Overtime in the NHL: how often games go past 60 minutes, and what it does to a bet
A hockey game tied after 60 minutes goes to overtime, then to a shootout if it's still tied. Whether that extra time counts depends on the bet, and it happens often enough to matter.
How often
ESPN's public scoreboard lists 93 regular-season NHL games as final from 2026-10-11 to 2026-10-24. 23 of them, 24.7%, went past regulation: 15 were settled in overtime and 8 in a shootout. That's roughly one game in four. Two weeks is a small sample, so read the share as a description of the fortnight rather than a rate.
What counts, bet by bet
- Moneyline: the two-way moneyline includes overtime and the shootout. Whoever wins the game wins the bet.
- Puck line: most books grade it on the final score including overtime, with a shootout winner credited one goal, so a game that goes past regulation always ends by one goal. A −1.5 favorite can't cover after a tie in regulation.
- Totals: usually graded on the final score including overtime and the shootout goal, so a tie after 60 minutes adds exactly one goal.
- The 60-minute line, or three-way moneyline: graded on regulation only. A tie after 60 minutes is its own outcome, and both team bets lose.
- House rules differ, so check your book's.
Why a 60-minute price looks long
Because the tie is a separate outcome, each team's 60-minute price is longer than its moneyline: it has to win in regulation. One book in our feed quotes that tie. Over 94 games from the same fortnight its median price was +320, an implied 23.8% before the book's margin is removed — close to the 24.7% of games that actually went past regulation.
The flip side is that a 60-minute price and a moneyline are different bets. Set one beside the other as if they were the same and the 60-minute price looks like a bargain. It isn't; it's a price on a narrower outcome.
Bankroll Guardian is a bet-tracking and analytics tool — not a sportsbook, and none of this is betting advice. Betting carries risk; please bet responsibly.