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• Nfl Betting Picks

With legal sports betting now live in Michigan, NFL betting is set to explode in the Great Lakes State. Licensed sportsbooks across Michigan are now offering futures, moneylines, pointspreads, over/unders, parlays, and props for the most popular and most bet on sport in the United States. You also have the option of betting the NFL online, using one of many Michigan sports betting apps.

Across the US there is more money bet on the NFL than anything else in sports. Things are no different in Michigan, home to the Detroit Lions. Michigan sportsbooks allow NFL betting of all kinds, starting in the off-season and running all the way through to the rush of betting on the Super Bowl.

Find out all about betting on the NFL in Michigan, including everything from the best bets to make and where to make them.

Best sportsbooks in Michigan with NFL promos

The top NFL betting websites offer a host of benefits for players to enjoy. If you have never placed sports bets online before, you will undoubtedly be quite impressed when you take the plunge for the first time. Here are some of the main advantages of doing your NFL betting online. Yes, placing bets on NFL games is legal, and bettors in the USA have two options to do so: Gamblers living within a region that allows for state-regulated sportsbooks can simply visit one of these locations and place a bet on an NFL game. Legal international sports betting has been available to Americans for decades, and does not violate any US federal laws. There are only two states that prohibit offshore online betting: Connecticut and the state of Washington. Offshore sportsbooks covering NFL betting lines offer attractive bonuses and a wide range of wagering options.

Live Betting for NFL. Not every website that offers NFL betting will have this option. In a lot of instances, sportsbooks will only offer Live Betting for featured NFL games (Sunday, Monday and Thursday night games). This is a little different than the advice we gave in regards to prop bets. Yes, you can legally bet on NFL football in the United States, but you have to make sure you are using a legal NFL sports betting site. There are plenty of online sportsbooks, some legal and some not. It all comes down to where a website is based.

Live NFL odds

See below for the current point spreads, moneylines and over/under odds for this week’s NFL games. Click on any odds to go directly to the online sportsbook, claim your bonus and get your NFL bets down. Use the drop-down menu to change your odds board.

How to download and bet the NFL in Michigan

As long as you are in Michigan state lines with access to the internet, you can bet on the NFL using your phone, tablet or computer thanks to a number of Michigan online sportsbooks.

Betting on the NFL online in Michigan is a simple three-step process requiring you to:

• Register for an account
• Make a deposit
• Fill out a bet slip

Of course, the process will differ slightly between the different betting apps and websites. However, the three basic steps will be the same:

Register for an account

You won’t be able to make NFL bets online in Michigan until you register for an account with a licensed sportsbook. The good news is that the sportsbooks make this easier than you can imagine.

Just follow these simple steps:

• Find the ‘REGISTER’ tab on the Michigan online and mobile sportsbook homepage
• Fill out the required personal and account information fields with things like your name, email, date of birth and last four digits of your SSN
• Enter the exclusive promo code you find on our website for the sportsbook of your choice to make sure you get the best bonus
• Check the boxes accepting all terms and conditions and submit the information

The sportsbook will verify your age and location.

Make a deposit

The next step is getting money into your account. Most sportsbooks offer you a variety of different deposit methods, including everything from credit and debit cards to online payment processors and cash at various retail locations, including affiliated casinos and retail sportsbooks

To make a deposit into your account just follow these simple steps:

• Find the ‘DEPOSIT’ tab on the sportsbook homepage
• Choose the best method of deposit available
• Enter the amount you want to deposit and follow the prompts
• Confirm the transaction

With most deposit methods the funds will be immediately available.

Fill out a bet slip

Filling out a bet slip is the final step in betting on football in Michigan.

This is another simple process that can be completed by following these easy steps:

• Login
• Browse through live betting lines
• Click on a line you want to bet on
• Verify the information contained on the instantly created bet slip
• Enter the amount you want to bet
• Verify the potential payout displayed
• Click the ‘Place Bet’ tab to confirm

NFL bet types in Michigan

Michigan sportsbooks offer the following basic ways to bet on the NFL:

• Moneyline: Pick a winner of a game. Then, book a moneyline bet at the currently posted odds. Favorites show a negative (-) number indicating how much you must bet to win $100, plus your bet back. Underdogs show a positive (+) number indicating how much you’ll earn for every $100 you bet. If the Detroit Lions moneyline is at -120, then every $120 bet on the Lions stands to win $100, plus your bet back. If the Lions moneyline is at +200, then every $100 bet on the Lions stands to win $200, plus your bet back.
• Point spread: Pick the winner of a game, but factor in the point spread set by oddsmakers into the final score to determine the betting winner.If the Lions point spread is -6.5 they will need to win by at least seven for point spread bets to pay. If the Lions point spread is at +6.5, not only does the bet cash if the Lions win, it cashes if they lose by fewer than seven points.
• Total: Pick whether the total points scored in a game or period of a game will be over or under a line set by oddsmakers.
• Props: Prop betting allows you to bet on whether certain things may or may not happen during a game, including players and teams reaching certain statistical milestones. Will the Lions score first? Will Lions QB Matthew Stafford throw more than three TD passes?
• Parlays: Combine two or more basic bets into a single bet. Get paid at ballooning odds, but only if every bet that’s part of the parlay wins.
• Futures: Pick a team to win the Super Bowl, MVP, conference, or division at opening odds.
• NFL live betting: NFL live or in-game betting is betting on games that have already started at odds that are adjusted based on what’s happening on the field. Live betting is offered at retail and online and mobile sportsbooks, but it’s much easier to manage online because of the speed at which the odds change.

A look at the 2020 NFL season

The 2020 season kicked off Sept. 10, with the Super Bowl LIV champion Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Houston Texans. The season will wrap up with Super Bowl LV on Feb. 7, 2021, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL featuring the Chiefs defending their title against the Tom Brady-led Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The NFL Playoffs will follow the regular season with an expanded 14-team single-elimination tournament to determine who plays in the Super Bowl. In a new wrinkle for 2020, the league added two playoff teams to each conference’s tournament.

How to bet on the NFL preseason

The NFL preseason is just a tuneup for the regular season. Regular season starters get more rest than playing time and winning isn’t really the goal. Michigan sportsbooks offer betting lines on preseason games, but your guess is as good as theirs as to who will actually win these meaningless contests.

Training camps are set to be held from late July through August each year.

Betting on the NFL regular season

The NFL rewards winning and until teams have locked up playoff spots and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, every team tries to win every game it can.

The league divides its 32 teams into two 16-team conferences: The AFC and NFC. Each team plays 16 regular-season games over a 17-week regular season and only the best seven teams in each conference make the playoffs.

Michigan sportsbooks offer various betting markets for every regular-season game and futures markets on team performance, allowing you to bet on almost every aspect of the NFL regular season.

Betting on the NFL Playoffs

Only the best seven teams in each of the AFC and NFC make the NFL Playoffs. This includes the team with the top regular-season record in each division, seeded one through four in the conference.

In each conference, the teams with the fifth-, sixth-, and seventh-best records qualify for the playoffs as wild cards.

The NFL Playoffs are a single-elimination tournament to decide the NFL champion, so it goes without saying that teams are trying to win. Lines set by sportsbooks will be stunningly accurate because oddsmakers have fewer teams to focus on.

Wild Card Weekend starts things off with three division winners hosting three wild card teams in each conference. The top-seeded team in each conference gets a bye.

The three wild card winners move on to round two along with top seed in the Divisional Round. Then those winners meet in the AFC and NFC Championship games.

Betting on the Super Bowl

The AFC and NFC Conference champions face off in the Super Bowl to determine which team will hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Michigan sportsbooks will offer more props and betting markets for the Super Bowl than any other sporting event. The Super Bowl has become one of the single biggest days in sports and sports betting.

Where are the best places to bet on the NFL in Michigan?

Looking to head out to catch the action on an NFL Sunday or for one of the primetime tilts? Here are some of the top spots for you to check out here in Michigan, all of which will feature the latest odds for the games.

1. MGM Grand Detroit / BetMGM

• Name: BetMGM Sports Lounge
• Address: 1777 3rd Ave, Detroit, MI 48226
• Phone: (877) 888-2121
• Sportsbook hours: 7 days – 9 a.m – 11 p.m
• Lounge hours: 7 days – 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• Online sportsbook:BetMGM Michigan

The BetMGM Sports Lounge features six betting windows for you to take care of business, and there are also 14 self-serve kiosks elsewhere on the property. Amenities include a full-service bar and 60 HDTVs to enjoy the games on.

2. MotorCity Casino Hotel / FanDuel Sportsbook

• Name: FanDuel Sportsbook
• Address: 2901 Grand River Ave, Detroit, MI 48201
• Phone: (866) 782-9622
• Sportsbook hours: 7 days – 9 a.m – 12 a.m.
• Online sportsbook:FanDuel Michigan

The launch of the FanDuel Sportsbook was met with much fanfare in March 2020. It’s easy to see why with 67 HDTV’s, a sports ticker, six betting windows, and 54 self-serve kiosks among the amenities that are waiting for visitors.

3. FireKeepers Casino / Dacey’s Sportsbook

• Name: Dacey’s Sportsbook
• Address: 11177 E Michigan Ave, Battle Creek, MI 49014
• Phone: (877) 352-8777
• Sportsbook hours: M-F: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. S/S: 9 a.m. – Midnight
• Online sportsbook: TBD

Dacey’s Sportsbook has received high marks from Casino Player magazine and the praise is warranted. Beyond the standard betting windows and kiosks, there’s a bar and restaurant on site, as well as several large video screens to soak in all of the action.

These are three outstanding spots to watch and wager on the NFL, but there are several other stellar options to consider when looking for NFL lines in Michigan. Included on that list are The Onyx Sportsbook by William Hill at Turtle Creek Casino in Williamsburg, and the Four Winds Casino Sportsbook in New Buffalo.

Basic NFL betting strategy

The best NFL betting strategies are all information-based. That means you have to watch NFL games and read and watch everything you can about the league to bet on the NFL successfully.

High-quality research is key. You need to pore over news reports on the internet and consume everything you can about the NFL from multiple sources with the goal of turning your guesses into informed and educated picks. You also need to watch NFL games as there is no substitute for seeing what teams and players are capable of with your own eyes.

Of course, you also need to learn how to be selective. You don’t have to bet on every game, just the ones where the information you’ve uncovered shows that one team has an edge.

Plus, you must learn to avoid the tease of multi-game parlays that promise big paydays but rarely come through.

• Shop for lines: When you find a side you like, don’t forget to shop around for a price on it. Look at the line at every licensed Michigan sportsbook you can. Shop around for the best price on a bet because finding it is like putting money in your pocket, win or lose.
• Fade the public: Lines might move because of injuries to key players and reports of bad weather. But when they move because of big bets or increased action on one side you should be ready to pounce. When a line moves because the betting public is on one side or the other you can fade the public. These movements are artificial. There’s no on-the-field reason for the adjustment. Take advantage by sticking to oddsmakers’ initial predictions with a little extra leeway.
• Don’t chase losses: Chasing losses with bigger and more bets is a quick way to go broke. Instead, manage your bankroll by betting the same amount most times. That way you’ll still have a bankroll when the inevitable winning streak comes around.
• Avoid betting with your heart: Diehard Detroit Lions fans often make the mistake of betting with their hearts, not their heads. Use information, stats, and data to make picks instead.
• Favorites for a reason: NFL longshots offer attractive paydays, but you’ll lose a lot more of these bets than you’ll win. Try mixing in a few favorites with your dogs for better overall results.

How to watch the NFL in Michigan

Live streams of certain games are available free on the NFL app. This includes some Detroit Lions games and nationally broadcast primetime games like ESPN’s Monday Night Football and NBC’s Sunday Night Football.

The Yahoo Sports app or an online streaming package is required if you want to stream NFL Network’s Thursday Night Football games. Your cable package is another option to access NFL Network.

If you want online access to the entire NFL schedule, you need to purchase an NFL Sunday Ticket or NFL Game Pass package that allows for live streaming of all games and online replays.

The NFL has granted FOX (NFC) and CBS (AFC) TV broadcast rights. This means you can watch regional NFL games on TV for free, so you’ll find most Detroit Lions or Green Bay Packers games on Fox affiliates in Michigan, including:

• Alpena: WBKB-DT2 11.2
• Cadillac (Traverse City): WFQX-TV 32
• Detroit: WJBK 2
• Flint: WSMH 66
• GrandRapids: WXMI 17
• Lansing: WSYM-TV 47
• Marquette: WLUC-DT2 6.2
• Sault Marie: WWUP-DT2 10.2 (satellite of WFQX)
• Vanderbilt: WFUP-TV 45 (satellite of WFQX)

Road games against AFC opponents will be aired on CBS affiliates in Michigan, including:

• Alpena: WBKB-TV 11
• Bay City (Flint): WNEM-TV 5
• Cadillac (Traverse City): WWTV 9
• Detroit: WWJ-TV 62
• Kalamazoo (Grand Rapids): WWMT 3
• Lansing: WLNS-TV 6
• Sault Ste. Marie: WWUP-TV 10 (satellite of WWTV)

FOX and CBS affiliates also air national games and games of regional interest.

Michigan NFL teams and rivals

Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions play in the NFC North Division. The Lions were originally the Portsmouth Spartans, who joined the NFL in 1930, moved to Detroit from southern Ohio in 1934, and were renamed.

The team is owned by Sheila Ford Hamp. She took over the team in June 2020 from her mother Martha Firestone Ford, the grandchild of the founders of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Co. and the widow of Henry Ford’s grandson. William Clay Ford bought the Lions in 1963 and passed controlling interest on to his widow when he died in March 2014, who then passed it to their second-oldest of four children.

The Detroit Lions have won four NFL championships, but the team’s last title came in 1957, winning one playoff game since then. The Lions have never been to the Super Bowl. The Lions have played home games at Ford Field in downtown Detroit since 2002.

2019-20 Detroit Lions

The 2019 Detroit Lions started the season with two wins and a tie. However, the team lost 12 of its last 13 games and did not make the NFL Playoffs.

Starting QB Matthew Stafford fractured bones in his back in Week 9 and backup QBs Jeff Driskel and David Blough did not win a single game in relief.

The Lions ended up posting with a 3-12-1 record.

However, Head Coach Matt Patricia is returning for a third season in 2020 and the Lions signed Pro Bowl corner Desmond Trufant to a two-year, $21-million deal heading into the season. Other high profile additions include tackle Halapoulivaati Vaitai (five years / $45 million) and linebacker Jamie Collins (three years / $30 million).

The Lions selected Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah with the third pick of the NFL Draft, adding Georgia running back D’Andre Swift in round two.

Lions rivals

The Detroit Lions’ two longest rivals are in the NFC North division and have been playing against the Lions since the team joined the NFL in 1930

Of course, the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers have enjoyed much more success than the Lions have.

The Bears won eight NFL Championships prior to the AFL–NFL merger and Super Bowl XX in 1985. The Packers won 11 NFL Championships prior to the AFL–NFL merger and Super Bowl I, II, XXXI, and XLV.

Three of the best Detroit Lions of all time

1. Barry Sanders: Sanders played for the Lions for 10 seasons from 1989 to 1998. He led the league in rushing four times and was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year twice. Sanders was a Heisman Trophy winner at Oklahoma State and won NFL Rookie of the Year in his first NFL season. In 1997, he became just the third player ever to rush for over 2,000 yards and was named NFL Most Valuable Player. Sanders retired just 1,457 yards short of the NFL all-time rushing record and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
2. Alex Karras: Karras played for the Lions from 1958 to 1970. He made the Pro Bowl four times. Karras went on to find another career as an actor starring in the 1974 Mel Brooks film Blazing Saddles and the ABC sitcom Webster from 1983 to 1989. Karras was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.
3. Charlie Sanders: Sanders played tight end for the Lions from 1968 to 1977. He was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection, three-time First-Team All-Pro and a member of the NFL 1970s All-Decade Team. Sanders was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007.

• Where to Bet:

How to read Super Bowl 55 Odds

The Kansas City Chiefs wil meet the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl 55 from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on Feb. 7, 2021.

The Chiefs opened as -3.5 betting favorites while the Buccaneers are 3.5 underdogs.

After early wagers came in, most operators are holding Kansas City -3 (-120).

If you were to wager on Kansas City -3, you would have to lay 5/6 odds (Bet $120 to win $100) instead of your normal 10/11 juice (Bet $110 to win $100).

The return on Tampa Bay would be even-money (1/1) and a $100 wager would return $100.

The total or over-under on Super Bowl 55 is hovering between 56 and 57 points.

How to read NFL Las Vegas Odds

Nfl Betting Picks

The point-spread was developed to provide a balance for both teams involved in a contest to entice bettors to potentially back the weaker team and receive points. The two squads in a game are listed with a title, either a favorite or an underdog. The favorite is usually the perceived better team in the game, as backing them means giving up several points.

The favorite is always listed with a minus (-) sign before the point-spread while the underdog is labeled with a plus (+) label.

Ex. Favorite -10, Underdog +10

On the VegasInsider.com odds page, there is another number associated with the favorite and its listed as -10. This number is simply defined as “vig” or what many in the sports betting industry call vigorish. Another common term is called “juice” and it’s technically the price the bettor has to pay on a straight wager.

Ex. Bet $110 to win $100 (10% juice)
Ex. Bet $100 to win $90.91 (10% juice)

It's not uncommon to see other values posted other than -10. Examples seen on the NFL Vegas Odds pages could include -08, -12, -15 and -20. The -10 price is the most common value in the industry while many books offer reduced 'juice odds' and that would fall into the -08 category.

The lower-juice sportsbooks are normally found outside of the state Nevada. If you are in a state where sports betting is legal, please check out our online sportsbook directory to find the best and most secure places to make NFL bets.

Legal Betting On Nfl Games

Another number that’s posted on the NFL Las Vegas is the total or ‘over/under’ for the specific matchup. If the favorite is designated as the home team, then the total will be listed above and vice versa if the visitors are favorites.

All of the above numbers are listed next to the teams, and before each matchup is a Rotation number. The NFL Las Vegas Odds are listed in order of rotation and those numbers are generated and produced by the sportsbooks. Above each matchup and rotation is the Time of the game, which is subject to change. All game times are Eastern Standard Time.

NFL Open Line

One of the best features on the NFL Vegas Odds is the Open Line. This numbers consists of the first betting line received from one of our Las Vegas or Global Sportsbooks. The opening line varies depending on the sportsbook but it provides a clear-cut rating that the oddsmakers use. If you’re betting on the NFL or any other sport, it’s a great idea to view the open line first.

VI Consensus NFL Line

The VegasInsider.com Consensus NFL Line is just as important as the Open Line and also a key resource on odds platform. The Consensus column could be called a “Median Line” since it shows the most consistent number provided by the sportsbooks on VegasInsider.com. The consensus line will be the same as the open line but once the wagers start coming in, this number is often different than the openers.

How do I bet on the Super Bowl?

We know that you can bet on the Super Bowl and all of NFL Futures or bet on the NFL Draft at any time of the year, but what’s the process? The future wager or the “Odds to Win” bet on the Super Bowl is correctly selecting a team to win an event that takes place at a later time. A bettor will have his wagered money tied up until there is an outcome and bettors will receive fixed odds when they place the wager. In the case of the Super Bowl, you’re not a winner or loser until you see zeros on the clock in the final game.

Most sportsbooks offer different ways to read to Super Bowl Odds. In the fractional NFL Futures Odds format below, you simply take the odds and multiply by the amount wagered.

Ex. Green Bay (8/1) to win the Super Bowl

Bet On Football Games Online

The Packers are listed as an 8/1 betting choice to win the Super Bowl. If you wager $100 on Green Bay to win the NFC and they capture the championship, then you would win $800 (8 ÷ 1 x 100). Your online betting account would then credit your account $900, which includes your win and stake ($100).

Legal Nfl Betting Sites

The American Format would see Green Bay listed at +800 and for the Decimal Format, the Packers would be 9.00.

Nfl Betting Picks

If you are in a state where online betting is legal, we encourage you to check out our sportsbook directory to find the most trustworthy and reputable sites and mobile apps to place your Super Bowl bets.