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How to bet on Sports

Sports betting can look and sound pretty intimidating. But it doesn’t have to be. With some basic Odditude you can understand everything you need to know but were afraid to ask about setting up your account, odds and types of bets.

Want to bet on your favorite sports? Read our guide to betting on football

Sports betting can look and sound pretty intimidating. But it doesn’t have to be. With some basic Odditude you can understand everything you need to know but were afraid to ask.

Sports betting can look and sound pretty intimidating. But it doesn’t have to be. With some basic Odditude you can understand everything you need to know but were afraid to ask about setting up your account, odds and types of bets.

Set up your account in a snap

Get ready to have fun with sports betting in no time at all by joining the team. Start by selecting the “Join” button from the right hand side of the site navigation of the PlayNow.com website to sign up.

Step 1

The action starts by choosing your welcome bonus. We currently offer up to $150 in matched deposits for sports betting. Then just provide your personal details (Name, address, birth date, email and phone number).

The action starts by choosing your welcome bonus. We currently offer up a $250 matched deposit offer for sports betting. Then just provide your personal details (Name, address, birth date, email and phone number).

Step 2

Secure your account by selecting your username (6-20 characters without symbols or special characters), picking a strong password, verifying it and choosing two security questions and answers.

Step 3

Now the exciting stuff, read the PlayNow player agreement, privacy note and consent to the terms and confirm that you have created your account for yourself. Once you've completed all those tasks, you can complete your sign up and get ready to bet. If you are having trouble completing the registration process, please contact our Customer Support Centre at 1-877-706-6789 or through a Live Chat on PlayNow and they will be happy to assist you.

Fund your account

Before you can jump into the action, you have to make your first deposit. When you're signed in, you can mouseover your account in the right hand corner of your screen and bring up all the things you can do with your account.

Choose from 6 deposit methods

Use your Debit card or Credit credit for quick deposits or you select Interact Online, PayPal, Web Cash (available for purchase at your local Lotto retailer) or Online bill payment.

Choose from 5 deposit methods

Use your Debit card or Credit card for quick deposits, or you can select Interact Online, PayPal or Online bill payment to make a deposit.

Choose from 5 deposit methods

Use your Debit card or Credit card for quick deposits, or you can select Interact Online, PayPal or Online bill payment to make a deposit.

Enter your banking details

For any of the methods, follow the required banking or payment information and then make your first deposit. Once you've added funds to your account, you're ready to take the field and get started with your first bet.

Odds

Odds are simply a way of determining what is likely to happen in any given event and how much you will potentially get if you're right. The odds you'll see on PlayNow.com when you first arrive, are decimal odds.

Decimal odds

Decimal odds are sports betting's easiest to understand and calculate. They work the same no matter which team you pick. The lower the value, the more likely the outcome. The higher the value, the less likely the outcome.

Calculating your potential payouts

To figure out your potential payout of a $10 bet on Kansas City at 1.36 odds, simply multiply your bet by that decimal value to get $3.60 plus your original $10 back for a total potential payout of $13.60. Want Detroit at 3.25? Since that is less likely to happen, your $10 bet multiplied by 3.25 will get a potential payout of $22.50 plus your original $10 bet.

American odds

American odds may be what you see when you're watching the game or on social media from betting experts. In addition to value, American odds feature positive and negative values.

Understanding +'s and -'s

The plus sign indicates the team that is less likely to win or the underdog for the game. The minus indicates the team likely to win, or favourite. The lower the negative value, the higher the implied probability.

Calculating your potential payouts

American odds are generally calculated using $100 values, so a little simple math is involved if you are starting small (don't worry PlayNow.com does all of this math for you). Want to see your potential payout on the underdog? Divide your $10 bet by 100 and them multiply by 230 for your potential payout of $23 plus your original wager back. How about the favourite? Flip the calculation by taking your $10 bet, dividing it by 280 and multiplying it by 100 for a potential payout of $3.57. Easy right?

Understanding favourites

In sports betting, we often talk about favourites and underdogs based on their predicted chances of winning. Favourites are expected to win and come with shorter odds. Betting on them to win, your potential payout will be, you guessed it, smaller.

Understanding underdogs

Underdogs are the opposite. They are not expected to win, so they have higher odds and a potential larger profit if they do win. In decimal odds anything less than 1.90 indicates a favourite, while anything greater is an underdog. While in American odds, underdogs usually have that + sign, there can be cases where you have the favourite at –115 and the underdog at –105.

Pick 'ems

A pick 'em scenario is when both teams are seen as having equal chances of winning and the bookmaker can't decide who the favourite is - so it's your pick. It means they are close to even for both, say if both teams had 1.90 in decimal odds or both were -110.

Markets and Bet Types

Sports betting is made up of two parts, markets and bet types. You typically choose your market and then decide the bet you want to make on it.

Markets

Markets simply refer to a specific event or scenario you can bet on. Essentially what exactly you are betting on within a specific game. Different sports have different markets due to their unique aspects. These are what you are going to see when you arrive in the sports section of Playnow.com.

Bet types

While a bet type is the format or structure of the bet itself. This is all about defining how you are placing the bets, whether you are betting on just one outcome, combining multiple bets, betting live during the game or how your payouts are calculated.

Money Line

Money Line is one of the simplest and most popular bets in sports betting because you're typically betting on is who will win a game or event - the score doesn't matter.

Point Spread

This is a bet not just on who will win, but by how much. A team must "cover the spread" for the bet to win. You may also hear this called Puck Line for hockey or Run Line for baseball.

Totals (often called Over/under)

With a 'Totals' or 'Over/Under' wager, you're not betting on any one team but typically on whether the combined total score of both teams will be over or under the number that's been set for the game. Wagering on this type of outcome is great when you're not sure who's going to win but have a sense of whether it's going to be a low or high scoring game overall.

There are 4 primary ways to bet on sports

Single Bet

Single Bets are the simplest and most popular, and are exactly what they sound like, an individual bet placed on a single game or event. One bet on one outcome.

Parlay Bet

A Parlay Bet combines multiple outcomes from different events into one bet. Instead of different single bets. Parlay bets are all or nothing. If any of the selections in your Parlay Bet are settled as a Loss, then your bet doesn't win.

Same Game Parlay (SGP)

Think of your multiple outcome Parlay Bet, but this time instead of different events, your parlay is all related to one event or game.

Live Bet

Just because a game has already begun doesn't mean you've missed out on your chance to place a bet on it. With Live Betting, you can bet on games still in progress. Due to the fast pace of Live Betting, live odds are dynamically changing throughout the course of an event according to the action in the game.

How to bet on hockey

The Vancouver Canucks have clinched a Stanley Cup playoff berth!

With the action heating up on the ice, PlayNow Sports is your home to learn how to bet on your favourite NHL teams this spring.

Sports betting may at first seem intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be.

The PlayNow Sports guide to betting on hockey is here to help make sense of the numbers and the jargon. Feel confident in placing a bet and enjoy the excitement of wagering on the biggest hockey games of the year.

In this guide, we will teach you everything you need to know about:

✔ Where to bet on hockey

✔ How to wager on the Vancouver Canucks

✔ What makes betting on the Stanley Cup playoffs so exciting

✔ How to bet on the Money Line, Puck Line and Total Goals

✔ Popular bets including player props, futures bets, and NHL Same Game Parlays

✔ How to get started at PlayNow Sports

Where can I bet on hockey?

If you’re looking to start betting on hockey, you may be asking where you should bet. PlayNow Sports is your safe, secure, and regulated betting site to wager on hockey and all sports.

Plus, when you sign up and place your bets at PlayNow Sports, the revenue generated from online gambling stays right here in the province of British Columbia, supporting many provincial and community organizations, including education and health care.

Three ways to bet on the Vancouver Canucks

Wager on the Games

PlayNow Sports is the Official Sports Betting Partner of the Vancouver Canucks and offers a wide variety of bets for National Hockey League games. Getting ready to watch a Vancouver Canucks game with your friends, and want to add even more excitement? At PlayNow Sports, you can wager on the outcome of the game, simply by taking a team to win. Or you can wager on your favourite player to score a goal with our Player Props selections.

Check out the latest odds for Canucks and NHL Games

From pre-season long shot to Stanley Cup contender

The Vancouver Canucks began the season in October with odds of 51.00 to win the Stanley Cup. They were considered a long shot compared to other teams such as the Edmonton Oilers.

At those odds, it would mean a $10 wager would pay out $510 if the Canucks win the Stanley Cup!

Odds on a team to win the Stanley Cup can change often throughout the season depending on how a team is performing. For the Canucks, they have gone from pre-season long shots to contenders, with their odds of winning the Stanley Cup moving from 51.00 in October to 11.00 in April. That puts them among the favourites at PlayNow Sports to win the Stanley Cup this year!

Check out Hockey Futures odds

*Odds to win the Stanley Cup are subject to change during the NHL season

Know the stats, standings, and trends

The Vancouver Canucks have enjoyed an impressive 2023-24 season. They boast one of the league’s top goalies in Thatcher Demko, one of the best defencemen in Quinn Hughes, and one of the top point producers in the NHL in Elias Pettersson. View the latest stats, trends, injury reports and NHL standings to help inform your bets at PlayNow Sports.

What makes betting on hockey so exciting

Hockey is a fast-paced, physically demanding game that requires elite talent at its highest level – the National Hockey League. But what makes betting on hockey so exciting?

It’s the thrill of cheering for your favourite team with the added excitement of potentially winning some money if they win.

It is the sheer intensity brought on by the Stanley Cup playoffs. Every goal. Every hit. Every save. Every near miss. Towels waving in the stands. Marathon overtime games. Every minute of every playoff game, from the first round to end of the Stanley Cup Final, is a test of skill and human will at remarkable speed that you can argue is unmatched by most other sports.

Ways to bet on hockey

There are more ways to bet on hockey at PlayNow Sports than ever before. Wager on the action before, during and after the game!

Check out where you can bet on NHL Games

Money Line: Pick a team to win the game

The Money Line is the easiest way to bet on a game – and one of the most popular hockey wagers at PlayNow Sports. It’s simple: A Money Line wager is a bet on the team you think will win the game in any fashion.

Check out the Money Line odds for NHL Games

Reading the Money Line

For most NHL games, there are underdogs and favourites, represented with different odds.
The underdog is the team less likely to win the game. Their odds will have a higher value than their opponent. With a higher value in odds, a $10 wager on the underdog could have a higher potential total payout compared to the same wager amount on the favourite.
The favourite is the team that is expected to win. Their odds will have a lower value. Betting on the favourite may seem like the better option but would have a lower potential total payout depending on the wager amount.
On rare occasions, both teams will have the same odds to win the game. This is called a Pick ‘Em – when the two teams are so evenly matched that oddsmakers assign each team the same odds to win.
For a Money Line bet to pay out, your team must win the game in any fashion – regulation, overtime, or shootout.
To calculate your total potential payout, multiply your wager amount by the decimal odds. A $10 bet on the Vancouver Canucks at odds of 1.75 would pay $7.50 in winnings plus your original wager for a total potential payout of $17.50.

Team cities and odds mentioned are for illustration only. Total payouts featured in illustrations may differ from total payouts available on PlayNow Sports.

Puck Line: Hockey’s version of the Point Spread

Another popular wager on hockey is the Puck Line. This is hockey’s version of a point spread and another way to see which team is the favourite or underdog.

Check out Puck Line odds

Reading the Puck Line

The favourite is indicated by the minus (-) sign and the underdog is indicated by a plus (+) sign.
In hockey, the main Puck Line is set at 1.5 goals. This is because hockey is a lower-scoring sport compared to football and basketball.
Odds are attached to the Puck Line to show how much you can potentially win on your wager.
If you are betting on the Puck Line favourite at -1.5, that team needs to win the game by two goals or more for your bet to hit.
If you bet on the puck line underdog at +1.5, your bet wins if that team either wins the game or loses by one goal.
Let’s say you see the Vancouver Canucks at -1.5 on the Puck Line at odds of 2.60. A $10 wager on the Puck Line has a potential total payout of $26.00 and will count as a winning bet if the Canucks win by two goals or more.

Team cities and odds mentioned are for illustration only. Total payouts featured in illustrations may differ from total payouts available on PlayNow Sports.

Total Goals: Betting on how many goals will be scored

You’ve heard your friends joking about the Over / Under on something – “The number of hockey sticks Dave will break during Sunday hockey is 1.5!” For betting on hockey, the technical term for the Over / Under is Total Goals. This is simply a projection of the total number of goals scored in a game. Or in Dave’s case, the number of hockey sticks his buddies think he’ll break in one game.

Check out the Total Goals for NHL Games

Reading the Total or Over / Under

In this example, the total is set at 6.5 goals. If there are seven or more total goals scored in the game, the Over 6.5 will win.
If six or fewer goals are scored in a game, the Under 6.5 will win.
When betting on hockey, goals scored in overtime, or the goal awarded after a shootout will count towards the total number of goals scored in a game.
In this example, decimal odds of 1.90 have been applied to both the Over 6.5 and Under 6.5. This means that a $10 wager on the Over will have a total potential payout of $19.00.
Total Goals are also available for betting on individual periods. When betting on Total Goals in a single period, it’s important to note that only goals scored in that period will count towards the Total.
You’ll also see Total Goals for a game set at 6.0 or 7.0.
Let’s say you bet the Over 6.0, and the game ends with six total goals scored, your bet will be settled as a Push, and your stake will be returned to your account.

Team cities and odds mentioned are for illustration only. Total payouts featured in illustrations may differ from total payouts available on PlayNow Sports.

Other Ways to Bet

60-Minute Line

A 60-Minute Line is similar to the Money Line for hockey, however, the biggest difference is that these markets are settled based on the results in regulation time and exclude overtime and the shootout. You will see three outcomes for this type of bet. You can wager on the Home Team, a Tie, or the Away Team. If you took the Tie, and the score at the end of three periods is 3-3, your bet would be a winner.

Parlays

A parlay bet allows you to wager on the outcome of multiple NHL Games. If you feel the Vancouver Canucks and the Winnipeg Jets will both win their respective games that night, you can parlay both Money Line selections into one bet. When making a parlay, the individual Money Line odds for each selection are multiplied together. This can mean a higher total potential payout – if both selections win. If one selection loses, then your 2-way parlay would also lose as both picks must be correct to win.

Same Game Parlays (SGP)

Same Game Parlays allow you to wager on multiple outcomes within the same NHL game. Just look for the ‘SGP’ icon in the betting page and click there to make your Same Game Parlay wager. If you think the Vancouver Canucks will win the game, the Over 6.5 Total Goals will hit, and Elias Pettersson will score a goal, you can combine all three selections into one wager with NHL Same Game Parlays. The odds for each selection will multiply like a standard parlay. Once you’ve made all your selections, add them to your bet slip as one bet and choose your wager amount.

Player Props

Player Props are a fun way to wager on the performance of your favourite players within the game. Let’s say you think Brock Boeser will score a goal in a game. You can select Brock Boeser to score 1+ Goals as part of our Player Props. If he scores in regulation or overtime of that game, your bet would be a winner! Other popular player props include Total Shots on Goal, Total Points and Total Saves. These player props work similarly to the Total Goals – you’re betting the Over or Under for these selections.

More ways to bet on hockey than ever before

Live Betting

Live betting (aka in-play betting) is offered on all NHL games and gives you the opportunity to place bets even after the puck drops. A variety of bets are available for live betting, including a Live Money Line, Total Goals and Puck Line. But be sure to keep an eye on the odds and availability of the bets available. They can change quickly and suspend temporarily depending on the action on the ice.

Futures Bet

You can also wager on an outcome to happen at a future date – simply known as a Futures bet. A popular Futures bet on PlayNow Sports is wagering on a team to win the Stanley Cup. It’s a bet you can make before and during the regular season and through the Stanley Cup playoffs, and on more than just one team. Other popular Futures bets include betting on which player will lead the league in scoring, and all other NHL Trophy and Award winners.

How to get started at PlayNow

Get started on PlayNow Sports in five simple steps

Pick your bonus and share your details within the Registration page
Secure your account
Read the player agreement and privacy notice
Fund your account
Visit the My Promotions page to see our current offer(s)

For more information, check out our guide on how to set up and fund your account.

How to bet on Sports

Sports betting can look and sound pretty intimidating. But it doesn’t have to be. With some basic Odditude you can understand everything you need to know but were afraid to ask about setting up your account, odds and types of bets.

Sports betting can look and sound pretty intimidating. But it doesn’t have to be. With some basic Odditude you can understand everything you need to know but were afraid to ask.

Sports betting can look and sound pretty intimidating. But it doesn’t have to be. With some basic Odditude you can understand everything you need to know but were afraid to ask about setting up your account, odds and types of bets.

Set up your account in a snap

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Fund your account

Choose from 6 deposit methods

Choose from 5 deposit methods

Choose from 5 deposit methods

Enter your banking details

Odds

Decimal odds

Calculating your potential payouts

American odds

Understanding +'s and -'s

Calculating your potential payouts

Understanding favourites

Understanding underdogs

Pick 'ems

Markets and Bet Types

Markets

Bet types

Money Line

Point Spread

Totals (often called Over/under)

There are 4 primary ways to bet on sports

Single Bet

Parlay Bet

Same Game Parlay (SGP)

Live Bet

How to bet on hockey

In this guide, we will teach you everything you need to know about:

Where can I bet on hockey?

If you’re looking to start betting on hockey, you may be asking where you should bet. PlayNow Sports is your safe, secure, and regulated betting site to wager on hockey and all sports.

Three ways to bet on the Vancouver Canucks

Wager on the Games

From pre-season long shot to Stanley Cup contender

Know the stats, standings, and trends

Every game has two intermissions. Take a break from gambling when you need it, too. Learn more about safer gambling at GameSense.com.

What makes betting on hockey so exciting

Ways to bet on hockey

Money Line: Pick a team to win the game

Reading the Money Line

Puck Line: Hockey’s version of the Point Spread

Reading the Puck Line

Total Goals: Betting on how many goals will be scored

Reading the Total or Over / Under

Other Ways to Bet

60-Minute Line

Parlays

Same Game Parlays (SGP)

Player Props

More ways to bet on hockey than ever before

Live Betting

Futures Bet

Ready to get started betting on hockey?

New players receive $50 in free bets when you make a minimum $10 first deposit and $10 bet at PlayNow Sports!

How to get started at PlayNow

Get started on PlayNow Sports in five simple steps

FAQs

Does overtime count in hockey betting?

What does a (+) and (-) mean for hockey betting?

Does Puck Line include overtime?

Do shootout goals count as goals in hockey betting?

What is a Double Chance in hockey betting?

What is the most popular NHL bet?

Where can I find all the rules for Hockey betting markets?