NHL Betting in Michigan
With the playoffs in full swing, NHL betting in Michigan remains alive and well. In fact, hockey is a hometown favorite Michigan sports betting option. A variety of legal sites offer pre-game and live NHL moneylines, puck lines, totals (over/unders), parlays, props, and futures. You name it, you can wager on it in the Great Lakes State.
NHL betting is available all year round in Michigan, with futures markets in the offseason plus pre-game and in-game betting available daily through the regular season, playoffs and Stanley Cup Finals. Home to the 11-time Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings, hockey is as popular in Michigan as anywhere in the US, and so is NHL betting. (The whole Hockeytown nickname has stuck around for a reason!)
From the best NHL odds and wagers to a few NHL betting tips and a look at the NHL’s rich history in Detroit, here’s a closer look at betting on the NHL in Michigan.
Best sites for NHL betting in Michigan
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How does NHL betting work?
NHL betting in Michigan is easy. In fact, these are just a few basic ways to wager on the NHL:
- Moneylines: Pick a winner and book a wager at the currently posted odds. Favorites are booked at negative (-) moneyline odds, with a number indicating how much you’ll need to wager to win $100 and your wager back. Underdogs are booked at positive (+) moneyline odds, with a number indicating how much you’ll get paid, plus your wager back, for every $100 you wager. If the Detroit Red Wings moneyline is at -120, you’ll have to wager $120 to win $100, plus your wager back. If the Red Wings moneyline is at +200, you’ll win $200 for every $100 you wager, and you’ll get your wager back.
- Puck Lines: Pick a winner with the puck line factored into the final score. The moneyline odds you can book the wager at may vary, but the puck line is almost always 1.5 goals. If the Red Wings’ puck line is at -1.5, they’ll need to win by at least two goals for wagers on them to win. Plus, if the Red Wings puck line is at +1.5, they’ll need to either win, or lose by just one goal, for wagers on them to pay off.
- Over/under: Pick whether the total goals scored by both teams will be over or under a line set by oddsmakers. Over/under wagers are also called totals.
- Props: Pick whether players or teams will achieve various statistical milestones in a game, such as a specific player to score or a team to score a certain number of goals or more.
- Parlays: Combine two or more wagers into a single wager to improve the payout. Just remember that each pick must win for the parlay wager to cash.
- Futures: Wager on a team to win the Stanley Cup, their conference, division, or win at least a certain number of games. NHL futures markets open in the offseason, and the odds are adjusted with a team’s chances as the season continues.
- Live betting: Live betting is the process of wagering on a game that’s already underway at odds that are adjusted throughout.
Preseason NHL betting
Normally, the NHL holds a two-week pre-season with teams all playing from six to eight preseason games at the end of September. The games are more about training and evaluating talent than winning, and established stars don’t play all that much. The fact teams aren’t playing to win makes it difficult to predict winners.
NHL regular-season betting
The 32 NHL teams are divided into four divisions — Atlantic and Metropolitan in the Eastern Conference, and Central and Pacific in the Western Conference.
In a typical NHL season, each team plays 82 games, half at home and half on the road. The goal is to earn points, with two for a win and one for an overtime or shootout loss. The points determine standings and, ultimately, playoff berths and seeding. The result is that NHL teams play to win every game they can until they lock up a playoff spot and seed.
Sites provide odds on every regular-season game, and you can wager with confidence knowing teams are putting their best foot forward.
NHL playoffs betting
Normally, once the regular season is over, the NHL’s Stanley Cup Playoffs are held to determine a champion and winner of the Stanley Cup. It’s a seeded tournament featuring four rounds of best-of-seven series between the top 16 teams from the regular season.
The three top teams from each division plus two wild card teams from each conference qualify for the playoffs. Top seeds take on the wild card seeds in the first round, while the second and third seeds play each other. The winners move on to play each other in the second round. The four winning teams of the second round advance to the Stanley Cup semifinals and get re-seeded based on their regular-season records. The top seed plays the bottom seed, and the second seed plays the third seed. The two winners go on to play in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Teams take the competition to the next level in the Stanley Cup Playoffs as they fight to survive. NHL betting sites allow you to bet on every aspect of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, including individual games and series, and who will win it all.
Best apps for NHL betting in Michigan
Here’s a look at five apps that are perfect for hockey bettors. All of these sites boast strong live NHL betting features, strong prop wager markets, and other tools to make wagering on the NHL a breeze.
DraftKings
DraftKings Sportsbook is one of the best in the business, and the same goes for its hockey presence. The site has an incredibly deep NHL market, with some of the most competitive odds available. Its stats hub, coupled with a wide range of props and alternate totals, make it a great option for wagering on live NHL matchups. It’s incredibly smooth to navigate the site in real-time and add or hedge your wagers.
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BetMGM
MetMGM Sportsbook is great for NHL bettors due to its extensive player prop offering and features like “One Game Parlay” and “Edit My Bet.” That flexibility is great, especially with how quickly a hockey contest can turn. Hockey wagering markets are grouped together clearly, meaning you don’t need to search the app trying to find what you’re looking for. The site offers simple cash out controls and a visual betting history to manage your wagers.
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FanDuel
FanDual Sportsbook is arguably the best app when it comes to live NHL betting. Odds and prices update in real time, and the betting menu is organized very well. The Same Game Parlay is perfect for hockey, where you can put together pre-game and live wagers with multiple legs. You can expect promos and odds boosts around the biggest regular season matchups, along with frequent bonuses during the NHL postseason.
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Caesars
Caesasrs Sportsbook is one of the biggest names in the entertainment industry, and that holds true for betting on the NHL. There are frequent profit boosts during the NHL playoffs, along with a solid offering of shots, saves, and points prop wagers. Caesars has an app that’s easy to navigate and processes game action well, so don’t worry about any delays in the action or seeing outdated odds.
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bet365
bet365 Sportsbook offers a deep offering for NHL bettors: moneylines, puck lines, player props, and full-season futures for not just the Stanley Cup, but other postseason and conference action. Live wagering is smooth as well on the app, and it’s easy to see your odds adjust in real-time as you add or remove legs from a parlay. bet365’s cash out function is solid as well, which makes it a nice feature for live bettors looking to react to the NHL’s fast-paced action.
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Tips for NHL betting in Michigan
The most consistent NHL betting strategies are focused on statistics and information. Good data can turn guesses into educated and informed wagers. Doing your homework is the key to betting on the NHL in Michigan successfully.
In other words, consume all the info about the league you can and watch games. There’s no substitute for this kind of research.
You should also go line-shopping to find the best price for any given wager. That means checking the line at every licensed Michigan sports betting operation within reason.
But before you do, try focusing on these three NHL betting facts when making your picks:
- Home-ice advantage is real: Home teams get a boost from the crowd and the last line changes, giving them an edge at home. Look at the home and away records of most teams and you’ll see just how real the NHL’s home-ice advantage is.
- It’s hard to score: Many NHL games are decided by a single goal and feature five total goals or fewer. That not only means it’s hard to score goals, it means there’s parity in the NHL and much less separation than you think between most teams.
- Goalies are to hockey what starting pitchers are to baseball: Goalies have a huge influence on NHL games, and their performance is often the difference between winning and losing. Bet on the best goalies, look for netminders on hot and cold streaks, and find out when the top backstops are taking the night off with their team left vulnerable.
Where to bet on the NHL in Michigan
Michigan online sports betting allows you to bet on the NHL at home. You can bet on the NHL with a mobile device or computer anywhere inside state lines where you have access to the internet. Michigan sports betting apps allow you to access 24 hours a day and seven days a week, provided you are 21 and over and have access to the internet inside state lines.
Online methods provide undoubtedly the most convenient ways to wager on hockey in Michigan. Follow this simple four-step process to get in on all the NHL betting action via an app:
- Download the app
- Sign up for an account
- Make a deposit
- Fill out a bet slip
Step 1: Download the app
You can download most operators via your device’s app marketplace: the iOS App Store or Google Play. Once you’ve downloaded the app to your mobile device, just open it up to begin the registration process.
Step 2: Sign up for an account
Signing up is a breeze. You should be prompted to click through to the sign-up page as soon as you launch the app. Simply fill out the required personal and account information fields. They usually won’t ask for much more than your:
- Name
- Phone number
- Date of birth
- Last four digits of your SSN
You should also look for a place to enter a promo code. You can find Michigan sportsbook promo codes for most legal sites on PlayMichigan. Entering this info when you first register will ensure you get the top new-player bonus on offer.
Finally, confirm that you’ve both read and understood the various terms and conditions, and submit your registration through the app.
Most will verify your age using your SSN digits and your location with geolocation technology, but you should be ready to take the next step toward betting on the NHL via mobile app in Michigan quickly.
Step 3: Make a deposit
Online sites make it easy to deposit funds into your account by offering you a good variety of banking methods. Click on the ‘DEPOSIT’ or ‘CASHIER’ tab in many apps, and choose the most convenient method for you.
Most offer everything from credit cards and debit cards as options to online payment processors and cash at various retail locations. Enter the amount you wish to deposit, follow the various prompts, and confirm the transaction. The funds should be available almost immediately.
Step 4: Look for current NHL odds
You have to create and confirm a bet slip to place a wager on the NHL via mobile app, but most sites practically do this for you.
Just log in to your account and browse through the available NHL betting markets. When you see something you want to wager on, tap on it, and a bet slip will be instantly created.
Enter the amount you want to wager, and a potential payout will be displayed. Then, you can go back to browsing, add more wagers and decide whether to keep the wagers separate or make them part of a parlay.
Finally, make sure everything on the bet slip is to your liking, and tap the ‘Place Bet’ button or its equivalent to confirm.
Michigan NHL teams & rivals
The Detroit Red Wings are Michigan’s NHL club and one of the most popular in the league. In non-COVID affected seasons, they compete in the Eastern Conference’s Atlantic Division.
An NHL Original Six franchise, the team was founded in 1926 and boasts 11 Stanley Cup wins, making them the winningest team in the US. Only the Montreal Canadiens (24) and Toronto Maple Leafs (13) have more Stanley Cup victories.
The Red Wings played at Joe Louis Arena until 2017, when they moved into the new Little Caesars Arena in downtown Detroit to begin the 2017–18 season.
The last time the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup was in the 2007-08 season. Detroit beat the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games to win the Stanley Cup Finals , thanks in part to the play of star Henrik Zetterberg, who was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Most Valuable Player of the playoffs that year.
Red Wings’ rivals — the Original Six
The NHL’s first 25 years featured only six teams, making these Original Six squads bitter rivals to this day. Alongside Detroit, the Original Six includes:
- Boston Bruins
- Chicago Blackhawks
- Montreal Canadiens
- New York Rangers
- Toronto Maple Leafs
Every one of these teams is considered one of the Detroit Red Wings’ fiercest rivals, although the team’s proximity to Chicago and Toronto make the Leafs and Blackhawks rivalries as intense as any.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto-Detroit rivalry dates back to the 1920s. The teams have since met in the NHL Playoffs more than two dozen times.
The rivalry reached a fever pitch in the 1950s, when Detroit legend Gordie Howe fell headfirst into the boards and was severely injured in a game against Toronto. Even an extremely violent playoff series that year didn’t settle things.
The fact Toronto and Detroit are only about 240 miles apart fans the (not Calgary) flames of this rivalry, and in the 2013-14 season, the Red Wings moved into the Eastern Conference’s Atlantic Division with the Leafs, making this a divisional clash now.
Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks and Red Wings used to be in the same division, and the proximity of these two storied NHL franchises has always made this one a local rivalry as well.
These Original Six teams have faced each other in more regular-season games than any other two in NHL history. That kind of familiarity breeds contempt. Although they may only play twice a year now, the history and hate continue.
Top 5 NHL players from Michigan
The number of NHL players born in Michigan stands at close to 200. That makes the state the third-biggest contributor of NHL talent here in the US, behind only Minnesota and Massachusetts.
Here’s a look at five of the best players that Michigan has produced.
1. Mike Modano
For players born in Michigan, Modano tops the list for games played in the NHL. Longevity is not the only hallmark for Modano, who had himself a stellar career.
- Games played: 1,499
- Goals: 561
- Assists: 813
- Seasons: 21
- Teams: Minnesota North Stars, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings
- Stanley Cups: 1 — 1999, with Dallas Stars
- Hometown: Livonia
- Drafted: First overall by Minnesota North Stars in 1988
2. Brian Rolston
Rolston is second behind Modano in games played for a Michigan-born player. Over his lengthy NHL career, he was regarded as one of the best two-way players in the game.
- Games played: 1,256
- Goals: 342
- Assists: 419
- Seasons: 17
- Teams: New Jersey Devils, Colorado Avalanche, Boston Bruins, Minnesota Wild, New York Islanders
- Stanley Cups: 1 — 1995, with New Jersey Devils
- Hometown: Flint
- Drafted: 11th overall by New Jersey Devils in 1991
3. Doug Weight
When you’re a key cog on the US national team for more than a decade, chances are you’re pretty outstanding. That’s the case for Weight, who had an excellent NHL career.
- Games played: 1,238
- Goals: 278
- Assists: 755
- Seasons: 19
- Teams: New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, St. Louis Blues, Carolina Hurricanes, Anaheim Ducks, New York Islanders
- Stanley Cups: 1 — 2006, with Carolina Hurricanes
- Hometown: Warren
- Drafted: 34th overall by New York Rangers in 1990
4. Mark Howe
The list of stellar defensemen from Michigan is a long one, but it’s tough to look past Howe. The Hall-of-Fame son of the legendary Gordie Howe was the real deal.
- Games played: 929
- Goals: 197
- Assists: 545
- Seasons: 15
- Teams: Hartford Whalers, Philadelphia Flyers, Detroit Red Wings
- Stanley Cups: 0 — made the finals three times, however
- Hometown: Detroit
- Drafted: 25th overall by Boston Bruins in 1974
5. Ryan Miller
Miller was a top-tier goalie in the NHL throughout his career. He retired at the end of the 2020-21 season and left an impressive mark in the NHL stat book.
- Games played: 796
- Record: 391-289-88
- Goals against average: 2.64
- Seasons: 18
- Teams: Buffalo Sabres, St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks, Anaheim Ducks
- Stanley Cups: 0
- Hometown: East Lansing
- Drafted: 138th overall by Buffalo Sabres in 1999
NHL betting in Michigan remains a fan favorite
With a deep hockey history, the state of Michigan has no shortage of NHL fans. And those fans have quite the appetite to wager on the sport.
NHL betting doesn’t need to be complicated. Michigan boasts a great variety of sites that offer deep hockey markets. Do your homework before wagering by reading up on injuries, shopping around for odds, and paying attention to game trends.
That way, you’ll be fully prepared for NHL betting in Michigan.
NHL Betting FAQ
Sites offer similar bets on the NHL to the wagers they offer for most other team sports. These offerings include moneylines, puck lines (spreads), totals (over/unders), parlays, props and futures.
The puck line is like the spread in NFL betting or the MLB run line. You need to factor in the puck line when determining a betting winner.
Most of the time, the NHL puck lines are set at 1.5 goals, so you take that away from the favorite or add it to the underdog’s tally to see if these wagers seem like good possibilities for you.
Overtime counts when it comes to NHL betting. The wager is settled with the winning team taking the game it by a goal.
Shootouts also count, with the winning team getting the equivalent of one goal, no matter how the shootout ends.
When sites offer live betting on NHL games, they allow all kinds of in-game betting, including wagers on who will win each period.
You might be able to accomplish this at retail properties too, but the speed at which the odds can change make online and mobile wagering the best for live betting.
Sites set lines based on a variety of factors, including scheduling, location, historical matchups, statistics and recent performance. Plus, some basic NHL principles are applied, including the low-scoring and close nature of most games.
Goalies can win or lose games by their own play, at times, and oddsmakers look at them first when it comes to setting game odds. You should probably give them the same weight you do for starting pitchers when betting on NHL games.
One of the most jaw-dropping goals in hockey history took place back in the 1996 NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament. The scene was a regional semifinal game between Michigan and Minnesota.
The Wolverines were playing from behind, but RW Mike Legg was out to change that. Legg came from behind the net and put the biscuit in the basket to tie the game in a scene that has to be seen to be believed.
Legg scored what can be best described as a wrap-around, lacrosse-style goal. He managed to snatch the puck with the blade of his stick and then deposited it over the goalie’s shoulder into the top corner of the net.
Michigan went on to win the game, and they kept the momentum going to win the whole tournament, the eighth time the program had achieved that goal to that point.
Although Legg’s pro career wasn’t the stuff of legends, the goal he scored still holds significance, not only here in Michigan but throughout the sport. The stick he used to turn the trick was donated to the Hockey Hall of Fame, while the publication Inside Hockey bestowed it with “goal of the year” honors.
Forever known as the “Michigan Move,” it has been attempted a number of times at the NHL level, but it took some doing for the first successful attempt. In October 2019, Carolina Hurricanes RW Andrei Svechnikov pulled it off in a game against the Calgary Flames. He would score another lacrosse-style goal in December 2019.
