NHL Totals, Overtime and Shootout Rules

A total bet looks simple: pick over or under. In hockey the difficulty lies in what happens at the end of the game. Overtime, shootouts and empty-net goals all affect the final number, and the rules for each are not always what a new bettor expects. This guide goes through them in the order they come up.

The Basics of a Total

A total is a bet on the combined goals in a game. The sportsbook sets a line, and you choose whether the final tally ends over or under it. In the NHL, lines commonly sit around 5.5 or 6 goals, though they vary with the teams and the goalies. A half-goal line removes ties. A whole-number line can push, with the stake normally refunded.

Regulation Time

For 60 minutes, three periods of 20, every goal counts. If the score is tied after that, the rules change depending on the season. A separate market, usually called a regulation-time total, counts only these first 60 minutes. Make sure you know which market you are betting on, because the two can produce different results for the same game.

Regular-Season Overtime

In the regular season, a tied game goes to a five-minute overtime played three-on-three. It is open and fast, and goals are frequent. If someone scores, that goal normally counts toward the total on most sportsbooks. This means an under bet on a total of 6 that looked safe at 3-3 after regulation can lose if a quick overtime goal makes it seven.

The Shootout

If no one scores in overtime, the game goes to a shootout. The official score then credits the winning team with one extra goal so that the game has a winner. Most sportsbooks do not count that shootout goal toward the total, so a game that finishes 3-3 after overtime stays at six goals for betting purposes. Some sportsbooks have different rules, and the only reliable source is the rules at Rexbet. Read them before you rely on this explanation.

Playoff Overtime

The playoffs have no shootout. If the score is tied, teams play sudden-death overtime in full 20-minute periods at five-on-five until someone scores. Every goal counts toward the total. A long game can run well past three periods, which sometimes pushes an over bet across the line in the second or third overtime.

Empty-Net Goals

When a team trails late, it pulls its goalie for an extra attacker. If the leading team scores into the empty net, that goal counts like any other. A game sitting at five goals with two minutes left can finish at six, and a total of 5.5 changes from an under winner to an over winner in seconds. Experienced bettors keep this in mind when they take an under on a game with a one-goal lead.

What Else Moves a Total

• Goaltending, including which goalie starts, which can be confirmed late.
• Back-to-back games and travel.
• Special teams, since a lot of power plays means more goals.
• Injuries to top scorers or top defenders.
• Playoff style, where checking is tighter and totals often fall.

Check the Price Too

As an illustration, if both sides are priced at -110, each implies about 52.4%, and the pair adds up to about 104.8%. The extra is the sportsbook’s margin. If one side moves to -125, the market has shifted, and your edge, if you had one, is smaller than it looked at the original number.

Before You Bet

• Confirm whether the market is full-game or regulation-time.
• Confirm how overtime and the shootout are treated.
• Check the goalies and the injury news.
• Decide a stake before the game starts.

For the reference page on this market, see hockey totals, and for the rest of a game card, NHL betting. Rexbet is an offshore operator and is not regulated by a Canadian province. You must be 19 or older, or 18 or older in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec. For support, see responsible gambling.