How To Bet On Sports In Michigan
Sports betting is legal in Michigan. Detroit’s commercial and tribal casinos are invited to apply for licenses to operate retail books on the property and online. So far, a good number of Americans who once wagered illegally through offshore sites and shady, mobbed-up bookies can find their way into the legal sports betting market.
If you count yourself as one of these novice bettors, this page is for you. Below, you will find an easy-to-follow guide on how to start betting on sports. You will learn how to bet on the most popular games and sporting events in the country. Additionally, we provide clear and concise explanations of popular sports betting terms.
Read on, because the information here can take you from a first-timer to an experienced sports handicapper.
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Betting on sports in Michigan
If you’re wondering how to bet on sports in Michigan, there are two ways.
- The first option is to visit a Michigan book at one of Detroit’s three commercial casinos or one of the state’s 23 tribal casinos.
- The second option is available online through your mobile device or computer using a legal Michigan app or website.
There’s no match for the convenience of wagering with an online and mobile book. As long as you have internet access, you can wager anywhere, regardless of being within state lines.
To wager online, the process requires simple steps:
- Sign up for an account.
- Make a deposit.
- Placing a wager.
Of course, the process varies between operators, but the basics are the same. We’ll walk you through each step below.
Sign up for an account.
To wager, you must sign up for an account with an online gaming site. Fortunately, Michigan’s online and mobile books make signing up a breeze. It’s usually a matter of finding the “Sign Up,” “Join,” or “Register” button on the operator’s homepage.
Then, you’ll need to fill out some personal account information, which usually includes:
- Name
- Date of birth
- Cell number
- Last four digits of your Social Security number
- Account name
- Password
There’s often a spot for you to enter a promo code, which will ensure you get the best new player bonus available. You can find promo codes for various Michigan books on this website.
Finally, you can complete the sign-up process by checking several boxes to accept the book’s terms and conditions, and then submit the information with one last click. All Michigan online books will verify your age and location. Then you should be ready to take the next step toward placing wagers.
Make a deposit
If you want to wager online, you will need to deposit some money into your account first. Fortunately, online and mobile books in Michigan make it easy to transfer money by offering a variety of deposit methods.
The first thing you’ll need to do is log in to your account using the same credentials you provided when you registered. Then, it’s usually a matter of finding the “Deposit” or “Cashier” button on the operator’s homepage or nested under the “My Account” menu.
Next, it’s about choosing the most convenient method of deposit for you. These typically include cash at various retail locations, as well as credit and debit cards, and online payment processors. Be sure to follow the prompts before confirming your transaction, and the funds should be immediately available for wagering.
How to place a bet
So, you’ve registered, deposited funds, and now you’re ready to wager online. Fortunately, most of the time, this is the simple five-step process:
- Log in to your account.
- Browse through the wagering markets.
- Click on the line you want to wage on.
- A betslip will generate automatically.
- Click to view alternative wagering options or enter the amount you wish to wager on that line.
- Your potential payout will appear on the betslip. Review the entire betslip before you click the button to confirm and place the wager.
Recommended betting sites to get started with
How to bet on football
A Michigan betting guide for first-timers should start with how to bet on football. Especially considering Americans traditionally wager more on football than on any other sport. Michigan sites offer college football betting and the NFL. You can wager on the Michigan Wolverines, the Detroit Lions, and any other football team in the country right here in the Great Lakes State.
There are three simple ways to bet on football games, including:
- Moneylines
- Point spreads
- Over/unders
Football moneylines
Moneyline bets are as basic as they come. All you have to do is pick the winner of the game. Moneyline wagers pay according to a team’s chances of winning as set by the book. Looking at the odds for a typical NFL game, you’ll see the name of each team and either a positive or negative number beside each name.
A negative number means that the team is the favorite and represents how much you’ll need to wager to win $100 plus your wager back. A positive number is for the underdog and represents how much a $100 wager can win. Most Michigan sites will typically have the Green Bay Packers as moneyline favorites over the Detroit Lions.
Let’s say the posted moneyline odds for a typical Packers-Lions game are Packers -300 and Lions +350. That means a $300 wager on the Packers will win a total of $400, or $100 plus your $300 wager back if the Packers win. However, a $100 wager on the Lions will win a total of $450, or $350 plus your $100 wager back if the Lions win.
The easiest way to look at moneyline wagers is that they are all about picking winners and accepting the odds set by books for the side you think will win the game. Experienced bettors will choose the side they like to win, then compare the odds available at several books, shopping around for the best price on the wager.
Football point spreads
NFL and college football point spread wagers are almost as simple. These wagers require you to pick the winner of the game with a line set by oddsmakers. That line is the number of points oddsmakers figure the favorite will win by. Using the same Packers-Lions game, Michigan books will post the Packers (-7) as a 7-point favorite over the Lions (+7). This time, the positive and negative numbers reflect the total points the favorite must give away and the underdog receives.
In other words, you need to take this number and either deduct it from the favorite’s final score or add it to the underdog’s final score to determine the wagering winner. In this game, that means if the Lions win, or the Packers win by 6 points or fewer, the Lions’ point spread wagers are winners. It also means if the Packers win by 8 points or more, the Packers’ point spread wagers are winners. Plus, all point spread wagers booked at 7 points are a “push” if the Packers win by exactly 7 points. A push means all wagers are refunded, and you’ll get your money back no matter which side you were on.
Most of the time, Michigan sites allow wagering on either side of a point spread bet, such as wagering on a slight moneyline favorite. Point spreads are typically set at -110 odds, which gives the book a slight house edge. These odds mean you need to wager $110 to win $100 on either side of the spread. It guarantees the book will make a small amount of money over the long haul on point spread wagers.
Football over/unders
Finally, the third basic football wager at Michigan sites is the over/under or totals. These wagers ask you to choose whether the total points scored by both teams in the game will be “over” or “under” a number set by oddsmakers. Michigan books will typically set the over/under at around 55 points for a Packers-Lions game, and you wager on whether it will land over or under that total.
Once again, over/under wagers are usually set with odds of -110, giving the site the same slight house edge it gets on point spread wagers.
Football parlays
You can always combine two or more of the three basic wagers listed above for any NFL or college football game into one wager, creating a parlay. Parlays pay much better than single-game wagers, but you have to win every part of it for it to pay.
Football futures
The first step beyond the basic single-game and parlay football wagers is football futures. Michigan books will typically offer futures odds on the NFL and the NCAA Division 1 FBS College Football Playoff National Championship. Futures allow you to wager on a team you think will win the NFC or AFC Championship games, the Super Bowl, or the College Football Playoffs at any point during the season or offseason.
Michigan sites will adjust the odds on each team based on probability as the season continues. So, the earlier you wager on a team with a realistic chance of winning, the better the odds will be. Futures wagers are booked at moneyline odds, but usually are much bigger than most single-game moneyline odds.
Football props
Props probably represent the most advanced way to wager on a football game. Basically, props are wagers on events within the game. Depending on interest in a game, Michigan books might post odds for things like “the team to score first” or “the player to score first.” They may also offer props based on individual player statistics, like passing yards or rushing yards.
Props are usually about wagering on favorites or underdogs to achieve particular milestones, wagering an over/under or total on a specific achievement, or answering a “yes” or “no” question based on a team’s or individual’s performance. The odds appear and function similarly to typical moneyline odds. You’ll never see more props posted than during the lead-up to the Super Bowl; there are even markets based on the coin toss before kickoff.
How to bet on the Super Bowl
Michigan books allow you to bet on the Super Bowl in a variety of ways. You can wager on the outcome of the game with all the basic wagering types. Furthermore, there are traditionally more props available for the NFL Championship than for any other sporting event.
How to bet on basketball
Between college basketball and the NBA, basketball is the second most popular sport to wager on in America.
Michigan books offer odds on college basketball and the NBA, meaning you can wager on the Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans, the Detroit Pistons, and any other basketball team in the country right here in the Great Lakes State.
The basics of how to bet on basketball are pretty similar to those of football. Michigan sites offer a variety of basic wagers on college basketball and NBA games, including:
Basketball moneylines
You pick individual basketball game-winners and get paid based on odds set by books if the team wins. Sites will post favorable odds beside the underdog and negative odds beside the favorite. The positive number indicates how much each $100 wager will earn if the underdog wins. The negative number indicates how much you’ll need to wager on the favorite to earn $100 plus your stake back.
See the football moneylines section above for a more detailed explanation.
Basketball spreads
You pick individual basketball game winners with a line set by the books factored into the final score. The spread is how many points you’ll have to either take away from the favorite’s final score or add to the underdog’s. Underdogs don’t need to win the game; they need to lose by less than the spread. Favorites must cover the spread for spread bets on that team to win.
See the football point spreads section above for a more detailed explanation.
Basketball totals
You pick whether the final score of a basketball game will be over or under a line set by the books. See the football over/unders section above for a more detailed explanation.
Basketball parlays
Michigan sites will also allow you to wager on basketball parlays, which are a combination of two or more basic basketball wagers. Parlays pay better than individual wagers. However, you must win every single wager, or leg, that is part of the parlay for the parlay to pay at all.
Basketball futures
For the NBA, basketball futures are wagers on a team still in contention to win its division, conference, or the NBA Finals. Odds adjust as the season and the playoffs continue; they work based on the same principle as basic moneyline bets.
For college basketball, futures usually are wagers on a single team to win the NCAA Tournament. Sites will accept NCAA futures wagers before the tournament starts and throughout, with odds continually adjusting for teams that are still in contention.
March Madness betting
The American Gaming Association estimates that Americans wager more than $10 billion on the NCAA Tournament each year, making March Madness the largest wagering event in sports. The traditional way most people wager on March Madness is through NCAA Tournament bracket sheets in office and bar pools.
You fill out a sheet picking winners in all 63 games and enter your bracket in a pool at the office or a local bar. Bracket sheets involve picking multiple games, but this is not a parlay. When you enter a bracket in a pool, you don’t need to get every game right. You need to pick more winners than anyone else in the pool. With parlays, you have to get every single wager correct.
Michigan books may run their own March Madness pools. Plus, you can bet on individual games in the tourney, including futures on who will win the NCAA Tournament.
Basketball props
Depending on the amount of interest in a particular basketball game, Michigan sites may post game and player props that allow you to wager on a team or individual player milestones, achievements, and statistical performances at moneyline odds.
How to bet on the NBA playoffs
Michigan allows you to bet on the NBA playoffs in a variety of ways. You can bet on the outcome of each game and series. Plus, you can place futures bets on who will win each conference and ultimately, the NBA Championship at odds that adjust throughout the playoffs.
How to bet on baseball
Major League Baseball has the longest season of all US professional sports, which provides numerous opportunities to bet on baseball. Additionally, the MLB season runs through the summer, during the NBA, NHL, and NFL offseasons, allowing you to focus solely on how to bet on the MLB.
Michigan sites offer three ways you can wager on Detroit Tigers games and any other MLB action.
The three central baseball bet types available for each MLB game are:
- Moneyline
- Run line
- Totals
MLB moneylines
Moneyline bets in baseball are essentially the same as in other sports. Michigan books post odds on each team to win based on that team’s chances. You pick the team you think will win and lay down a wager. If that team wins, you get paid according to the moneyline odds posted by the site at the time you placed the wager.
See the football moneylines section above for a more detailed explanation of how basic moneyline odds work.
MLB run lines
Run lines in baseball are a lot like point spreads in football games. You have to factor the run line into a game’s final score to determine a betting winner. Baseball is a relatively low-scoring game. As a result, run lines are almost always set at 1.5. You can bet on the run line at basic moneyline odds. Michigan books may also offer alternative run lines you can wager on at varying moneyline odds.
With a 1.5 run line, you’re ultimately wagering that the favorite will win by two or more runs. Or that the underdog will win outright or lose by just a single run. See the football point spreads section above for a more detailed explanation of spread bets, which is essentially the same as run line wagering.
MLB underdogs can become moneyline favorites, and vice versa, once you factor in the run line. Experts often use the run line to get a better price on heavy MLB moneyline favorites.
MLB totals
MLB totals are also similar to totals and over/under bets in other sports. You wager on whether the final run total in a baseball game will be over or under a number set by oddsmakers at various moneyline odds.
MLB parlays
Michigan books will also allow you to wager on baseball parlays, which are a combination of two or more basic wagers. Parlays pay better than individual wagers. However, you must win every single wager, or leg, for the parlay to pay at all.
MLB futures
MLB futures offer you a way to wager on who will win each division, league, and, ultimately, the World Series at moneyline odds that adjust throughout the season. The odds fluctuate as each team’s chances increase or decrease.
How to bet on hockey
Michigan books will also take bets on NHL games, allowing you to wager on the Detroit Red Wings or any other hockey team in the league. There are various ways for fans of the NHL to bet on hockey games.
The basic NHL bets available at all Michigan books include:
- Moneylines
- Puck lines
- Totals
- Futures
NHL moneylines
As with most sports, moneyline wagers are one of the easiest ways to bet on hockey games. NHL moneyline bets pay according to a team’s probability of winning and are set by books. All you have to do is pick the winner of the game and accept the odds posted when you wager.
Michigan sites express moneyline odds as either a positive or negative number. Negative numbers are for favorites. They represent the amount you’ll have to wager to win $100 plus your stake back. Positive numbers are for underdogs and show how much a $100 wager will earn.
See the football moneylines section above for more on moneyline odds work.
NHL puck lines
NHL point spread agreements are also referred to as puck lines. These are almost as easy to wager on as moneylines. Puck lines for NHL games are generally set at -1.5 for the favorite and +1.5 for the underdog. That’s because the average NHL game is decided by two goals or fewer.
Betting the puck line is simple: Make the correct prediction with the 1.5 puck line factored in, and you win. Basically, that means wagers on the favorite win when the favorite wins by two goals or more, and wagers on the underdog win when the underdog wins or loses by just a goal.
Puck line bets are booked at moneyline odds that vary based on the probability of a team covering.
See the football point spreads section above for a more detailed explanation of spread bets, which are virtually the same as puck line bets.
NHL totals
Totals bets in the NHL are almost exactly like the over/under wagers on football games. Michigan books set a line on the total number of goals both teams will combine to score. It’s up to you to decide if the actual total number of goals in the game will be over or under that number. Most Michigan sites will make the totals around five or six goals for most games, and odds are generally -110 for either side.
NHL futures
Bets on a team to win its division, its conference, or the Stanley Cup are NHL futures. Odds move with each team’s chances.
NHL parlays
Michigan books will allow you to wager on hockey parlays that combine two or more basic hockey selections. Parlays pay better than individual wagers, but you must win every single wager to win anything at all.
Bet on the NHL playoffs.
Michigan sites allow you to wager on the NHL playoffs in a variety of ways. You can wager on the outcome of each game and series. Plus, you can place futures bets on who will win each conference and, ultimately, the Stanley Cup at odds that adjust throughout the playoffs.
