Patrons of the great state of Michigan are now legally able to wager on college football both in person at land based casinos, as well as on the internet via an online sportsbook or apps. Think the Michigan Wolverines have a shot at winning it all this season? Then head on over to your sportsbook of choice or log in online and put your money where your mouth is! Or maybe you prefer the green and white of the Michigan State Spartans. It seriously doesn’t matter which team from the state of Michigan you hold allegiance to — every team can now be readily wagered upon, be it on the point spread, moneyline, futures, or props. That’s good stuff right there, so buckle up your chin strap and get in the game!
After the US Supreme Court lifted its nationwide ban on sports betting and Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed HB 4916 — otherwise known as the Lawful Sports Betting Act — betting on all sports in the state of Michigan became legal. With that, fans, alums, students, and the general population can now place wagers on the end results of every college football game dealing with any universities located within the state’s borders, as well as others scattered throughout the country. That means betting lines for the Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans, Central Michigan Chippewas, Eastern Michigan Eagles, and Western Michigan Broncos will all be in play for sports bettors over the course of the regular season, bowl season, and College Football Playoffs should any of the five teams be lucky enough to qualify. Simply pay a visit to a sportsbook or log in to your account via the online sportsbook or app to get your action down.
The three most popular wager types when betting on college football deal with the point spread, moneyline, and total. Here’s a breakdown of how each common football bet works:
Many get confused about pluses and minuses when it comes to point spread wagers, but don’t overthink it. If a team has a (-) sign next to the number, it means linemakers believe they’re the favored side in the matchup. If a team has a (+) next to them, they’re considered the underdog.
For example, let’s say the Michigan Wolverines are installed 13-point favorites against the Northwestern Wildcats. The betting matchup would read Michigan -13 and Northwestern +13. For the Wolverines to win your bet, they would need to win the game by 14 points or more. For the Wildcats to win the bet, they would have to either win the game outright or lose by 12 or fewer points. If the final margin of the game falls exactly on 13, it would be a push and all money put down on the game would be refunded.
For example, let’s say the Michigan State Spartans are matched up against the Indiana Hoosiers and they’ve been installed 18-point favorites (-18). That would equate to a moneyline in the -1600 ball park, which means you would need to put down $1600 just to win $100. The return on investment isn’t worth the risk. On the flipside, a $100 wager on the Hoosiers to win outright would earn around $800. Now that’s worth it, but everything would need to go right to cash for that type of ticket. You’re better off betting underdogs on the moneyline if you think there’s a high percentage chance they can win outright, or lessen the burden by installing moneyline favorites into parlays.
Along with the big three bet types listed above, there are numerous others that can be utilized over the course of a college football betting season. Here’s a breakdown of each option:
Let’s use the Wolverines -7 and Spartans +4 as an example for a two-team parlay. Should you put $100 down on a parlay of the two teams, they would earn you $260 instead of just $200 overall had you simply just thrown $100 on each team individually. While parlay bets offer attractive returns on investment, be careful. It’s hard enough to cash a single ticket, let alone one that needs at minimum two to come in to be successful. Advanced sports bettors deem parlay bets fool’s gold for a reason!
A standard six-point teaser might have -120 juice attached to it, while a seven-point teaser might have -140 juice attached to it. You must group at least three bets together for a 10-point teaser that might have -120 juice attached to it.
Here’s a quick example of a 10-point teaser. Let’s say you like Michigan -13, Michigan State PK, and Eastern Michigan +17. Putting those three teams in a three-team 10-point teaser would now read Michigan -3, Michigan State +10, and Eastern Michigan +27. To place the bet, you would need to pony up $120 to win $100. If all three legs cash in on the readjusted betting line, then you would win $220 overall, including the original stake.
Always make it a point to gauge the weather. Extremely hot weather can make it tough on a defense to perform at a maximum level over the course of a full game. With that, points are more likely to be scored when temperatures get into the upper 80s and 90s. Teams simply just run out of gas, which allows for more points to be scored, giving over bettors an advantage. Windy conditions can also make it extremely tough for offenses to perform efficiently, especially when 15+ miles per hour. Those types of games offer up prime spots to bet on the under, especially if both offenses rely upon their passing attacks to put points on the board.
Betting against the public is normally a wise plan of attack. Let’s face it, public bettors are, more often than not, simply betting on their favorite team or the one expected to win by those setting the lines. You want to be on the side building the gigantic casinos and not the side hoping to prevent expansion. An excellent final outcome predictor of college football games is gauging reverse line movement. Let’s say a 10-point favorite is getting upwards of 80% of the bets but the line falls to -9. That makes no sense right? Well, the 10-point favorite is the public side and the other is the side the sharp money — or wise guys — have targeted instead. Guess which bettor sportsbooks respect more?
This newer form of NCAA football betting allows for betting on a game while it’s taking place on the field of play. As the game progresses, the betting lines — point spread, moneyline, and total — all get adjusted according to how the game is playing out. The college football betting lines fluctuate according to what is actually taking place on the field. For example, let’s say the Michigan Wolverines are hosting the Nebraska Cornhuskers and go into the game installed 10-point favorites. Nebraska gets out to a commanding 21-0 start. Michigan would no longer be considered the favorite to win the game, and the readjusted college football lines would reflect as such. The situation would create an excellent buying opportunity for those who believe the Wolverines still have a shot at winning the game, or at the very least cashing in as an underdog per the readjusted live betting point spread.
The trek towards national championship glory begins in the regular season. Every FBS team in the nation will take on a few teams out of conference before taking on its more grueling conference schedule. The Michigan Wolverines and Michigan State Spartans are members of the Big Ten, while the Central Michigan Chippewas, Eastern Michigan Eagles, and Western Michigan Broncos make their home in the MAC.
A bulk of each respective team’s regular season schedule will be comprised of members from their own conference. Should any of those teams tally seven wins over the course of the regular season, they would receive a bid to partake in a bowl game. It really starts getting interesting if a team from a power conference like the Big Ten goes undefeated.
If a team like Michigan or Michigan State does just that, they would be in the running for a bid in the College Football Playoffs where the best four teams in the country combat one another with the national championship on the line. Win the semifinal matchup of the CFP, and it’s off to the national championship game!
The Michigan Wolverines are the only team from the state that have brought home the Heisman Trophy. Tom Harmon won it in 1940, Desmond Howard in 1991, and Charles Woodson in 1997.
If you get voted into the Hall of Fame, you must be pretty good at football, right?
The Michigan Wolverines have won the national championship nine times: 1901-1904, 1918, 1923, 1933, 1948, and 1997.
The Michigan State Spartans have won the national championship three times: 1952 and 1965-66.