Totals (over/under)
You bet on the total goals both teams score combined, over or under the number the book sets, without caring who wins.
Totals (plus/moins) are perfect when you have a feeling about the game but not about the winner. The book sets a number, usually 5.5 or 6.5 for an NHL game, and you pick over or under.
How OT and shootouts count
Most books use the official final score, so overtime goals count. A shootout adds one goal to the team that wins it. So if the Habs and the Leafs are tied 3-3 after OT and the Habs win the shootout, the final goes down as 4-3 and the total is 7.
Example: under 5.5
Under 5.5 at +105, over 5.5 at -125 (illustrative, not a pick). You bet $20 on the under.
- Final 3-2 in regulation: 5 goals, you win $21 and get $41 back.
- Tied 3-3 after OT, Habs win the shootout: graded as 4-3, 7 goals, you lose.
- Tied 2-2 after regulation, Habs score in overtime to win 3-2: 5 goals, you still win.
The two prices imply 48.8% and 55.6%, which adds up to 104.3%, so there's about 4.2% of vig in that line.
Tips
- Check the starting goalies before you bet a total; a backup getting the start can move the number fast.
- Team totals exist too, like Habs over 2.5 goals, if you only care about one side of the scoreboard.