Three-Way Moneyline in Hockey: The 60-Minute Line Explained

A three-way moneyline in hockey is a bet on the result after 60 minutes of regulation, with three outcomes to choose from: the home team wins, the away team wins, or the game is tied when the third period ends. Overtime and the shootout do not count. That is why sportsbooks also call it the 60-minute line or the regulation line, and it is why the tie gets its own price instead of disappearing into a winner.

How the 60-minute line differs from the regular moneyline

The standard NHL moneyline is a two-way bet. Every game ends with a winner, because a tie after regulation goes to overtime and, in the regular season, a shootout if overtime is scoreless. Whoever wins the game wins the bet, however long it took.

The three-way line stops the clock at the end of the third period. If one team is ahead after 60 minutes, that team wins the bet. If the score is level, the tie wins and both team sides lose, even though one of those teams will go on to win the game in overtime. You are betting on the regulation result, not the final result.

The tie is a priced third outcome

In a two-way market, the chance of a tie after regulation is folded into the two team prices, because each team wins some of those overtime games. In a three-way market the tie is pulled out and sold on its own. That changes every price on the board:

• Both team prices get longer. Each team now has to win inside 60 minutes, so it wins the bet less often than it wins the game, and the payout rises to match.
• The tie pays plus money. A regulation tie is the least likely of the three outcomes in most games, so it usually carries the biggest payout of the three.
• A favorite can flip to plus money. A team at -150 on the two-way line can sit at plus money on the three-way line, because taking the tie away removes a share of its winning chances.

A worked example

Take an illustrative game. On the two-way moneyline the favorite is -150 and the underdog is +130. On the three-way line the favorite is +110, the tie is +300 and the underdog is +200. Here is what $100 does on each three-way outcome:

• Favorite +110. Wins $110 if the favorite leads after 60 minutes.
• Tie +300. Wins $300 if the score is level after 60 minutes.
• Underdog +200. Wins $200 if the underdog leads after 60 minutes.

Convert each price with the implied probability calculator and the market's view comes out. On the two-way line, -150 implies 60.0% and +130 implies 43.5%. On the three-way line, +110 implies 47.6%, +300 implies 25.0% and +200 implies 33.3%.

Why the three prices add up to more

Any set of prices covering every outcome should add up to 100% if nobody is taking a cut. The amount above 100% is the margin. Here the two-way pair adds up to 103.5%, while the three-way set adds up to 105.95%, call it 106%. The house is charging a margin on three outcomes instead of two, and in this example that costs you roughly 2.5 extra points across the board.

Strip the margin out by dividing each number by its total and the two markets agree with each other. The no-margin three-way split is 44.9% favorite, 23.6% tie and 31.5% underdog. Hand a little over half of that 23.6% tie to the favorite in overtime and you land almost exactly on the two-way line's no-margin 58.0%. The markets are pricing the same game. The three-way version just stops counting earlier and charges more for the extra slice.

How overtime and the shootout settle it

They do not, and that is the whole point of the market. Once regulation ends, the three-way bet is graded:

• A team leads after 60 minutes. That side wins. An empty-net goal in the final minute still counts, because it was scored in regulation.
• The game is tied after 60 minutes. The tie wins. In the regular season the game moves to five minutes of 3-on-3 sudden-death overtime and then a shootout, and in the playoffs to full 20-minute sudden-death periods, but none of that changes your ticket.

Compare that with the standard moneyline and the puck line, which at most books include overtime and the shootout. Football has its own version of this question, covered in does overtime count in betting, and soccer match bets work on regulation by default, which our soccer betting strategy guide covers.

When the three-way line makes sense

It fits a specific read. If you think the favorite is clearly better and will settle the game inside 60 minutes, the three-way price pays more than the two-way price for the same team. If you expect a tight, low-event game between two strong goaltenders, the tie is the side that pays for that view. If you only care who wins, the two-way moneyline is cheaper, because it carries less margin and does not lose on an overtime result. Check today's matchups on the NHL hub before you choose.

Three-way moneyline FAQ

What is a 3-way moneyline in hockey?

A 3-way moneyline in hockey is a bet on the score after 60 minutes of regulation, with three possible results: home win, away win or tie. Overtime and shootout goals do not count, so a game that is tied after the third period pays the tie and loses for both teams.

Does overtime count on a 60-minute line bet?

No, overtime and the shootout do not count on a 60-minute line, because the bet is graded the moment the third period ends. If the game is tied at that point the tie wins, and the team that later wins in overtime or the shootout loses the bet.

Why does a favorite pay more on the three-way moneyline?

A favorite pays more on the three-way moneyline because it has to win inside 60 minutes, so it loses the share of its wins that come in overtime or a shootout. Lower odds of cashing mean a longer price, which is why a -150 two-way favorite can be plus money on the regulation line.

On a three-way line the margin is spread across three prices, so a fair number on each one matters even more. On BettorEdge community odds you set your own price and match it against another real bettor, with no house hold stacked on top. Open BettorEdge and get this price for real, peer-to-peer.