The Detroit Pistons are a Michigan sports institution. After all, the team has three NBA titles and a reputation as one of the toughest teams in basketball history.
Despite falling on some hard times lately, the team is as popular as ever in Michigan. That means when Michigan retail sportsbooks reopen, and Michigan sports betting goes online in late 2020 or early 2021, betting on the NBA should be as popular in the Great Lakes State as anywhere else in the country.
Here’s a complete look at how to bet on the NBA in Michigan, including where you can bet and what you can bet on. We also answer some of the biggest questions about NBA betting, NBA odds, and a few NBA betting tips as well.
The NBA is one of the most fun, exciting, and easiest sports to bet on in Michigan. If you’re 21 and over you can bet on the NBA in person at retail sportsbooks across the state. Plus, as long as you’re inside state lines, you’ll soon be able to bet on the NBA statewide through Michigan online and mobile sportsbooks.
All Michigan sportsbooks allow you to book the following basic single-game wagers on all NBA games:
You can also book parlays, which allow you to combine two or more of the basic bets listed above into one. You will get paid better odds than individual bets, but there’s a catch. All the bets in the parlay must win for you to get paid.
Michigan sportsbooks also offer NBA futures markets where you can bet on various teams to win the NBA finals, their division, conference, or a portion of games throughout the season.
NBA futures are available all year long, although the odds are adjusted throughout the season.
You can also bet on NBA props at Michigan sportsbooks. NBA props are bets on various things within a game, including whether certain players or teams will reach specific statistical milestones.
Props and futures may also include bets on a player to win any one of the annual NBA awards, like the MVP or Defensive Player of the Year.
Futures may also include bets on a team to make the NBA Playoffs or win an NBA Playoffs series.
Michigan gambling law allows for live betting on NBA games, which is betting in the middle of an NBA game on odds that change with the action.
The speed at which the action and the odds change make live betting better suited to online and mobile wagering, where you can bet faster than you might in a retail sportsbook environment.
Live betting presents a variety of unique betting opportunities for gamblers who watch NBA games. Live betting allows you to hedge bets that look like winners, pile on the winnings, or quickly make up for pre-game betting mistakes.
Going out to watch the NBA is now that much better here in Michigan. You can now place your bets in person with the latest odds and lines at a number of great spots, including:
One of the first retail sports betting outlets in Michigan, the BetMGM Sports Lounge has a full-service bar and a wide range of seating options. You can catch the games on 60 HDTVs and place your bets at one of six betting windows or 14 self-serve kiosks.
If you head to Onyx Sportsbook by William Hill, you’ll find much more than betting windows and kiosks for wagering. There’s a full-service bar, an outdoor patio, and even complimentary games for those who are looking to kick things up a notch.
Onyx Sportsbook by William Hill can also be found at sister property Turtle Creek. At this location, self-serve kiosks are there for your wagering needs, while the casino itself has plenty of amenities and dining options to enjoy.
There are a number of other great spots to head out and wager on some hoops action across Michigan. Among the spots to check out are the 131 Sportsbook & Lounge at Gun Lake Casino in Wayland, and The Sportsbook at Greektown Casino-Hotel in Detroit.
The Detroit Pistons are Michigan’s only NBA team. Based in Detroit, the Pistons play in Little Caesars Arena in Midtown Detroit, which opened in 2017.
The Pistons have won three NBA titles, including the “Bad Boys” teams in 1989 and 1990, featuring stars Isiah Thomas, Dennis Rodman, and Bill Laimbeer, and the 2004 team led by Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, and Rasheed Wallace.
The “Bad Boys” teams of the late 1980s and early 1990s cemented the Pistons’ reputation as one of the toughest teams in the NBA.
The 2019–20 NBA season began in October 2019, and the regular season was almost finished when it was suspended on March 11, 2020, due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
In June 2020, the NBA announced a plan to resume the season on July 31, 2020, with just 22 teams playing eight regular-season games to finalize playoff seeding and a traditional 16-team NBA Playoffs at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.
The Pistons are not one of the 22 teams. They were 20–46 and out of playoff contention when the season was suspended. However, you will be able to bet on the remainder of the 2019–20 NBA season when Michigan sportsbooks reopen.
The Bulls are likely the Pistons’ greatest rivals. The Michael Jordan-era Bulls met the Bad Boys-era Pistons in the playoffs for four straight seasons from 1988 to 1991. Plus, Detroit and Chicago share a natural geographical rivalry.
The Bulls and Pistons both play in the Eastern Conference Central Division.
The Bulls play home games at the United Center in Chicago and have won six NBA championships, all between 1991 and 1998 with two three-peats led by Jordan, fellow Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen, and coach Phil Jackson.
The Cavs are perhaps the Pistons’ second-greatest rival. Teams made up mostly of players from the 2004 Pistons Championship team played the Lebron James-led Cavaliers in three playoff series between 2006 and 2009, including James’ first-ever playoff appearance.
The Cavaliers are also in the Eastern Conference Central Division and share a geographical rivalry with Detroit.
The team plays home games at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Downtown Cleveland and won their first and only NBA Championship in 2016.
You can also bet on the WNBA and WNBA games at Michigan legal sportsbooks.
Fewer teams and fewer games mean less parity in the WNBA, making it an attractive league for sports bettors.
The Detroit Shock was Michigan’s WNBA team from 1998 to 2009. The team was coached by Bad Boys-era Pistons legend Bill Laimbeer from 2002 to 2009 when it won three WNBA titles, in 2003, 2006, and 2008.
The Shock moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma in the 2010 season. In 2015, the Tulsa Shock moved to Dallas-Fort Worth and became the Dallas Wings.
The 2020 WNBA season was postponed in April 2020 because of the global COVID-19 pandemic. In June 2020, the league announced plans to hold a shortened 22-game regular season at Bradenton, Florida’s IMG Academy, without fans, beginning on July 24.
The best NBA betting strategies are developed with real-life data put together by people who watch games and conduct exhaustive research. However, they always start with a clear understanding of how NBA betting lines are built.
NBA lines are set based on several factors, including:
Oddsmaker often leans on a few fundamental principles as well, including the fact:
You should also be considering all these factors when betting on the NBA because oddsmakers certainly are.
You should also shop around. The same line will be different at different sportsbooks, and there is no doubt there is some value to be found by shopping around for the best lines at Michigan sportsbooks.
If you can lay a lower price on favorites or get a better one on an underdog, you’ll be putting money in your pocket instead of the sportsbook. The launch of online and mobile betting in Michigan will make this infinitely easier.
You should also look for an NBA line movement. NBA betting lines only move because of injuries, or the betting action is one-sided.
It is understandable when a line moves because of an injury. Teams are forced to provide the lineup a half-hour before tipoff, and if a key player is missing, sportsbooks are right to adjust lines for the game.
It’s tougher to see why a line moves because of increased activity on one side. Essentially, sportsbooks are moving the NBA betting line to reduce their exposure.
This kind of movement is considered artificial. There’s no on-the-court reason for it, and it gives you the chance to take advantage of better prices. Oddsmakers are rarely wrong, so a bet on oddsmakers being right when they first set the line is always a good one.
The following five NBA betting tips for beginners are a great place to start when developing your own NBA betting strategy:
You should try to avoid chasing NBA betting losses. Increasing betting and bet sizing is just a quick way to go broke.
Avoid betting on home favorites exclusively. Every team loses sometimes. Finding the odd game where a road underdog is bound to upset the home team can provide the big boost your bankroll betting favorites can’t.
Finally, bet with your head, not your heart. Everyone in Michigan loves the Pistons, but the team on the court hasn’t exactly lived up to that love the past few seasons. Count on data and research to help you make picks instead.
The 2019-20 NBA season resumed on July 31, 2020, in Orlando, Florida with the 13 Western Conference teams and nine Eastern Conference teams still in the hunt for the playoffs playing eight regular-season games to decide playoff seeding.
A best-of-two play-in series was held for the eighth seed in each conference if the ninth seed finishes within four games of the eighth spot.
The 2020 NBA Playoffs was schedule for the end of August with finals taking place in Oct.
Once the 16-team field was set, the NBA playoffs proceeded in a normal fashion with best-of-seven series in the First Round, Conference Semifinals, Conference Finals, and The Finals.
NBA spreads generally work the same as other sports. Sportsbooks set a line on each game and that number is deducted from the favorite’s final score to determine betting winners.
Favorites need to win by these points or more to cover. Underdogs cover when they either win the game or lose by less than the points.
Since most NBA games are decided by one or two baskets, NBA spreads are generally low. However, you can also bet alternative spreads at adjusted odds at most Michigan sportsbooks.
NBA totals are over/under bets on a line combining the score of both teams. If the total combined score hits the line exactly, all bets push and are returned. A half-point is often added to totals lines.
Overtime counts, unless the sportsbook specifies, which is why anyone betting the over is usually smiling when teams are tied at the end of regulation. An additional five minutes of play almost guarantees the over.