How do shootout goals count in NHL Betting totals?

One of the most frequently asked questions posed by newcomers when it comes to NHL betting is whether shootout goals count in NHL total bets. And the fact of the matter is that yes they do, and they are counted in the same manner that the shootout is recorded in an NHL final score.

Whether the shootout goes 2-1, 4-3 or 7-6, in terms of the outcome it counts as one goal in the final score. For instance, if the Dallas Stars are playing the Edmonton Oilers and the game is tied 1-1 after the completion of 60 minutes of regulation time and the five-minute, sudden-death, three-on-three overtime session, the game is going to a shootout in order to come to a conclusion.

Now, if Jamie Benn, Jason Spezza and Tyler Seguin score for Stars, and Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl reply for the Oilers, even though the shootout ended 3-2, the final scoreline will read Dallas 2, Edmonton 1. That’s because no matter how many goals are tallied during the shootout competition, the way it works is that the winning team gets one and the losing team gets nothing.

In other words, if the total on the game was 5.5 and you played the over on the total wager, even though there were five goals scored in the shootout and two in regulation times, those seven goals don’t make your bet a winner. No matter how many goals are registered during the shootout, it counts as just one goal in the final scoreline. So this result would finish with a total of three and pay off on the under wager.

Yes, the shootout has an impact on your wager

Should you not want the shootout to have an impact on your bet, or if you’re a hockey purist who simply isn’t a fan of the game-deciding penalty-shot competition, there are ways to bet on the NHL and exclude it.

For instance, the sportsbook at FanDuel offers a three-way moneyline wager on regulation time. It gives you a 60-minute option that allows to wager on win, lose or draw at the conclusion of regulation time. No need to worry about what happens in the shootout because your bet pays out on the action that takes place during the three 20-minute periods of regulation play.