NHL Betting Rules: Which Bets Do Overtime, Shootouts Count For?

NHL Betting Rules: Which Bets Do Overtime, Shootouts Count For? article feature image
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  • Do shootout goals count as goals in hockey betting?
  • Do overtime goals count for totals in hockey betting?
  • This explainer tells you how sportsbook grades bets on the over/under, moneyline, spread, total and player props in the event of extra hockey.

So you bet the over on a game involving your favorite hockey team. They come-from-behind to tie the game 3-3 before the end of regulation and the contest goes into overtime.

Then, another five minutes of no scoring forces a shootout.

If the total was at 6.5 goals, would a shootout win from either team count as another goal, netting your over?

The answer is a resounding yes. You already won your bet the second the game entered OT.

Once overtime starts, for official scoring purposes, the game is assured to have one more goal — and one more goal only.

In shootouts, despite the fact that a "goal" doesn't actually occur, it doesn't matter. While no individual will get credit for that "goal," your over or under bet still relies on the final tally to settle wagers.

So do your moneyline or puck line bets. If you had wagered on the New York Rangers to win at +100, and they do so in a shootout, congratulations, you just doubled up.

For puck line purposes, overtimes and shootouts essentially guarantee finality to your bet before the game is officially over. If you had bet the Rangers at a puck line of +1.5 goals in that aforementioned game, you already netted a profit the moment regulation expired.

Conversely, a bet on a -1.5 goal puck line, of course, automatically loses the second a contest enters overtime.

There are plenty of bets in hockey that explicitly do not include overtime or shootouts, but it will be clearly stated by your sportsbook. Phrases like "excludes OT" or "60 minutes only" are the types of terms you'll see for those regulation-only wagers.

For these types of bets, you typically get better value on either team to win in regulation, because betting a tie is now a third option.

For instance, this game on Tuesday between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets is priced this way on the 60 minute line.

Courtesy of DraftKings.

But, the regular moneyline has Toronto priced as -220 favorites and Columbus as +185 underdogs. You lose potential profits by betting the regular moneyline, but your bet won't automatically lose if the game enters overtime or a shootout.

While these set of rules may be clear by now, let's run through another two examples just in case.

Let's say the score is 2-2 heading into overtime in a game with a total of 6.5 goals.

That's an automatic loss. If either team scores in OT, the game ends 3-2 and the under is guaranteed to win. If neither team scores in OT, the shootout adds one goal to the winner and the game also ends 3-2.

Another one: You bet the Calgary Flames at -125 on the 60 minute line for a game between against the Winnipeg Jets. The game goes into overtime, where the Flames score within 30 seconds. Your bet loses because you wagered on Calgary to win the game in regulation.

As for player props — they're all valid when the game goes into OT. Player points or player goals will count toward overtime stats. Shootouts, thou11 are inconsequential for this particular marketplace.

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