachusetts Sports Wagering Catalog

Because props depend on event-level scoring and timing, they can be sensitive to how overtime and shootouts are counted and to partial-game rules that some markets allow.

How shootouts and partial-game props settle

Some catalogs and sportsbook rules specify that a decided shootout counts as a single goal for totals settlement, and similar treatment can affect certain props; if a prop's settlement language does not explicitly exclude shootout scoring, the shootout may affect the prop outcome. Colorado Sports Betting Catalog

When using props in combination bets or parlays, confirm whether shootout goals, partial-game minutes, or goalie substitution rules change how a prop is evaluated to avoid surprises at settlement time.

A practical decision framework: which option to pick and when

Step-by-step decision checklist

Close up mobile sportsbook screen showing moneyline puck line and totals for an NHL game with settlement labels highlighted nhl hockey picks and parlays

Start with a short, repeatable checklist: 1) Define your objective: steady growth or speculative upside; 2) Decide bankroll share for the slate or pick; 3) Verify settlement: regulation-only or full game; 4) Estimate your edge and max stake; 5) Confirm correlated-leg rules for parlays. Have a Game Plan responsible play guidance

Run this checklist before every session and use small examples to validate assumptions, for instance estimating how a regulation-only moneyline would change probability versus a full-game moneyline when a team has strong overtime performance. Run this checklist

Examples of matching bet type to objective

If your objective is capital preservation and steady performance, favor 60-minute moneylines and totals and allocate a conservative percentage of bankroll; if you seek occasional high upside, reserve a small, fixed share for puck lines or small parlays but cap frequency and size.

Always document the decision and track outcomes so you can iterate; consistent tracking turns speculative choices into repeatable tests rather than emotional gambles. decision framework

Bankroll management rules for hockey picks and parlays

Sizing rules for singles vs parlays

Conservative stake sizing reduces the likelihood that a few bad results will impair long-term survival; set a clear session or per-bet percentage and avoid increasing stake size after losses. Have a Game Plan responsible play guidance

As a rule of thumb, consider allocating a larger share of bankroll to singles and a substantially smaller share to parlays because parlays carry higher operator hold and variance.

Practical examples of percentage-based stakes

Example allocations for a hypothetical conservative bettor: 1% per single pick, 0.25% per parlay; for a balanced bettor: 1.5% per single, 0.5% per small parlay; for an aggressive bettor: 2% per single, 1% per selective parlay while keeping total parlay exposure under a fixed cap.

These examples are illustrative and not a guarantee of results; tailor percentages to your personal risk tolerance and financial circumstances and never exceed amounts you can afford to lose.

Misreading regulation-only labels

A common mistake is assuming moneylines always include overtime; catalogs and sportsbook rules often differentiate regulation-only lines from full-game lines, and treating them as identical can change outcomes and expected value. Massachusetts Sports Wagering Catalog

Simple remedy: when you open a market, read the settlement note and, if unsure, take a screenshot or copy the language so you can reference it if the ticket settles in an unexpected way.

Ignoring correlated-parlay rules

Another frequent error is building same-game parlays that contain logically dependent legs without checking whether the sportsbook or state rules allow such combinations; regulators commonly restrict correlated parlays and sportsbooks enforce those rules in their interfaces. Ohio event and wager catalog

Fix: before confirming a multi-leg same-game parlay, verify each leg is permitted together and that the settlement rules for those legs do not create unwelcome dependencies that could void your parlay.

Worked scenarios: 3 example pick plans for different goals

Conservative: regulation singles plan

Plan: focus on 60-minute moneylines and totals, bet small percentages per pick, and avoid puck lines and parlays except for rare, well-documented mispricings. Massachusetts Sports Wagering Catalog

Example allocation: 1% per single, no parlays, reserve 5% of bankroll as an emergency buffer;

track every pick in a simple spreadsheet to measure hit rate and return.

Minimalist 2d vector illustration of a pre game checklist on a desk with checkbox icons a pie chart for bankroll share an OT SO timer icon and a hockey puck and stick accent in Funded Plays colors nhl hockey picks and parlays

Balanced: mix of singles and small puck lines

Plan: use mostly singles but add occasional puck line plays when you have a clear rationale for the spread, while keeping parlays to a minimum. AGA industry report

Example allocation: 1.25% per single, 0.75% when taking a puck line leg, and limit parlay exposure to no more than 3% of bankroll at any time.

Aggressive: selective parlays

Plan: keep parlays small, focused, and infrequent; treat them as optional upside rather than core strategy, and cap total parlay exposure strictly. Have a Game Plan guidance

Example allocation: 1.5% per single, 0.5% per selective parlay, with a monthly cap on total parlay stake to protect bankroll.

How to verify rules in your jurisdiction before placing NHL bets

Where to find state wager catalogs

Start at your state gaming commission or regulator page; many publish a catalog of approved events and wagering rules that spells out settlement language and permitted markets. Massachusetts Sports Wagering Catalog

If you cannot find a catalog, check the state regulator's general sports gaming or legal resources page and use the site search for wagering catalogs or event lists.

Checklist for reading settlement notes

Checklist items to confirm before you bet: OT/SO inclusion, how a decided shootout is counted for totals, correlated-parlay restrictions, player-prop settlement language, and any exceptions for partial-game markets. Colorado catalog

Save or screenshot the sportsbook's market rules for complex bets so you can reference them if a settlement dispute arises.

When parlays can be a reasonable choice and how to size them

Use-case examples

Parlays are defensible in a controlled way for recreational enjoyment with a small allocation, or when you genuinely identify multiple legs that appear mispriced and correlation rules allow the combination; treat these as experiments and track outcomes. AGA industry report https://www.cbssports.com/betting/news/nhl/

Do not rely on parlays as a primary path to profit; the increased operator hold makes long-term breakeven harder than with singles.

Sizing and frequency guidance

Recommendation: cap total parlay exposure at a small percentage of bankroll, for example under 5% aggregated across a week or month, and limit parlay size per event so a single loss does not materially affect your capital. Have a Game Plan guidance

Track parlay performance separately from singles so you can evaluate whether parlays are adding or subtracting value from your overall results.

Wrap-up: clear next steps and responsible play reminders

Checklist to take into the next slate

Summarize your decision framework: define objective, choose singles for consistency or limited parlays for speculative upside, always verify settlement language for OT and shootouts, and check correlated-parlay restrictions before confirming multi-leg bets. AGA industry report

Final reminder: set budgets, manage stake sizes, do not chase losses, and track performance; these responsible-play practices help you test strategies without exposing yourself to uncontrolled downside. Have a Game Plan responsible play guidance

How does a regulation-only moneyline differ from a full-game moneyline?

A regulation-only moneyline settles on the score after three regulation periods and ignores overtime and shootouts; a full-game moneyline includes overtime and shootout outcomes when the market label indicates so.

Are same-game parlays always allowed?

No, regulators commonly restrict correlated or dependent parlays and sportsbooks may block or alter certain same-game combinations, so check the market rules before placing a same-game parlay.

Should I use parlays as my main strategy?

Parlays increase variance and operator hold, so they are better used sparingly for small, discretionary exposure rather than as a primary strategy for consistent returns.

Make decisions deliberately: define your objective, size stakes conservatively, and verify market settlement language before confirming any wager. Track outcomes and iterate responsibly rather than chasing quick gains.