Michigan is ramping up for what seems to be an imminent sports betting launch. All signs point to a late-fall 2020 go-live for the Great Lakes State’s online sportsbook presence.
It’s been a long road for Michigan. The Lawful Sports Betting Act, signed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer in December 2019, legalized sports betting, online casinos, and Daily Fantasy Sports in one swoop. With that signature, Michigan became the fifth state to legalize all three online gambling types.
But regulation takes time, and Michigan has been slow to finalize its laws surrounding online gambling. However, recent hearings to discuss sports betting rules indicate that Michigan could launch online sports betting as soon as November 2020.
Even though the MLB and NBA seasons are winding down, Michigan bettors will have plenty of betting-eligible sports to look forward to once sportsbooks go live in the state.
The Masters
“A tradition unlike any other,” says The Masters’ slogan. It rings especially true this year. The chase for the green jacket usually takes place around Easter, kicking off the summer golf season and drawing millions of viewers and bettors. This year, Covid-19 put a stop to those plans. Now The Masters tournament is scheduled to start on Thursday, November 12 and end on Sunday, November 15.
Should Michigan online sports betting go live before then, bettors will be able to palace wagers on who will win. Plus a handful of prop bets will likely pop up as the tournament progresses. My personal favorite bet? Tiger to win the green jacket, of course.
College Football
Sports betting in Michigan might just miss the state’s biggest rivalry match-up when Michigan plays MSU on October 31. But college football still provides plenty of action for betting enthusiasts.
Big 10 match-ups are the reason for the season, after all, and the MSU Spartans have a stacked schedule:
- MSU at Iowa, November 7
- Indiana at MSU, November 14
- MSU at Maryland, November 21
- Northwestern at MSU, November 28
- Ohio State at MSU, December 5
- MSU at Penn State, December 12
The Michigan Wolverines have a great slate of match-ups, too:
- Michigan at Indiana, November 7
- Wisconsin at Michigan, November 14
- Michigan at Rutgers, November 21
- Penn State at Michigan, November 28
- Maryland at Michigan, December 5
- Michigan at Ohio State, December 12
Following Michigan’s sports betting launch, Michiganders can bet on any or all of these games. The state’s sports betting laws allow college betting with no restrictions. This is a departure from other state models that prohibit wagers on in-state schools, such as Illinois.
In other words, there’s bound to be some great action on Michigan sports in November if sports betting goes live.
The NFL
The NFL season ran for three weeks before a significant Covid-related road bump put the league on shaky ground. Week 4’s Titans-Steelers match-up was postponed due to multiple positive tests on the Tennessee squad.
Still, the season is moving forward despite that hiccup, and hopefully, the remaining games will continue to happen without risk to player health or safety.
As the season progresses, there’s plenty of betting fodder for Michigan sports fans to look forward to. Lions fans in particular have some great match-ups on the docket:
- Colts at Lions, November 1
- Lions at Vikings, November 8
- Washington Football Team at Lions, November 15
- Lions at Panthers, November 22
- Texans at Lions, November 26
- Lions at Bears, December 6
- Packers at Lions, December 13
- Lions at Titans, December 20
- Buccaneers at Lions, December 27
- Vikings at Lions, January 3, 2021
Of course, there are weekly match-ups across the league that’ll be ripe for betting. Sportsbooks will have totals, spreads, and moneyline bets, plus hundreds of alternate betting types. Player props, futures, and numerous other wagers are consistently offered for NFL games, which draw a huge betting crowd. Michigan will be a particularly interesting market for competitive NFL betting promotions, considering it will launch mid-season and operators will be vying for market share. In other words, look out for some great bonuses in Michigan once the state launches sports betting.
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