Best Hockey Betting Sites in New Jersey - Jul 2024

In terms of betting handle, hockey is the fourth-most popular sport in the country. Naturally, this is primarily driven by the NHL, though the best hockey sportsbooks also offer games from around the world. 

Bettors in New Jersey are no different to their compatriots when it comes to enjoying hockey. In this guide, you’ll learn a little more about the various leagues and markets on which they love to bet.

We’ll also discuss some of the most common hockey sportsbook promotions in the Garden State. Not to mention other key features found at New Jersey’s best NHL betting sites. We’ll even throw in a few tips to help you bet smarter.

Best Hockey Betting Sites for 2024

A recent survey showed that 62% of NHL fans are interested in betting, more so than any other US sport. If you fall into that category, and you’re a New Jersey resident, you’ll want to check out this list.

Above are the best hockey betting sites in the Garden State for legal NHL wagering.

What Do the Best NHL Betting Sites Offer to NJ Players?

Wondering how we chose our favorite hockey betting sites in New Jersey? There’s plenty to think about, but the top sportsbooks have a lot in common. In this section of our guide, we’ll talk about their most important attributes.

Hockey Betting Opportunities

To be considered among the best sites for betting on hockey, there must be plenty of wagering opportunities. Primarily, a strong NHL product, with detailed coverage of every game and competitive odds.

In addition, we expect to see much more than just the NHL available for betting. Other major international competitions, including the Kontinental Hockey League, Sweden, Czech Republic and Finland are important. It would also be nice to see the likes of the Ontario Hockey League and Western Hockey League in Canada, along with the UK’s Elite League. 

Player Safety is Paramount

Security is another common feature of the best hockey betting sites in New Jersey. We don’t just mean protecting your sensitive personal details with encryption and two-factor authentication, either, though that’s obviously crucial. 

We’re talking about features like strict identity verification, to eliminate underage gambling, as well as responsible gambling tools, to help safeguard potentially vulnerable bettors.

Hockey Promotions and New Jersey Hockey Bonuses

Every hockey betting site in New Jersey offers some sort of welcome bonus these days, so that’s a given. However, the best sportsbooks make sure that the ongoing promotions are plentiful, and that the terms and conditions of each are reasonable.

What’s more, we are looking for betting sites that know how to reward their most loyal customers. Whether that’s through a structured program, issuing loyalty points and increasingly beneficial perks, or simply a plentiful supply of reload bonuses and other promos. 

Multiple Payment Methods for Ease

Whether you want to bet on hockey, wager on football, gamble on basketball, or any other sport, you’ll need to make a real money deposit. That requires a selection of fast, reliable and secure payment methods. And, to appease as many bettors as possible, it’s a case of “the more, the merrier”.

Equally, if you’re lucky enough to have won some money, you’ll want to see payout options which are fast and free. In addition, they must have fair minimum withdrawal limits. Each of our recommended sportsbooks checks all of the necessary boxes.

What Makes a Good Hockey Betting Product?

So far, we’ve spoken fairly generally about choosing New Jersey’s best hockey betting sites. However, to appear on our list, a sportsbook must offer a number of specific features which help it stand out from the crowd.

NJ Players can Stream the Biggest Games

If you’re betting on the big game, you’ll naturally want to watch the action unfold live. However, the cost of streaming packages can be prohibitive, so a better alternative is to watch at your chosen sportsbook. 

The best hockey betting sites cover all NHL games, as well as many international and domestic competitions from around the world. Many of them don’t even charge a fee for the privilege. BetMGM, for example, simply requires a funded account in order to watch, while DraftKings offers a dedicated streaming site.

In-Play Betting and Data

If you’re not able to watch a live stream of the game, you’ll still want to follow your bet’s progress somehow. Top hockey betting sportsbooks supply lots of in-game data visualizations, showing exactly what is happening on the ice, and where. You’ll also have access to play-by-play text updates and other useful tools.

Prior to face-off, the best sites also supply plenty of statistics to help inform your bets. Recent records, head-to-head matchups and league tables are just a handful of obvious examples, though most sites dig much deeper. This data tends to come from some serious sports data companies like Stats Perform, Sportradar and IMG for example.

Bank Some of Your Hockey Bet Early with Cash Out in New Jersey

Cash out has become an essential part of a good hockey sportsbook, and those found in New Jersey are no exception. This handy little feature allows you to sell your bet before a contest has finished, meaning you can lock in a guaranteed profit. 

As well as setting up a stress-free finish to games, you can also salvage whatever remains of a bet that’s gone wrong early on. Finally, the best sportsbooks in the Garden State now offer partial cash out. That means you can bank some of the winnings, while letting the rest ride.

Live Betting at Hockey Sportsbooks in New Jersey

The ability to wager in-play has changed the face of sports betting forever. Hockey lends itself particularly well to live betting, as momentum shifts back and forth frequently, giving experienced fans the opportunity to spot value bets.

Live betting has also led to sportsbooks creating some unique lines and markets. For instance, when watching NHL games, expect to see betting opportunities like “team to win next face-off”, or “team to win current period”.

The days when live betting was considered innovative are long gone, and all of New Jersey’s best hockey betting sites contain this feature. However, one of the standout examples for live NHL betting is FanDuel. 

In addition to offering a user-friendly and expertly-designed app, you’ll find streams of every NHL game, plus countless in-play betting opportunities.

Hockey Parlay Betting for NJ Players

A popular way to bet on hockey, whether it’s live or pre-game, is to create parlays. Here, you’ll pick a number of different selections, but instead of backing each one as a separate bet, they’re combined into one wager.

By parlaying your picks, you can greatly increase the potential returns, as the odds are multiplied together. The downside is that they’re harder to win, because if just one lets you down, the entire bet is a busted flush. However, the promise of turning a few cents into a massive score means parlays will always remain popular.

Same Game Parlays in Hockey

The best hockey betting sites now allow you to parlay multiple picks from within a single game. Historically, this was never allowed, due to the concept of “related contingencies”. 

For instance, if you bet on a player to score and his team to win the game, these two outcomes are intrinsically linked. The player scoring guarantees a goal for his team, giving them a better chance of winning, therefore impacting the real odds.

However, these days, all sportsbooks in New Jersey are on board with the concept of Same Game Parlays, or SGPs. There’s usually a section of the hockey betting page dedicated to building such bets, so keep your eyes peeled.

Common Hockey Betting Bonuses

Bonuses are another hugely important component of all the best hockey betting sites. In this section of our guide, we’ll take a look at some of the best promotions for NHL bettors in the Garden State.

Hockey First Bet Safety Net Bonus

This is an increasingly popular welcome bonus offered by New Jersey sportsbooks, with some significant numbers involved. The premise is simple: register an account and place a real money bet. If it loses, the “safety net” means you’ll pick up a bonus equal to the value of that first wager.

Many betting sites in New Jersey are going crazy with this type of offer. Bet365, for example, offers a “refund” of $1,000 in bonus bets, while BetMGM goes even further, with a maximum bonus of $1,500.

It's totally feasible to use this bonus opportunity for Hockey wagering.

Bet Boosts for Hockey

All of the state’s top bookies offer regular bet boosts. For most sites, it’s a case of picking out a number of individual selections, or even entire lines, where the odds are enhanced. As a result, regular customers can sign in and place bets at odds which are greater than the market price.

However, some sportsbooks allow you to choose your own selections for enhancement. These odds boosts can be extremely rewarding if you’re a knowledgeable hockey bettor.

Hockey Parlay Insurance

It’s tricky to hit a parlay, and few things are more frustrating than when just one of your picks lets you down. Many of the best hockey betting sites in New Jersey recognize this, however, and offer some kind of compensation as a result.

FanDuel is just one example of a site that regularly runs parlay insurance promotions. Place a standard parlay with at least five legs and, if just one selection loses, you’ll receive a cash refund of up to $25.

NHL Early Payouts with bet365

Early payouts are a specialty of Bet365, though other bookies also run such promotions. For NHL games, if you bet on a team to win and they take a three goal lead, you’ll be paid immediately. 

Even if your chosen team ends up losing the game, it doesn’t matter. Your bet is already settled as a winner. 

Major Hockey Tournaments for Betting

New Jersey's top sportsbooks offer all kinds of hockey leagues from around the world. Here are some of the most popular with punters.

Kontinental Hockey League

Outside of North America, the KHL is arguably the world’s biggest hockey competition. It was only founded in 2008, but it’s full of talented players. Most of the league’s 23 teams are based in Russia, though there’s a representative from Kazakhstan, Belarus and even China playing in the KHL. 

Swedish Hockey League

Formed in 1875, Sweden’s SHL is another major competition in Europe. Just 14 teams take part, but each one plays 52 games, resulting in plenty of betting opportunities. The playoffs in Sweden are a little quirkier than the NHL, as the top three seeds are allowed to choose their opponents.

NHL Betting in New Jersey

Obviously, the most popular hockey competition with bettors in New Jersey is the NHL. Founded way back in 1917, there are currently 32 active teams, most of which are from the USA, with seven from Canada. With each team playing 82 regular season games, there’s always plenty to bet on.

Stanley Cup

As the NHL enters the post season playoffs, betting interest ramps up, as there’s something riding on every single game. At the end of the competition, the winner lifts the coveted Stanley Cup. New Jersey’s very own Devils have achieved this feat on three separate occasions. 

NCAA

In recent years, the growth of college hockey has seen an increasing number of talented players emerge. Roughly one-third of NHL players now come from the collegiate system, compared to just 20% in the year 2000. The increase in quality has brought more fans, as well as bettors.

Most Common Hockey Betting Markets in New Jersey

We’ve seen the top leagues offered by hockey sportsbooks in New Jersey, but what about the most popular lines? Let’s take a look.

Moneyline Betting

One of the most common ways to bet on hockey is the moneyline. It’s a simple choice between the two teams, with no handicaps to consider. Which one do you think will win the game, including overtime where applicable?

3-Way Wagering

An alternative to the moneyline can be found at all of New Jersey’s best hockey betting sites. As well as choosing either team to win, you can also bet on the tie. This third option is the reason for the bet’s name. 

It doesn’t matter if the game goes to overtime, as the 3-way is settled at the end of normal time.

Wagering on the Hockey Spreads in New Jersey

When one team is a big favorite, the spread is usually a better alternative to the moneyline market. The underdog receives a points head start, bringing the odds closer together and making for a fairer contest. 

For example, let’s say you back the New Jersey Devils to win +1.5 on the spread. They could lose the game by one goal and your bet still wins.

Totals Betting for Hockey

The next most popular hockey betting line is the total number of goals in the game. All you need to do is guess whether the real number of goals will be higher or lower than the bookmaker’s fictional line. 

Although the Totals market usually concerns the entire game, you’ll find separate bets for each individual period.

Top Hockey Betting Strategies for New Jersey Players

It’s almost time to start placing some bets. However, before you do, take these simple hockey betting tips on board and make sure you get off to a winning start.

Know Who’s Starting in Goal

Goaltenders are often rested, but they’re integral to a team’s performance. If the regular goalie isn’t starting, this will likely have a negative impact. And if the news is announced late, the odds could be out of line.

Read Up on xG

Expected Goals, better-known as xG, is a metric that rates the quality of shots at goal. After all, a heave at the goaltender from distance is not the same as a close-range chance at an unguarded net. 

Make sure you assess the xG of a team, not just the actual goals scored. These figures can reveal if a team’s offense has been unlucky recently, and perhaps a regression to the mean lies in its immediate future.

Corsi For Percentage

Similarly, you’ll want to make sure you understand the Corsi For Percentage, or CF% metric. This attempts to measure a team’s shot attempts, including blocks and missed chances, compared to their opponents. 

High scores for this particular statistic indicate that a team is good at controlling the puck. It’s more likely, therefore, that they’ll create good chances. Anything over 55% indicates that the team is likely to finish in the playoffs.  

Fade the Public

If in doubt, do the opposite of everyone else. Most bettors are either fans supporting their team, or placing fun bets to keep things interesting. They’re certainly not professional punters or particularly knowledgeable experts.

Whenever there’s consensus about the outcome of a game, the heavy favorite is likely to be underpriced. Betting against them won’t work every time, but in the long run, you’re more likely to profit than simply backing the favorites. 

Conclusion - NJ Players have Some of the Best Hockey Betting Sites to Choose From

Hockey remains one of the most popular sports in the Garden State, both in terms of viewership and betting. That’s why you’ll find detailed coverage of the NHL, as well as many other international hockey competitions, at all sportsbooks in the Garden State.

Our expert team has chosen the best hockey betting sites to make your life easier. So, if you’d like to get involved, be sure to choose one of the legal and trusted sportsbooks named on this page. 

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