Hockey is one of the most popular sports in India and one of the oldest, dating back to before independence. For online sports betting enthusiasts, it is fun to watch and offers plenty of different wagering options.
Widely considered India’s National Sport, Hockey is a fast-paced game requiring both individual skill and team dynamics. The top sports betting India sites offer punters excellent odds and a full range of markets for domestic leagues, overseas leagues and international tournaments.
If you are interested in getting in on the action, we’ve covered all the basics.
If you want to bet on local games, sports betting India sites offer markets on the Hockey India League. This is the premier men’s league in the country and consists of 6 city-based franchises. The league was founded in 2013 and has been run a total of 5 times with the most recent winners being the Kalinga Lancers.
Another popular local tournament is the Beighton Cup, which is one of the oldest tournaments in the world, having first started in 1895. It is also possible to bet on the MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup and the Nehru Senior Hockey Tournament.
Hockey is ideal for live sports betting, as a single goal can change the odds on a live bet. If you want to bet on international games, there are plenty of tournaments to choose from. The largest tournament in the world is the World Cup that takes place every four years. Hockey betting is also popular at the Summer Olympics, where it is one of the main field events. The Hockey Champions Challenge is another major international tournament that replaced the popular World Hockey League.
Hockey is also one of the main sports at the Commonwealth games, providing yet another platform for online sports betting. Wagers can also be placed on the Hockey Asia Cup as well as the invitational Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Tournament.
For online sports betting purposes, Hockey is a good sport to start with. This is because wagers can be as simple or as complicated as you like. For international tournaments and local leagues, outright bets can be played on the tournament or league winner. At the Olympic games and commonwealth games, it is possible to predict which country will take the gold, bronze or silver medal.
With the World Cup, outright bets can be placed on which teams will make it through to the semi-finals or finals and who will top their group after the initial group stage.
With regular local matches and league games, match and prop bets can be placed on each game. The most popular wager is the moneyline bet which is where you predict the winning team. Handicap bets are also available as well as over/under bets on the combined score of both teams.
Many sports betting India sites will also offer prop wagers such as half-time betting and the first team to score. Other prop bets can include who will win the coin toss, which player will score the most goals and if the game will go through to a penalty shootout.
Before placing any large wager, it is important to research past results and current team standings. There are many factors that can influence the outcome of a game including the type of surface the teams will be playing on, where the match is held (home ground advantage), if the team has any injuries and if there has been any major changes to the coaching staff.
