The high schoolers kickoff this week (no, you can’t bet on them). Your fantasy draft is coming up. And it’s clear now: It’s football season here in Michigan.
You’ve started doing your homework, and you have some season thoughts. And despite college football still being another week away and the NFL regular season another week after that, you can get a jump on your wagers with some promotions from Michigan sports betting operators.
Here are some that we’re interested in this week:
Super Bowl picks rack up free bets at Caesars, FanDuel
Two of Michigan’s best sports betting operators are offering a nearly identical promo here for football fans.
Place Super Bowl futures bets at Caesars Sportsbook and FanDuel Sportsbook, and win $5 in free bets for every time your team wins in the regular season. The $5 bets will be awarded each week, not as a lump sum after the season.
Now, there are a few slight differences between the promotions:
- You have to opt-in first at FanDuel before making the wager. There is no such requirement at Caesars.
- FanDuel has a $50 maximum bonus for the promotion, capping the bonus after your team’s first 10 wins. No max bonus exists at Caesars where you can win 17 $5 bets for a total of $85.
- You have to have the bet in by Sept. 8 at Caesars and by Sept. 9 at FanDuel. The NFL season starts Sept. 9 with the defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers hosting the Dallas Cowboys.
A deeper look at Super Bowl odds
Now, maybe you feel really good about the Kansas City Chiefs to be great again and want to double up on both promotions with Patrick Mahomes & Co.
Or, maybe you want to spread around your chances, hedging with a team like the Green Bay Packers in a weak NFC North with what looks like the last year for Aaron Rodgers there.
Taking a look at the Super Bowl odds at Caesars and FanDuel on Monday afternoon yields these considerations:
- You should bet the Packers at Caesars if you’re feeling Rodgers and crew. The Pack are +1400 at Caesars and just +1200 at FanDuel. Remember, although the wins bonus is nice, the Super Bowl futures bet is the ultimate prize here.
- Conversely, if you were a Matthew Stafford fan while he was with the Detroit Lions and now are jumping on the Los Angeles Rams bandwagon, you should bet them first at FanDuel (if you are choosing between the two). At FD, the Rams are +1500, while they are +1400 at Caesars.
- And oh, how about those Lions? If you’re one of the many diehards who occasionally breaks something off each year on the Super Bowl drought to end in Detroit, do it at Caesars. The Lions are +20000 there and +18000 at FanDuel. The required $50 bet for the promo means you’d take home $10,000 in winnings from the Caesars bet. And you can also die happy.
NFL preseason promo continues at BetRivers
After putting down a serious cumulative betting promotion during the Summer Olympics, BetRivers Sportsbook is doing the same with the NFL preseason.
At BetRivers, players can earn a $25 free bet each of the three preseason weeks by betting $50 pre-game on four separate preseason games throughout the weekend. Each bet needs to have -200 odds or greater, and House Specials do not qualify.
Free bets earned from this weekend’s games will be loaded to qualifying accounts by 3 p.m. Aug. 31.
In addition, BetRivers is giving each customer a 25% profit boost for an NFL futures bet each Sunday through season kickoff.
Two no-brainer bets from PointsBet on Brady, UM/MSU
PointsBet Sportsbook has already laid out some great promotions for football fans looking to build the early-season bankroll.
Michigan and Michigan State fans can declare their allegiances for the opening game in a no-brainer bet.
Michigan sports bettors can choose to back either the Wolverines or the Spartans in the Pick Your Side On The House Booster.
There, if you pick Michigan, all the Wolverines need to do in the Sept. 4 opener against Western Michigan is score at least one point to double your bet.
Same goes for Michigan State against Northwestern that same day.
You can only wager on one of the home-state teams for the promotion, and there is a $20 max bet for the one you choose.
Through the Tom Brady On The House Booster, bettors cash in if the future Hall-of-Famer throws for at least 1 yard during Tampa Bay’s season opener against Dallas. There is a $10.01 maximum bet.
New users: Wager $1, get $200 from DraftKings
DraftKings Sportsbook has an offer for new users that could get your account off to a great start.
For new users making their first bet, DraftKings is paying $200 in free bets for your troubles.
First, new users must deposit at least $5. Then, pick a college football game from Aug. 28 through Sept. 4 or an NFL game from Sept. 9-13 and wager at least $1 on it.
After placing your bet, you will receive $200 in free bets, paid out as eight $25 free bets. The free bets are valid for seven days, so plan out your calendar accordingly.
DraftKings is also posting special NFL Kickoff Week bets each day, so look out for those.
Barstool Sportsbook: Host your fantasy draft at Greektown
Barstool Sportsbook at Greektown Casino wants you and your friends and family to host your fantasy football draft in downtown Detroit.
The popular retail sportsbook is enticing visitors who sign-up for the promotion by providing each player in your group a free $15 bet, some Barstool swag and complimentary appetizers.
The promotion runs through Sept. 8 and costs $150 per party. The fine print says Friday and Saturday dates are subject to a price change.
Visit the Greektown casino website for more details and sign-up information.
$500K survivor contest for Barstool Sportsbook Battle
There’s also a $500 entry for the Barstool Sportsbook Battle, a $500,000 survivor contest.
Each week, pick your team to survive and advance, with the winner taking the pot (no rake from the book).
There are 19 weeks in the contest, as the Thanksgiving games are counted as their own week. The winnings will be split evenly if there are multiple winners, and making it all the way through 19 successful weeks activates the $500,000 prize.
There is a five-entry limit per participant.
FireKeepers Casino giving away Detroit Lions suite tickets
Big NFL bets at FireKeepers Casino can land you and a guest in a Ford Field suite for a Detroit Lions game this season.
From Sept. 1 through Sept. 20, any NFL wager of $500 or more at Dacey’s Sportsbook at the Battle Creek tribal casino will get you entered into a Sept. 20 drawing for Lions suite tickets. Wagers must be made at the window and not at the kiosk or at the FireKeepers Sportsbook online.
The first drawings will be held at 8:05 p.m. on Sept. 20 for the Oct. 17 game against Cincinnati and Oct. 31 against Philadelphia. Then, at halftime of the Lions game against the Green Bay Packers, the drawings will be held for a pair of suite tickets on Dec. 5 against Minnesota and Dec. 19 against Arizona.
There is a limit of one win per person, and you must be present Sept. 20 to win.
