Puck line bets differ from point spread bets in other sports primarily in the way they address scoring margins and the nature of the games involved. In sports like football or basketball, point spreads typically involve whole numbers, meaning a team must win by a certain number of points, or the underdog can lose within that margin, allowing for more variation in scoring. In contrast, puck line bets in hockey often use a standard of -1.5 goals, meaning the favored team must win by at least two goals, which adds an extra challenge given that hockey games can be low-scoring.