The Best Hockey Betting Sites in Michigan - May 2024

Betting on hockey in Michigan has become extremely popular ever since the state decided to legalize online sports wagering.

Our reviewers focused on the breadth of NHL betting options provided and the quality of the hockey odds at each sportsbook. We also analyzed the strength of the wagering platform, the mobile app, the customer service, the bonuses and promotions, deposits and withdrawals, the sports betting features provided, and much more.

After conducting this rigorous review process, we arrived at our definitive list of the best hockey betting sites in Michigan. These online sportsbooks are all licensed and regulated by the Michigan Control Board, and you can trust them to pay you out on time.

The Best Hockey Betting Sites in Michigan for 2024 - Ranked and Rated

What Do the Best Hockey Betting Sites Offer?

The best hockey betting sites offer a safe, legal environment in which to wager on the NHL and various other leagues from around the world. Betting on hockey in Michigan allows you to dial up the excitement you feel when watching a game unfold. It also gives you the opportunity to profit from your hockey expertise.

However, there are lots of Michigan hockey betting sites to choose from, and it can be difficult to identify the best sportsbooks from that bunch. That inspired us to compile our guide to the best online betting sites for hockey in Michigan.

Broadly speaking, these top hockey betting sites offer:

• Coverage of every single NHL game, plus lots of different hockey leagues from around the world.
• Lots of hockey betting options on each game, including money lines, puck lines, totals, game props, player props, alternative puck lines, alternative totals, and betting markets on each period.
• Impressive live hockey betting sections.
• Lots of futures betting options on hockey, including the winner of the Stanley Cup, the various divisions and conferences, plus individual awards and season-long team and player props.
• Above average odds on hockey, and generous parlay hockey betting terms.
• User-friendly wagering platforms via a mobile app and desktop site.
• Features such as cash out, same game parlays and live streaming.
• Competitive bonuses and promotions that can be used on hockey games.
• Strong customer support, lots of payment options, quick and dependable payouts, flawless security records, and an unwavering commitment to responsible gambling.

Let's dig a little deeper here and go into more detail about some of the key features that the best sportsbooks offer hockey fans.

Hockey Betting Cash Out - Get Out Early!

The cash out feature provides an intriguing new dimension to betting on hockey in Michigan. It essentially gives you the opportunity to end a hockey bet before the game has finished. There are two reasons why you might consider this:

1. The team you bet on is winning, but you fear that it could lose that lead during the remainder of the game.
2. The team you bet on is losing, and you believe it has a very slim chance of mounting a successful comeback.

In either of those scenarios, you might consider taking advantage of the cash out option provided by the top hockey betting sites in Michigan. Visit the “Open Bets” or “My Bets” section of a sportsbook that offers betting on hockey in Michigan, and you will see a list of the live wagers that you have placed. If cash out is available, you will see an offer next to each wager. This tells you the amount that the sportsbook is prepared to offer you to end the bet early.

If your team is in the lead, you will be able to lock in a guaranteed profit, thus protecting you if your team crumbles in the closing stages of the game. If the team you bet on is losing, the cash out offer will typically be smaller than the amount you wagered. You can cash out if you want to recoup some of your stake.

Live Streaming Ice Hockey in Michigan

Live streaming allows you to watch a hockey game unfold on a sports betting site or mobile app. You will be able to watch the action in high definition while browsing the various live wagering options and considering what bets to make.

In March 2020, FanDuel Sportsbook announced that it would begin to offer live streaming on NHL games via its mobile app and desktop site. The streaming is provided via a partnership with IMG Arena, a company that holds the rights to supply the best hockey betting sites with live streams and data.

A few other online sportsbooks offer live streaming too, including DraftKings Sportsbook, BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook and PointsBet. You can head over to the live betting section of these online betting sites for hockey to see which games are covered via live streaming on any particular day. You generally need to have a funded account or to place a bet on the action to stream a game at Michigan hockey betting sites.

Bespoke Hockey Betting Bonuses - Tailored Directly to the Fans

There are lots of different online sportsbooks vying for your attention in Michigan. They all offer enticing welcome bonuses in an effort to stand out. These sign-up bonuses either take the form of a risk-free first bet or a deposit match. They can be very lucrative, and they can all be used on hockey games.

The next step for an online sportsbook is customer retention. Most sports betting sites therefore provide a range of ongoing sportsbook promos for their existing customers to prevent them from migrating to rival sportsbooks.

Many of these promotions are tied to individual sports. You can often find bespoke hockey betting bonuses available at most major sportsbooks - you just need to keep a keen eye.

Hockey Betting Competitions – What Can I Bet On?

Most bettors in Michigan will naturally want to bet on the NHL, as it is by far and away the world’s most popular hockey league and, of course, Michigan has its very own franchise: the Detroit Red Wings. You will find an abundance of NHL betting options at the top hockey betting sites in the state.

However, you should also be able to place wagers on a variety of additional leagues. Most Michigan hockey betting sites will offer betting on leagues in Europe, including the KHL in Russia, the Swedish Hockey League and Liiga in Finland. Many also provide wagering options on hockey in the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Germany, and a few other European nations.

In addition to those pro leagues, you can sometimes find betting on the AHL and NCAA hockey. Michigan permits betting on collegiate sports, but you cannot place prop bets on college athletes. All told, you should have dozens of games to bet on each day when the hockey season is in full swing. You will also be able to bet on international tournaments, such as hockey at the Winter Olympics.

Betting on the NHL in Michigan

Before the NHL season begins, you should be presented with a large selection of futures betting options. The best hockey betting sites allow you to bet on the winner of the Stanley Cup, each division and conference. You can also bet on whether each team will reach the playoffs and bet over/under on the total wins it will earn over the course of the regular season.

They also offer bets on the winners of individual awards, including Calder Memorial Trophy, the Art Ross Trophy, the James Norris Memorial Trophy and the Conn Smythe Trophy. You might also find fun player props, like which goaltender will make the most saves in the regular season out of two top goalies.

These futures betting odds will change over the course of the season, depending upon results, injuries and so on.

You should be able to bet on every game of the NHL season. The best hockey betting sites will offer markets on the moneyline, puck line, total goals, game props and player props. You should be able to bet on the full game, and on each period. Some will also allow you to roll several predictions into a single bet, known as a same game parlay.

When the action begins, you should be able to find a large array of live betting options, broken down into money lines, props, totals and so on. The top hockey betting sites also accept bets such as parlays and Round Robins, which offer you the chance to win large profits from relatively modest stakes.

Betting on College Hockey

Some of the best sportsbooks in Michigan will also allow you to bet on college hockey. It is exciting to have skin in the game while watching the Wolverines battle for victory on the ice.

Your options are generally a lot more limited when it comes to betting on college hockey. Some states completely forbid wagering on college sports, forcing bettors to stick to pro sports, so it is great to see that Michigan included NCAA betting in its legalization bill.

However, it does not permit player props. That makes sense, as it could lead to certain people exploiting college athletes.

You will also find that your betting limits are significantly lower when it comes to college hockey. For example, FanDuel Sportsbook offers maximum winnings of $1 million on NHL money lines, puck lines, totals and futures, but the most you can win on NCAA ice hockey is $50,000.

College Hockey Betting Market Availability

Yet the top hockey betting sites will still provide you with a strong selection of wagering options on NCAA games. That should include team totals, alternative game totals, correct score betting, wagering on periods, and props such as the first team to score, and over/under on shots, power play goals and other markets.

The best hockey betting sites will publish early lines on NCAA games, and they will also offer futures betting on college hockey. They will also have friendly, helpful customer service representatives ready to provide assistance if you need it, they will settle bets quickly and they will provide prompt, reliable payouts.

KHL Betting in Michigan

The Kontinental Hockey League is widely regarded as the second strongest league in the world. It was formed in 2008, comprising the various teams from the Russian Superleague and the champion of the second division.

The KHL initially had 21 teams from Russia and one each from Belarus, Latvia and Kazakhstan. It now includes 18 teams from Russia and one each from Belarus, Latvia, Kazakhstan, Finland and China, but the winner is crowned the champion of Russia and awarded the Gagarin Cup.

You often see former NHL players moving to the KHL, while promising players from the KHL are snapped up by NHL teams. It is therefore a popular league among many people that enjoy betting on hockey in Michigan.

The best hockey betting sites cover every game taking place during the KHL season, which culminates with the Gagarin Cup. You may not find player props, but you should find lots of alternative puck lines and totals, game props and live betting options. Betting limits on KHL games are often in line with NCAA games, and a lot smaller than NHL betting limits.

Ice Hockey Betting Markets – The Most Popular

Similar to when betting on football in Michigan, the best hockey sportsbook provide their customers with 100 or more wagering options on a single game. The three most popular options are the money line, the spread (known as the puck line for hockey betting) and total goals.

You will also find a wide selection of prop bets. These are wagers on specific events within a game that do not necessarily pertain to the result. They can be broadly divided into game props and player props.

An example of a game prop is which team will score the first goal or the highest scoring period. A player prop could be the total saves a goaltender makes, or whether a particular player will score.

There are also parlays, which allow you to combine several predictions in a single bet to secure a larger potential payout. Futures betting markets on the winner of the Stanley Cup, the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference are also very popular.

Money Line Betting on the Ice Hockey

A money line bet is a straightforward prediction on which team will win a game. It is the most common way to bet on hockey.

The oddsmakers at the top hockey betting sites will assess the comparative strengths and weaknesses of both teams. They will look at recent results, head-to-heads, injuries, and other factors, such as fatigue and motivation. If a team is tired after a long road trip, that could affect its odds. If it has already qualified for the playoffs, that could impact its odds for a regular season game.

The oddsmakers then release odds on each team. You will typically see a favorite and an underdog, unless the teams are deemed to be very evenly matched. The odds on each team determines the potential payout you will receive.

For example, you might find odds of -150 on the Detroit Red Wings to beat the New Jersey Devils, and +120 on the Devils to win. If the odds begin with a minus, it tells you the amount you would need to bet to win $100. A bet of $150 on the Red Wings would net you a $100 profit.

If the odds begin with a plus, it tells you the profit you would make from a successful $100 bet. A $100 bet at +120 on the Devils earns you a $120 in this scenario if New Jersey wins. The figures are just a guideline, as you can choose to bet any amount you like, within reason.

For instance, a $30 bet on the Red Wings at -150 would earn you a $20 profit if Detroit won the game. A $30 bet on the Devils would earn you a $36 profit. That tells you the Devils are the underdogs. You simply choose which team you think will win, select your risk amount and enjoy the game.

Betting the Hockey Spread - Puck Line Betting

The spread in hockey betting is known as the puck line. It gives a -1.5-goal handicap to the team that the oddsmakers deem to be stronger.

If we stick with the example used above, you would expect to see odds of around +200 on the Red Wings -1.5, and odds of -250 on the Devils +1.5 when checking out the puck line betting.

If you bet on the Red Wings, they would need to win by 2 or more goals. That obviously makes it a lot tougher, but you get a significantly larger profit if they go on to win by that margin. If you bet on the Devils, they could win or lose by a single goal and you would get paid out, but the trade-off is a significantly smaller profit.

Totals Betting on Hockey

This is a prediction on the total goals that will be scored by both teams in a hockey game. Once again, the oddsmakers will start the process by analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of both teams.

They will then set a total goals line. If both teams are strong in defense and unadventurous on offense, you would expect to see a relatively low total goals line. If both teams are regularly involved in high-scoring games, you would expect the Michigan hockey betting sites to set a relatively high total goals line.

You then have two simple options: bet on over or bet on under. It does not matter which team wins or scores the goals. You are betting on the cumulative goals scored by both teams

You will also find alternative total goals lines. You can choose a tougher one to get higher odds, or an easier line in exchange for less attractive odds. The best hockey betting sites also accept bets on the total goals scored by each team, the total goals scored in each period, and the total goals scored by a specific team in a specific period, plus markets like total shots, total saves and so on.

Parlay Hockey Betting – How to Maximise Potential Winnings

All of the online betting sites for hockey listed on this page accept parlay wagers. This allows you to combine multiple selections into a single wager in a bid to generate a large potential profit from a relatively small risk amount. For example, you might predict:

• The Detroit Red Wings to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs at -115
• The Philadelphia Flyers to beat the Washington Capitals at +110
• The Vegas Golden Knights to beat the Colorado Avalanche at -135
• The Chicago Blackhawks to beat the Edmonton Oilers at +150

If you had $20 to play with, you could divide that bankroll into four and wager $5 on each of those predictions. If all four won, you would walk off with a profit of $21.05. Not bad for a day’s betting.

However, if you decided instead to combine all four into a single parlay, and all four teams won their games, you would earn a total profit of $321.71 from a $20 stake. That is a substantially larger profit.

The problem is that all four teams would have to win for your bet to pay off. If just one team lets you down, your parlay falls apart.

What are the Drawbacks to Hockey Parlay Bets?

There are some drawbacks to placing parlays when betting on hockey in Michigan. Sportsbooks build an inherent house edge into every sports betting market. That is how they make their money. It is why you generally need to win 55% of the time in order to secure a profit over the course of the season.

Every time you add a selection to a parlay, the house edge is multiplied. That is why sportsbooks make their strongest margins from parlays. However, there are ways to chip away at that house edge.

Many sites that offer betting on hockey in Michigan will give you a profit boost on winning parlays. DraftKings Sportsbook, BetMGM and Caesars Sportsbook are examples of sportsbooks that routinely offer this promo.

The size of your profit boost is determined by the number of selections you include. You might get a 5% boost if you add three legs to your parlay, 10% for four legs, 15% for five legs, and so on. Those boosts can make the difference between earning an overall profit or suffering a loss when you place a lot of parlays.

Some of the best parlay hockey betting sites also offer parlay insurance. In that case, you get a full refund – in the form of a free bet – if one leg of your parlay lets you down.

Live Hockey Betting Sites for Michigan Players

Online betting sites for hockey in Michigan will allow you to place in-play wagers when the action is underway. You can access the live betting options via the hockey section or the dedicated in-play betting section.

There are several advantages to live betting on hockey. First of all, you can watch the opening stages of the game to see what sort of shape each team is in. If a team looks tired, timid or generally lacking motivation, that can help you make an educated betting decision.

It also prevents you from being stung by a late injury to a key player. If you place a pre-game bet on a team, and its best player is injured in the warm-up, your chances of success are seriously dented. That is not an issue with live betting.

Capitalizing on Oddsmakers Mistakes when Live Betting

It also helps you potentially capitalize upon mistakes from the oddsmakers. Before the game begins, they have plenty of time to assess both teams, run their algorithms and publish very tight lines that make life difficult for bettors.

If you spend less time studying the game than them – which is likely – then you are at a natural disadvantage. When the game begins, they are reacting to developments in real time, just like you, and that levels the playing field somewhat.

The best hockey betting sites provide dozens of live betting options when the action begins. The odds will update quickly as the game develops, and live wagering can really boost the excitement.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we believe the best hockey betting sites in Michigan are those that tailor their product to the hockey fans out there, and can totally cater to Red Wings fans looking to enhance their sporting enjoyment. A great product, bespoke bonuses, ongoing promotions and the ability to deposit and withdraw easily are all key factors.

Our ranking table for the best betting sites for hockey details exactly which sportsbooks offer the best opportunities for NHL and College hockey wagering.

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