Empty goal: what it is, how to use it?

Cowards don’t play hockey. An empty-net goal is not a bad betting option.

If you’ve been betting on sports for quite some time and you love hockey, you’ve probably experienced situations where a bet has gone bust because of a single puck scored in the final seconds on an empty net. But now you can find yourself on the other side of the barricades!

Betting on an empty net goal in hockey is not a common option for players. Because not every betting company offers such an outcome to customers. Only bookmakers with a wide spread offer the customers the opportunity to place a bet of this type.

A hockey empty goal can only be compared to a penalty in football, but the differences between the two markets are enormous. In this article we will take a closer look at this market and try to decide if it is profitable to bet on this option.

How do players score into an empty net in hockey?

All empty net goals in hockey matches occur in the final period. The losing team changes the goalkeeper to a sixth man to try to tie the game and send the game into overtime.
Of course, there are times when the majority helps and the team succeeds, but more often it ends up with the puck in the empty net and the final questions about the winner are settled. First, let’s talk about the signs that a team is about to take the goalkeeper off.
Time. If there are a couple of minutes of net time left in the match and one team’s advantage is minimal, the losing side will probably remove the goalkeeper. This is done by moving the puck into the opponents’ zone, so that the goalkeeper runs to the bench with impunity and is replaced.
Far from always the goalkeeper is removed when the difference is only one puck. It happens that the goalkeeper is removed when the difference is 2 or even 3 goals. However, this happens mainly in North American leagues. Keep this fact in mind if you bet on the NHL or other overseas leagues.
Motivation and the importance of the game. If the teams are fighting for a place in the playoffs or it is already a playoff match, then the replacement of the goalkeeper can be seen 6-7 minutes before the final siren. This is done at times when the coach is confident that his players will be able to take advantage on the ice.
For example, when a team puts pressure on the opponent or is already playing in the majority, then there is a chance to play “6 on 4″. Of course, this is a big risk, which is not always justified.

What odds do bookmakers offer for an empty net goal?

Here we need to turn to statistics. And frankly, the numbers are mind-boggling. In different championships, the percentage of goals thrown into empty nets varies, but it is not lower than 15%. And in some leagues it reaches up to 25%. Seriously! Of course, bookmakers know this and form their odds based on this data.
If you make a prediction before the start of the game, in the pre-match, then the odds will be from 3.00 to 5.00. High, but quite justified coefficient. It may happen that one of the teams will confidently win, or maybe, on the contrary, the teams will go to the end with a draw, and no one will shoot the goalkeeper in this situation.
In the end, it is far from always scored into an empty net, even when one of the teams takes risks. So in this regard, it is very difficult to predict a goal into an empty net.
But, we’ll disappoint you right away, it won’t be easier in live. You need to be able to notice the right details during the match. A classic situation: one of the teams wins by a maximum of one or two goals by the middle of the third period. In the vast majority of cases, the losing team will remove the goalkeeper in the last minutes of the meeting. Of course, bookmakers also calculate all this, so you should not expect a high coefficient here. But of course, 2.00 is quite possible. And at such moments it is worth betting.

An example of an empty net goal betting strategy in ice hockey

Betting on a goal in an empty net is best considered in relation to live. A big advantage in favor of playing online is that modern bookmakers make such sections of their websites with high quality, quickly updating odds and scores.

For example, catch-up looks like a very good option for betting on an empty net goal in hockey. Because constantly finding matches with such goals will not work for sure. And losses will have to be compensated somehow.

Here are three games of the 2019 Stanley Cup final series as a visual situation.

1. In the first match, the teams played a draw, so no one removed the goalkeepers. As you can see, a draw was established in the first period and did not change until overtime. Obviously, in live, there was no point in taking a goal into an empty net in the third period.
2. The next game was uneventful. Despite Boston’s big 7-2 win, the goaltender St. Louis was pulled off (at 5-2), so an empty-net goal was recorded. But this is a big coincidence.
3. The most classic example of betting on an empty net hockey goal is the next game. In the middle of the third period, St. Louis led by one puck, and after the 18th minute the puck was scored into an empty net. Result: 4-2 victory for the blue.

Hockey empty net betting strategies

Of course, betting on empty-net goals is best done in live. But you will need to follow the match very closely. Proper analysis is the key to success. The odds are lower, but the probability is much higher. In pre-match, it is more difficult to correctly analyse the game until the final minutes. This option is only suitable for true betting gurus.
If we talk about strategies that are applicable to this market, then it is worth considering the classic catch-up in live mode. You place a bet, and if you lose, you double the bet size. And so on until the end. One win will allow you to immediately go to the profit.
But remember, this strategy is not suitable for all users. You need to correctly analyze the events of the match in order to make the right bet. You do not need to play catch-up for all hockey matches in a row – this is a sure way to drain the entire game bank.
On the one hand, empty net betting in hockey is a lottery. But, hand on heart, this can be said about any bet. In addition, unlike the absolutely random lottery principle, here you can increase the probability of winning.
To do this, firstly, we recommend betting in live, and not in pre match. Second, empty net goals are much more common in North American leagues, where managers are more risk-averse. Finally, betting on goals against empty nets will come in handy in the decisive part of the season.
In playoff matches, where the cost of victory will be especially high, teams will definitely shoot the goaltender, even if they are 2-3 goals behind. After all, there is nothing to lose. In addition, they will try to create a numerical advantage not at the very last moment, but 5-7 minutes before the final siren.
Remember – with the right approach, betting on goals against empty nets in hockey can bring you huge benefits. Good luck bidding!