Hockey Betting: How to Bet on Hockey with Bitcoin
Hockey is a popular sport in many parts of the world, and bettors globally want in on the action.
Read on to learn more about hockey and how you can use Bitcoin to bet on hockey games.
Table of Contents
- What is Hockey?
- Ice Hockey vs. Field Hockey: What’s the Difference?
- Top Hockey Competitions
- Popular Hockey Bets
- How to Bet on Hockey with Bitcoin on 1xBit
What is Hockey?
Hockey is an outdoor sport played by two teams, each with eleven players. Players use a stick called a ‘hockey stick’ curved at the striking end to hit a small ball. During a game, both teams have the objective of hitting the ball into the opponent’s goal.
Hockey can either be played on a sheet of ice (Ice Hockey) or on an open field (Field Hockey). It was the 3rd most-watched sport at the 2012 London Olympics and since then, hockey betting has become a favorite activity for millions of bettors around the world.
Among the best countries in field hockey include India, Australia, Belgium, Germany, New Zealand, and Argentina. Ice hockey, on the other hand, is most popular in Canada and the US.
Before placing your hockey bets, it’s important to know the difference between ice and field hockey. So, let’s take a look at the differences next.
Ice Hockey vs. Field Hockey: What’s the Difference?
Depending on the country you’re from, hockey may mean different things for different people.
For example, if you live in areas like the US, Canada, or Eastern Europe, the word hockey will mostly bring images of ice hockey to mind. However, if you’re in areas like India, Australia, or Southern Europe, you will mostly think of field hockey.
Other than a few similarities, the two have several differences worth noting.
1. The Playing Field
This is among the most obvious differences as one is played on ice while the other is on a field. In field hockey, players mostly prefer to play on astroturf as the ball can be moved quickly while in ice hockey, the players play on an indoor ice field.
2. Number of Players
A field hockey team has eleven players, out of which one is a goalie, three are defenders, four are midfielders, and three are forwards. Conversely, an ice hockey team has six players of whom one is a goalie, three are forwards, and two play defense.
3. Game Structure
A typical field hockey game goes for 70 minutes divided into two halves. However, it can sometimes be a 60-minute game with four 15-minute quarters, each with halftime. Ice hockey is usually a 60-minute game with three 20-minute periods. The reason for not having two halves in ice hockey is because the ice has to be treated at least twice within a game.
4. Scoring
In ice hockey, you can score a goal from anywhere. As long as the puck gets in, the goal counts. In field hockey, however, you can only score from the D-marked area of the field.
5. Stick Handling
An ice hockey player can hit the puck with both the front and back of the stick but in field hockey, they can only hit the puck with the flat side of the stick.
6. Offsides
In ice hockey, when a player crosses the blue line close to the goal before the puck does, it is considered an offside. This is to prevent the ‘forwards’ from taking advantage of their positions and instead encourages the passing of the puck. There are no offsides in field hockey. A player can run around the pitch as long as scoring is done from the D-shaped area.
Top Hockey Competitions
Both ice hockey and field hockey have a list of notable competitions you can bet on.
Ice Hockey Competitions
The following are the top ice hockey competitions globally.
- The Olympic Games
- World Championships
- IIHF World’s Women Championships
- IIHF World U20 Championship
- IIHF World U18 Championship
- Euro Ice Hockey Challenge
- IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia
Field Hockey Competitions
Let’s take a look at the most popular field hockey competitions you can bet on.
- Hockey World Cup
- Olympic Games
- Men’s FIH Pro League
- Women’s FIH Pro League
- Commonwealth Games
Popular Hockey Bets
There are various hockey predictions you can make on 1xBit. Let’s that a look at some of the most popular ones.
Goal Totals Over/Under
Here, you choose what you think will be the total number of goals scored in a hockey match.
For example, you can bet that a game between France and Slovakia will have more than four goals. In this case, it doesn’t matter who will win as long the points tally according to your bet.
Correct Score
In this case, you wager on what you think will be the exact outcome of the match. For instance, you can wager that France will have a 4-2 win against Slovakia.
Match Result
This is where you bet on the team that you think will win the match. For instance, you can wager that France will win against Slovakia. In this case, you don’t have to indicate the actual number of scores.
Live Betting
You can also bet on hockey as the match continues in real-time. When live betting, you wager on the team you think will win the match, how many goals will be scored, and the scoring period, among others.
How to Bet on Hockey with Bitcoin on 1xBit
Here’s a walkthrough on how to bet on hockey with Bitcoin on 1xBit.
Register an account with 1xBit
Go to the 1xBit website to register an account. Fill in your details at the top left side of your screen. After verifying your details, fund your 1xBit account with Bitcoin. Your Bitcoin will be shown as mBTC on the platform.
Select your hockey matches
Click on the ‘Sports’ tab at the top left end of your screen then select ‘Ice Hockey’ from the drop-down list on the left or ‘Field Hockey’ further down. Select your odds from the games you’d like to place your wager on.
Place Your Bet
Once you’ve chosen your odds, go to the right side of your screen and place an amount for your wager. Thereafter, click on "Place A Bet" to confirm the wager.
1xBit allows you to place multiple hockey bets as well as in-play bets. Your winnings will be deposited at your 1xBit account as soon as the game ends and you can withdraw them to your crypto wallet at any time.
Head over to 1xBit to start betting on hockey today!