The NHL Betting GIFT That Keeps Giving

The NHL betting gift that keeps giving.

Key Points

– Bettors must know what the GIFT bet is before using it in their NHL betting strategy.

– Scoring is up in the NHL which has affected the odds on the NHL betting GIFT.

What if you could bet on NHL hockey and win all the time? Or at least almost all the time? There actually is a bet – the NHL betting GIFT – that offers bettors a chance to capitalize on each and every game.

While you may like finding value in Stanley Cup futures, a solid NHL betting strategy includes betting on multiple games throughout the season. The GIFT is one of those bets.

The NHL betting GIFT is a wager on whether or not a goal will be scored in the first ten minutes of a game. GIFT stands for Goals in First Ten and is a popular betting option now at numerous reputable online sportsbooks.

The opposite bet is also possible. NGFT, which stands for No Goals in First Ten, is offered by some sportsbooks. Bettors can wager on neither team scoring a goal in the first ten minutes of action. 

Both of these bets are similar to baseball’s popular NRFI and YRFI bets. NRFI is the No Runs First Inning bet. YRFI is the opposite, or Yes Runs First Inning. So, how does the NHL betting GIFT keep giving?

ICYMI: FINDING VALUE IN BETTING THE SUPER BOWL

In any given season, NHL bettors can expect 55 to 60 percent of games to have a goal scored in the first ten minutes of play. 

Take the 2016–17 NHL season as an example. A goal was scored in the first ten minutes of play in approximately 58 percent of all games. That would equate to a price of about -138 for the GIFT wager. 

When pricing the GIFT, bettors should take note that sportsbooks will add additional juice. Bettors should also research the offensive and defensive skills of the two teams playing each other. Betting NHL gifts can be a great way to deal with betting losing streaks.

Bettors should also know that GIFT odds and a game’s total are related. If more goals are expected in a game, it makes sense that the chances of a goal being scored in the first ten minutes of a game are greater. An NHL game with a game total of 7, for example, is one that expects more goals. The NHL betting GIFT is worth taking a look at in this case.

To avoid making common sports betting mistakes, here are two examples from the previous NHL season.

• Edmonton Oilers vs. Florida Panthers
• Total: 7
• GIFT: -210

Last season, the Panther and Oilers were two of the most talented offensive teams in the NHL. Florida led the league in goals scored per game. Edmonton had two players finish in the top-5 in points. 

In this game, the total was set at a higher than usual 7. Because more goals were expected, the odds of there being a goal scored in the first ten minutes were set at -210. It is more likely a goal will be scored in the first ten minutes of the game, so a bettor would have to wager $210 to win $100 in this case. 

• Vegas Golden Knights vs. New York Islanders
• Total: 5.5
• GIFT: -130

Also last year, Vegas and the New York Islanders were among the best defensive teams in the NHL. Because of this, when the two teams met, the game total was set at 5.5. That indicated that oddsmakers expected a lower-scoring game.

With fewer goals expected, the likelihood of scoring within the first ten minutes of the game is lower. The odds associated with the NHL betting GIFT were set at -130.

At most sportsbooks, the GIFT is typically counted from 00:00 until 9:59 minutes have passed in the first period. If a goal is scored at exactly the 10:00 mark of the first period, then the bet is considered a loss.

Bettors may have to search their sportsbook to find the GIFT bet. It may be located in a variety of different places. Some sportsbooks will include a GIFT entry in the section titled “Periods.” In some sportsbooks, the GIFT wager is listed under a category like Popular Bets, for example. 

Some sportsbooks also have a wager called a GIFF, which stands for Goals in First Five. The bet is just like the GIFT, but you are betting on a goal being scored in the first five minutes (4:59) of the game.

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During the current NHL season, an average of 3.16 goals per game are being scored by each team. Last year, the average was 3.14 per team. Therefore, the average number of goals in the typical NHL game is roughly 6.3.

It has been a long time since scoring has been this high in the NHL.The 1995–1996 season was the last time that teams had an average of at least 3.14 goals per game. 

Last season, only 17% of NHL games were scoreless in the first period. Over the past 15 NHL seasons, 19 percent of games end up tied 0-0 at the end of the first period. 

That means in 81 percent of all NHL games a goal is scored in the first period. The odds for the GIFT in hockey betting have been changed as a direct result of the higher scoring totals seen in the previous two seasons.

To this point in the 2022–23 NHL season, the teams with the best records in terms of GIFT bets are Vancouver (38-13), Buffalo (35-15), and Seattle (34-16). 

At least 68 percent of the time, these teams and/or their opponents managed to get on the scoreboard within the first ten minutes of a game. It is interesting to note that the NHL betting GIFT was successful in Vancouver’s first 31 games of this season.