Definition of Canadian Line

What does the term "Canadian line" mean as it applies to the world of sports betting? What is meant by the term "Canadian line"?

The "Canadian line" is used in hockey betting, and it utilizes a combination of a spread and a money line.

Let's break this down by looking at a real "Canadian line" for a NHL hockey game. The Canadian line for this game currently looks like this:

Vancouver Canucks, +1.5, 1.29
New York Islanders, -1.5, 3.70

So, let's say that you wanted to bet on the Canucks using this line.

First off, multiply the amount of your bet by 1.29 to get the total amount that you would receive back if you won the bet. For instance, if you decided to bet $100 on the Vancouver Canucks +1.5 line, you would receive $129 back if the bet was successful ($100 bet returned plus a profit of $29).

Now, what does the +1.5 mean in this case? It means that you are getting your team plus 1.5 goals.

So, let's say that the Canucks lose 4-3. You are getting +1.5 goals on the Canucks, which means that your bet would be a winner (essentially you would win the game 4.5 to 4, as you are getting +1.5 goals.

On the other hand, if you took the Islanders -1.5, they would need to win by 2 goals or more in order for your bet to be a winner. So, if the Islanders win 4-3, your bet would still be a loser. However, if the Islanders won by two or more goals, you would walk away with a very nice profit. For instance, if you bet on the Islanders -1.5 and wagered $100, you would walk away with a total of $370 ($100 original bet plus $270 in profit).

That is the "Canadian line".