Betting stats for the current NHL season reveal that 22.4% of the games played have been decided in overtime. Given that so many games do end as a tie through three periods of regulation play, there is a certain amount of betting value in an NHL three-way line.
The standard money line bet in NHL games adds more financial risk to betting the favorite in a straight-up match. You can earn a higher return by betting on the underdog to pull off the upset.
A three-way NHL money line adds the option to bet on a tie at the end of regulation. By adding this third possible result, you can typically earn plus money on the favorite and the underdog.
The following example points out the difference between the two betting options.
Standard NHL Money Line Bet
- Pittsburgh Penguins +105
- Washington Capitals -115
In this game, Pittsburgh is a slight road underdog. You could earn $105 on a $100 betting the Penguins to win. You would have to wager $115 to win $100 betting on Washington as the home favorite.
Three Way NHL Money Line Bet
- Pittsburgh Penguins +175
- Washington Capitals +120
- Tie: +290
Betting the three-way line for this game, your return on a $100 bet on Pittsburgh jumps to $175. You can also make plus money betting Washington as the favorite with a $120 return on a $100 bet. If this game ends in a tie at the end of three periods, the return on a $100 wager would be $290.
You can see how adding a third betting option dramatically impacts the money line for each side. This also adds quite a bit of strategy to this play. A tight matchup, such as the example above, will increase the chance that the game does end as a tie to add quite a bit of value to betting this way.
Given that these two teams are almost evenly matched, this also increases the chances that Pittsburgh can win straight-up at a very attractive return. Betting the Capitals as favorites become attractive as well with the plus money return.
The first tip for betting NHL three-way lines is to go through the normal handicapping process to determine which team you have winning this game. The only difference in the process is to also determine the probability of a tie.
You can make a note of the result in the past ten games between the two teams to see how many matchups ended as a tie in regulation. You can also make a note of how many games this season went to overtime for each team.
Some NHL teams play one another extremely close, adding value to betting the tie in certain matchups. Unless you have strong confidence in an upset, the best betting value for an NHL three-way line still leans towards the favorite.
The second tip for betting NHL three-way lines is to study the posted odds. In many cases, you can earn plus money on the favorite simply by adding in the possibility of a tie in regulation. Going through the same handicapping process, you may uncover a clear edge that adds tremendous value betting that way.
The same could be said for betting underdogs on the three-way line. If you are willing to bet that way on the standard NHL money line, adding the risk of a tie can really enhance your overall return.
Betting on a tie with the biggest inflated return requires more luck than anything else. Yet, more than 20% of the time, it pays off.
