Betting on Sports in Michigan - May 2024

When it comes to the Michigan sports betting scene, so much has changed over the last few years. With the opening up of the state for online sports betting came a number of legal and licensed online bookmakers offering players the opportunity to bet on all their favorite sports and teams.

Below, we walk you through all the different sports you can wager on, the types of wagers you can make whilst sports betting along with advising you on the best (and worst) places to play.

The Best Sites for Sports Betting in Michigan in 2024

Above, you can find what we consider are the best sites for betting on sports in Michigan. A lot goes into our reviews and our rankings reflect our general thoughts on each sportsbook.

Top Sports Betting Sites by Category

However, what we do know is that there’s a great betting site available on our list for everyone who loves sports betting.

Whilst the ranking table above tells you what we think when it comes to the overall best sportsbooks out there, it’s worth thinking about sports betting sites on a more micro level.

For example, if you want the best possible level of variation of sports, then you need to know which bookmaker offers this. If the range of markets is more your thing, then this may be a different sportsbook altogether.

We’ve broken down the best sites to bet on in Michigan by individual categories. The categories include:

• Best range of sports
• Best range of markets
• Best for higher stakes sports betting
• Best live betting on sport
• Best for NFL
• Best for NBA
• Best for MLS

The Sportsbook with the Best Range of Sports

BetMGM - with 20+ sports, there’s plenty here to get stuck into. There are other sportsbooks with a similar amount, but the overall product wins out here.

Best Range of Markets at a Sports Betting Site

BetRivers - again, others appeal too, but when we wrote their review, they were offering 300+ markets on NHL, 200+ markets on the NBA, and 760+ on the Superbowl. If you can’t find a bet within that, then we probably can’t help you!

The Best for Higher Stakes Wagers?

Caesars Sportsbook - not only do they have one of the biggest value welcome bonuses, but they have high limits on wagers and payouts, allowing higher stake gamblers to enjoy themselves. With the pedigree of Caesars behind them, they also look after these players well.

The Best Sportsbook for Live Betting?

BetMGM - firstly they have a fantastic live streaming service, coupled with plenty of strong live betting markets on all major sports. It really stands them out in Michigan.

Best Site for Betting on the NFL?

BetMGM - regular NFL promos, a huge range of NFL markets, and an excellent Same Game Parlay builder that applies itself to NFL really well. You can’t go wrong with BetMGM for betting on the NFL.

Best Site for Betting on NBA?

DraftKings - with a long-standing partnership with the Pistons, and NBA-specific promotions and bonuses, it’s fair to say that, in Michigan, DraftKings is the place to be for NBA betting.

Best Site for Betting on Soccer?

ESPNBet - Whilst not the biggest wagering sport in Michigan, betting on soccer is an ever growing market and this is reflected with ESPNBet offering some excellent betting on the MLS, but also major European leagues like the EPL, Bundesliga and La Liga featuring prominently.

Are there any Sports Betting Sites I should avoid?

Absolutely there are. At Best Betting Michigan, we’ll only review, rank and list licensed sportsbooks and casinos as the protection of our users is of the utmost importance to us. If a betting site is listed here then you can rest assured it’s legit and has followed the letter of the law as laid down by the Michigan Gaming Control Board.

However, there is an entire industry formed offshore that used to take Michigan users before online sports betting became legal in the state, and now they still take Michigan players after the legislation has been put in place. You take a huge risk by entertaining playing at any of these sites.

They’re not regulated and your money can’t be protected in the same way. Likewise, customer support will be poor and the overall product won’t be much to write home about.

How Easy is it to Bet on Sports in Michigan?

As long as you’re aged 21+ and are prepared to share your details when setting up an account then it’s really quite simple to bet on sports in Michigan.

Firstly, you have choice, with plenty of licensed online sportsbooks available to play at. To keep it really simple though, we’ve put together a little ‘how to’ for you:

1. 1

   Research and Review Sites!

   Check out all of our best betting sites reviews and choose the one you’d like to play at.

2. 2

   Choose your Sportsbook

   Click through to the sportsbook via our ‘Get Bonus’ buttons in the reviews.

3. 3

   Follow the Registration Process

   Click on ‘Register’ or ‘Sign-up’ and follow the instructions - adding your details along the way as required.

4. 4

   Verify your Account

   Verify your account if you need to. This often involves providing proof of identification and is a very normal procedure which helps protect against money laundering and fraud.

5. 5

   Deposit

   Once verified, deposit some funds into your sportsbook account.

6. 6

   Choose your Event and Make your First Wager

   Choose the sport, event, market you want to bet on and make that wager!

OK, but are there Online Sports Betting Strategies I should Follow?

It’s a good question, and everyone wants the secret sauce to online betting on sport. The reality is that whilst there are sometimes some marginal arbs to be made between odds on sportsbooks, there’s no surefire way to make money.

Anyone going into sports betting needs to understand it’s a form of entertainment, and that money can be lost along the way.

That said, there are still things you can do to enhance your chances of success compared to just making random bets.

1. Research - ultimately, you need to understand what you’re betting on. If you’re a major tennis betting fan and know very little about the NFL, then you’re less likely to make winnings through betting on football. Do your research, read previews about the event and make sure you see all the various angles that may come up. Is the game important or a dead rubber? Is it a grudge match? Do both teams have a full complement of players to choose from? Don’t just blindly presume - do the research!
2. Injuries and suspensions - part of the research but a really key piece. There’s nothing worse than placing a wager and then come kick-off / tip-off realizing that the star player is missing.
3. Weather situations - extreme cold and extreme heat affects teams differently. Is the away team traveling long distances to a different environment? A great example is in soccer in the South American Copa Libertadores where teams will travel from sea-level to thousands of feet above sea-level. This has a huge effect on performance.
4. Odds comparisons - whilst we implore you to enjoy sports betting in moderation, we also believe a key strategy is to have accounts open at multiple sportsbooks. This is so you will always be able to get the best odds possible for the wager you want to make.
5. Stick to the plan - if you’ve done the above and you’ve made the bets you want, then stick to it and don’t chase your losses or get distracted by further bets. You had an opinion and you backed it; there’s no need to get carried away.
6. Manage your bankroll sensibly - if possible, find a method to manage a bankroll. Have a set amount you’re willing to work with, and break it into individual ‘points’ amounts. This way you can make wagers based on how strongly you believe something may win or lose.

On this last point, for example, if you have a bankroll of $100, you may say this is made up of 100 points at $1 per point. Then have a scale where 5 points may be your max bet and 0.5 point is your lowest bet.

This way you keep an element of control on your betting based on how strongly you feel about each bet - over time you’ll modify and adjust based on feeling.

Which Key Sports are Available to Bet on in Michigan?

This depends a little on each sportsbook’s offering but ultimately you can wager on the majority of sports if there’s an event worth wagering on. Whilst the US’ major sports are clearly available, so are all global events like soccer World Cup betting, tennis majors and golf majors

The good news is that all major sports are available and this would cover the majority of the betting action in Michigan. These main sports are:

• Football
• Basketball
• Hockey
• Baseball
• Soccer

Betting on Football in Michigan

When it comes to sports betting in Michigan, the most popular sport by far is Football. Predominantly focused on the NFL, when it comes to betting on football, you have every market you could wish for, from standard moneylines and spreads through to same game parlays and props bets.

At the same time, there's plenty of College Football to wager on, as well as the XFL in places, so during the season, you'll never be without football to bet on.

Basketball Betting

After football, basketball and specifically the NBA is another huge sport for wagering in the US. Michigan in particular loves betting on the Pistons and similar to football, when it comes to betting on basketball there's as many markets as you could possibly need.

As well as the NBA and College Basketball, you can also bet on the European basketball leagues if that takes your fancy.

Betting on Baseball and the Tigers

The Detroit Tigers are the Michigan MLB franchise and they'll always be a popular pick for wagering. However, baseball betting in Michigan is extremely popular and the best betting sites for baseball have specific bonuses, live data and visualizations, a slick product and, of course, a wealth of markets to wager on - both pre-match and in-play.

Soccer Betting is on the Rise

Whilst hockey and baseball both play their parts, it's fair to say that betting on soccer is massively on the rise, in line with the popularity of the MLS, the access to the major European leagues like the EPL and La Liga.

Markets are available on all of the key leagues so if you're a passionate soccer fan, you don't miss out at all.

Which other Sports can I Wager on?

Outside of the five major sports, you can also regularly wager on the following sports:

• Tennis
• Golf
• Motor Racing
• MMA
• Boxing
• Cycling
• Cricket
• Bowling
• Aussie Rules
• Rugby
• Lacrosse
• Snooker

All major events are covered within this list of sports, so whether you’re looking to wager on the Tour de France, IPL Betting, wagering on the next boxing heavyweight championship, or wagering on any of the golf majors, you’ll be able to find a market.

What Types of Sports Wagers Can I Make in Michigan?

Things have changed so much in the sports betting space. Whereas the bet types available in the past were simple money lines and spreads, now there’s a whole world of wagers on offer with some key events having well over 300 wagering markets available. Some of those include:

• Moneylines
• Spreads
• Totals
• Futures
• Parlays
• Same Game Parlays
• Prop Betting

Below we walk you through each of these in a bit more detail.

What is a Moneyline Wager?

This is the most simple bet out there. With a moneyline wager you’re just picking which team that you believe will win the event. You will see two sets of odds - one for Team A and one for Team B. This would usually see a favorite and an underdog represented in the American Odds form of + and - values.

Spreads Wagers Explained

With a spread bet, you are betting on a team to beat a certain spread of points - effectively a points handicap applied to the team.

The spread can be in a negative or positive direction, and this then affects the odds - it’s actually a really nice way to inflate the odds, if you’re already set on a certain team winning.

For example:

Team A -1.5 points

Team A - 2.5 points

Team A - 3.5 points

With the spread expanding on each of these choices, the odds will also increase to reflect the more difficult task at hand for Team A.

How Does Totals Betting Work?

This is another really popular market and it’s a very simple one. There is a projected line on a metric like points, touchdowns, passing yards, goals, or runs and the bet is simply whether the result ends up Over or Under the projected line.

For example:

The Chicago Bears are playing the Detroit Lions, and the Total Points line has been set at 56.5 - you now have the option to bet Over or Under 56.5 points.

Betting on Futures in Michigan

Futures betting requires zooming out a little bit and taking a slightly longer view on things. Futures wagers are the equivalent of European Outrights bets. It’s betting on an outcome over the course of a season or over the full course of a set of events.

The easiest example is to place a wager at the start of the NFL season on who will win the Super Bowl.

There won’t be much that you can’t bet on though, and often you may even see the opportunity to cash out these wagers part-way through.

Online Betting on Parlays in Michigan

A parlay wager is a lovely way to take on a bet that can give you much bigger returns than your standard single wagers.

This is because you’re placing a bet on more than one event and more than one outcome. So, effectively it’s a number of individual single bets, rolled up into one big bet where every result has to win for you to be successful. Your reward? Much bigger odds as each individual set of odds accumulates to give you one big price.

Higher risk and higher reward, and actually a wager that the sportsbooks want you to make because it drives the margin they make on the bet even higher.

What are Same Game Parlays?

Where a Parlay is a bet on multiple events outcomes, the Same Game Parlay wager that is sweeping through US betting sites right now, is a way to bet on multiple outcomes from a single event. All within the ‘same game’.

So if you fancy Team A to win the moneyline, Over on the Total Points line, Team A to beat a -3.5 spread then you can put this all together in a Same Game Parlay and enjoy the game knowing you’ve got a fun wager on it.

Props Betting Explained

Props wagers have taken the sports betting world by storm in the last years - especially in some of the bigger European operators. Michigan is no different and all the operators we rank and review on Best Betting Michigan will offer a level of props wagers.

Ultimately it’s betting on different performance aspect of the players - think running yards or touchdowns thrown, basketball points or rebounds, soccer goals, shots and passes - if the sportsbook can quantify it there’s every chance you can make a wager on it.

How do Sports Betting Odds Work?

Whilst most other regions tend to use odds that come in fractional (UK in particular) or decimal (most of Europe and Latam) form, in Michigan, and the USA in general, we use the American Odds format.

The American Odds format uses a Plus (+) and Minus (-) method to let you know how much you could win or how much you would have to wager.

Let’s use the 2024 Super Bowl moneyline (using odds from Caesars) as an example here:

San Francisco 49ers: -130

The -130 reflects how much you would need to wager in order to make a profit of $100. So if you wagered $130 on the 49ers to win the Super Bowl you would get paid out $230 - your $130 initial stake and your $100 profit.

Kansas City Chiefs: +110

When there’s a plus sign in front of the number it changes the format, and this reflects how much you would win from a $100 stake - in this case $110. So, again, if you wagered $100 on the Chiefs to win the Super Bowl, you would get paid out $210 - your $100 stake and your $110 profit.

Clearly, you don’t have to stake $100, this can be any amount that you see fit that works within the rules of the sportsbook, but understanding how the American Odds work properly, will hold you in good stead when it comes to your betting.

Sports Betting Bonuses

We’re not going to go deep on sports betting bonuses here - we actually have an entire section dedicated to the best sports betting bonuses where we go into big detail about the different types and the different mechanics behind them. Not to mention which operators offer the best bonuses out there.

What you need to know though is that there are always welcome bonuses for new betting customers, and there will always be ongoing betting promotions for existing customers - you’ll never be far away from an opportunity at most betting operators.

Betting on Sports Live - What Do I Need to Know?

Live betting opportunities are as strong as they ever have been. Whilst betting pre-event and pre-match has always been the norm, live betting on sport really changes the dynamic and allows you to bet on multiple different markets whilst the event is in-play.

If you really know the sport you’re wagering on too, it really allows you to go deep on the players performances and test your ability to read the game whilst it’s playing out.

This can massively add to the excitement and enjoyment of the event, but there also needs to be caution applied as there are betting opportunities throughout each event every day - do not chase your losses as you can quickly find yourself losing more money than you were prepared to.

Is Sports Betting Legal in Michigan?

Yes, it’s completely legal as long as the sports betting sites and operators are licensed by the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB).

Please do not play at an unlicensed sportsbook - you take a huge risk with your money and they’re not regulated at all.

In fact, not just the sportsbooks themselves need to be licensed, so does any company that provides services to sportsbooks, or the industry within Michigan - including us here at Best Betting Michigan. We’re fully licensed to recommend sportsbooks to a Michigan audience.

Betting Laws in Michigan

Betting online on sport used to be illegal thanks to the 1992 PASPA Act. This was overturned in 2018 and it was legalized that online sports betting could happen at a federal level.

This allowed each state to legalize sports betting or not - completely up to them - and you’ll see that beyond Michigan there are still some states that haven’t legalized it yet.

Online Casino is another area that can be legalized and Michigan has also followed through with this, allowing its residents to play at any licensed casino.

Conclusion

Online betting on sports continues to grow and gather pace within the USA, and the Michigan sports betting scene now has a really strong group of sportsbooks to offer sports betting services to its residents.

Every sport you could wish to bet on is now available, and there are more markets both pre-event and live, than ever before. Michigan sports and betting fans have never had it so good.

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