Hockey Totals (Over/Under) Explained

What a Hockey Total Is

A total, also called an over/under, is a bet on the combined number of goals in a game. The sportsbook sets a line, and you bet that the real total finishes over it or under it. In the NHL the line is usually a number such as 5.5 or 6, though it varies with the teams, the goalies and the conditions.

Reading the Line

As a hypothetical example, a game has a total of 5.5. An over bet wins if there are six goals or more, and an under bet wins with five or fewer. A half-goal line cannot tie. A whole-number line, such as 6, can finish on exactly 6 goals, which is normally a push with the stake refunded under house rules.

The Price on a Total

Both sides are usually priced near even, often -110 as an illustration. At -110 you risk 110 to win 100, so you must win about 52.4% of bets to break even. The pair together implies roughly 104.8%, and the extra is the sportsbook’s margin. If the over is -120 and the under is +100, the sportsbook is telling you which way it expects more money to come.

What Counts Toward the Total

Overtime goals normally count in the regular season, because the total covers the game as it ends. Shootouts are different. A shootout decides the winner but is generally not counted as goals toward the total, even though the official score adds one goal for the winner. Some sportsbooks treat it differently, so confirm it in the rules. In the playoffs, overtime goals count and there is no shootout. A related market, regulation-time totals, counts only the first 60 minutes.

Factors That Move a Total

• Goaltending. A hot goalie or a backup in net moves a line more than anything else.
• Pace and style. Fast teams and teams that allow many shots lift totals, while defensive teams pull them down.
• Special teams. Heavy penalty trouble means more power plays and more goals.
• Back-to-back games. Tired legs can mean more goals against.
• Playoff intensity. Totals often drop in the postseason as checking tightens.

Empty-Net Goals

Empty-net goals count toward the total. A game sitting at four goals with two minutes left can reach six if a trailing team pulls the goalie and gives up one. For over bettors that is a late rescue, and for under bettors it is a painful finish. It is one reason live totals change so quickly near the end of the third period.

Team Totals and Period Totals

Some sportsbooks list team totals, which count one team’s goals, and period totals, which cover a single period. These are narrower versions of the same bet with the same arithmetic. Which ones are open for a given game is shown by Rexbet, and this guide cannot promise they will be.

Where to Go Next

The article NHL totals, overtime and shootout rules goes into the settlement details. For the rest of the game card, see NHL betting and puck line betting. Totals move fastest during a game, which is the subject of live hockey betting. You must be 19 or older, or 18 or older in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec, and responsible gambling lists Canadian support.