When Michigan sports betting opened last March, there was reason to celebrate, and lots of action on the board.
Former Michigan State star Mateen Cleaves bet on his Spartans to win the NCAA Tournament during a ceremonial first bet at Greektown Casino on March 11.
First-year coach Juwan Howard and Michigan also had a chance to make a run in the Big Ten Tournament and prime for a deep run of their own. The rivals will first meet Thursday in Ann Arbor and then Sunday in East Lansing.
By March 12, with all three Detroit casino sportsbooks open for business and ready for a March Madness rush, the NCAA Tournament was cancelled because of the pandemic and the “new normal” had begun.
But with so many grim one-year anniversaries around, Michigan sports bettors finally have big college basketball games – and solid college basketball teams – to bet on.