You can place live bets on BetMGM throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
With a shortened season, division realignment, and the overlapping of regular-season games and playoff games, the 2021 NHL season was unlike anything we’ve ever seen. But in reaching the playoffs, a sense of normalcy has returned with high-stakes games, overtime thrillers, and loads of live betting opportunities.
What is Live Betting?
Live sports betting has exploded in popularity in recent years, and for a good reason: It’s fun as hell.
Live betting is an exciting and lucrative opportunity to place in-game wagers in real-time, use your hockey and betting knowledge to cash more tickets on one game, and adjust your positions throughout the game as you watch on TV or in person.
For example, the Pittsburgh Penguins hosted the New York Islanders in Game 2 of their First Round series on Tuesday, May 18. Pre-game odds after the Islanders won Game 1 with a Kyle Palmieri overtime goal two days earlier:
- Money line: Islanders +105, Penguins -130
- Spread: Islanders +1.5 (-250), Penguins -1.5 (+200)
- Over/under: Over 5 (-145), Under 5 (+120)
Maybe you passed on pre-game money line bets but, anticipating a lower-scoring game and return to the Islanders’ regular-season trend as a strong under team – only the Anaheim Ducks and Detroit Red Wings hit the under more often than the Islander – you took under 5 total goals as a single bet.
Or maybe you parlayed the over/under with the Tampa Bay Lightning money line (-110) against the Florida Panthers and under 5.5 goals (-125) in Game 2 of the Minnesota Wild-Vegas Golden Knights series. With parlay odds of +481, your potential payout on a $50 bet would’ve been $290.30.
Regardless of your pre-game position on the Penguins-Islanders game and any other game throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs, you can place live bets during the game. From opening face-off through the final horn or game-winning overtime goal, you can browse live betting odds for the spread, over/under total, money line, and place a live bet when a favorable number is posted.
How to Place Live Bets on the NHL Playoffs
Immediately after Sidney Crosby and Mathew Barzal battle for the opening face-off, the live betting hockey odds are available on the live betting page and NHL betting lines page.
Midway through the first period of Game 2, the Penguins led 1-0 after Bryan Rust’s 17th career playoff goal and were heavy money line favorites (-350). Their spread (-1.5) vig also jumped to -110, and the over/under total goals increased to 5.5 (-110 over, -115 under).
Despite the early goal, you felt good about your pre-game bet of under 5 goals (+120) and saw an opportunity to increase your position. Now, instead of holding one $50 ticket on the total, you held two $50 tickets on the total:
- $50: Under 5 (+120)
- $50: Under 5.5 (-115
Later in the first period, as the Penguins led 2-0 after Jeff Carter’s goal, the total was still 5.5, but the vig climbed to +110. And as you watched a good first period from Penguins’ goalie Tristan Jarry (11 stops in the first 17 minutes, including four waves of multiple stops within seconds), that number was attractive.
You increased your pre-game over/under total position again and, in the closing minutes of the first period, held three tickets:
- $50: Under 5 (+120)
- $50: Under 5.5 (-115)
- $50: Under 5.5 (+110)
Total potential payout if the game ends with four or fewer goals: $290.15 (profit of $140.15).
If the game ends with five goals: $198.48 (profit of $48.48).
The game ended with three goals – the Penguins tied the series at 1-1 as Jarry made 37 saves on 38 shots – and all three tickets would’ve cashed. If you weren’t following live betting, you would’ve missed opportunities to increase your position and increase your payouts.
Live Betting Parlays
The excitement of hockey live betting doesn’t stop with single bets. You can combine live bets from multiple games into one live betting parlay.
If multiple Stanley Cup Playoff games are played concurrently, you can build parlays with money line, spread, and over/under bets from multiple games.
For example, late in the first period of the Penguins-Islanders game, the Lightning-Panthers game was starting. And when the Lightning led 1-0 on Steven Stamkos’ goal five minutes in, you could’ve combined the Penguins-Islanders under 5.5 (+110) with the Lightning -1.5 spread (+105) for a two-leg $50 parlay with a potential payout of $215.25.
And when the Lighting won 3-1, after the Penguins’ 2-1 win an hour earlier, your live betting parlay ticket would’ve cashed.
Visit the BetMGM sports book to view up-to-the-minute odds and place a live bet online for the NHL Playoffs
