KHL Betting Odds - Bet on Kontinental Hockey League & Russian Hockey Betting Tips
Russia has historically produced some of the world’s best hockey players, with its ranking only behind Canada and the US in terms of talent. The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) is a Russian hockey organisation that features many of the best teams in Europe and Asia. You can bet on ice hockey, including all KHL games, when you join Stake Sportsbook.
What is the KHL (Kontinental Hockey League)?
The Kontinental Hockey League, better known as the KHL, is an international professional ice hockey league that features teams from Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and China. It has one of the highest attendances of any hockey league in Europe and is also considered one of the strongest hockey leagues in the world, only behind North America’s NHL. The regular season winners receive the Continental Cup. Winners of the league’s playoffs receive the Gagarin Cup, named after Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. The highest-ranked Russian team in the league is awarded the title of Champion of Russia at the end of the season.
KHL vs. VHL
While the KHL is the largest and most popular hockey league in Russia, it’s not the only option. The All-Russian Hockey League, also known as the VHL, is another Russian professional ice hockey league you can bet on at Stake. It’s considered the second tier of Russian hockey, but unlike the KHL, it only features Russian teams.
Comparing the two, the KHL is essentially the equivalent of the NHL, while the VHL is the equivalent of the American Hockey League (AHL).
History of the KHL
The KHL formed from the Russian Superleague (RSL), which ran between 1999 and 2006. However, it had its origins in the old Soviet League, which was first founded in 1964. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the league was transformed into the International Hockey League, which was renamed the Russian Hockey League in 1996. Until 1999, the Russian Hockey League was only open to Russian clubs. However, in 1999, it began to accept international teams and was renamed once more to the Russian Superleague.
After the 2007/08 season, the RSL rebranded as the KHL, taking the 20 teams of the RSL along with one team each from Belarus, Latvia and Kazakhstan.
Several attempts were made by teams from Central Europe and Scandinavia to join the KHL, but it wasn’t until 2011 that this finally happened as the Slovakian team Lev Poprad joined. Over the following years, teams from the Czech Republic, Croatia, Finland, China and Ukraine also joined.
However, in 2022, many clubs withdrew from the KHL following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In addition, the NHL suspended its dealings with the organisation due to sanctions against Russia.
Format & Schedule of the KHL
Since 2009, the KHL has been divided into East and West conferences. Each conference features a total of 12 teams split into 2 separate divisions. Throughout the regular season, each team plays 4 games against each division opponent, 3 games against each non-division opponent and 2 games against each non-conference opponent, making 62 games in total.
At the end of the regular season, the top 8 teams in each conference receive automatic berths to the playoffs. At the end of the season, the team with the most points from either division lifts the Continental Cup. The playoffs determine the Gagarin Cup winners, with conference quarterfinals before a conference crossover, semi-finals and the finals.
There are many different ways to bet on hockey at Stake. You can also bet on a wide range of hockey games all over the world, including American leagues such as ECHL and AHL, Canadian leagues such as OHL and WHL, and Swedish SHL hockey. Here are some of the most popular hockey betting types:
You can find a range of pre-match and live betting markets on KHL matches at Stake. If you want to bet on the games as they’re happening, simply log into your account and open the event while it’s in-play. You can see the live odds as they’re updated in real time, taking advantage of line movement as the action happens on the ice. Although KHL games aren’t available to stream live at Stake, you can enjoy free live streams of other hockey games. For more information, check out our guide on how to live stream sports for free on Stake.com.
KHL Betting Odds & Payouts
To be successful in betting on hockey at online sportsbooks, you need to understand odds and how to calculate payouts. Although higher odds mean bigger winnings, they also indicate that the outcome is less likely to occur. Always balance risk and reward when betting and choose a responsible stake. You can change between decimal, fractional, and American odds to make odds comparison easier.
Ice Hockey Betting Tips, Predictions & Strategies
Check the stats when making your picks on KHL bets, always consider the latest stats first. Research player and team performances, with particular attention to recent form, head-to-head records and goaltender performances. These will help you make informed betting decisions.
Consider the schedule - KHL teams play 62 games over the regular season, and there’s quite a lot of travel involved. Distances between teams are large, and this can factor into the performance of each team. Players may be rested during periods that have a lot of games, so bear this in mind when making your bets.
Use all available markets - There are a lot of different betting markets available on KHL games, which gives you more opportunities to find value. Make the most of all the betting options, including totals, prop bets, moneyline, puck line bets and live betting.
