NBA Finals

The Detroit Pistons have not made it to the NBA Finals since 2005 and haven’t won a playoff game since 2008. But that should not stop bettors from placing wagers on the NBA Finals in Michigan. Now that the Golden State Warriors have won the 2024 NBA Finals, it is time to start looking to the 2023 NBA Finals

Michigan sportsbooks already have odds posted, and the Warriors are of course favored to win it all once again. Several contenders are right on their tail, though (i.e., Celtics, Nets, Clippers, Suns, Bucks, etc). Odds on the Pistons are long coming in at +70000 at DraftKings.

But anything can happen, so it’s no wonder sports betting on the 2023 NBA Finals is heating up in Michigan. Yes, even though the Pistons aren’t part of the conversation (yet…).

Latest NBA Finals Odds In Michigan

The Detroit Pistons do not have the longest odds at sportsbooks; odds on Detroit can be found as low as +50000 (FanDuel) but as high as +100000 (BetRivers). But you do not have to bet on the home team, of course. Golden State is the betting favorite (or one of) at several sportsbooks along with the Celtics, Nets, Clippers, Suns, and Bucks.

Odds are subject to change depending on how the public bets, the NBA Draft, free agency, or if anyone pulls off a mega-trade.

Where Can I Bet On The 2023 NBA Finals Online In Michigan?

All online sportsbooks take bets on all NBA games, and all currently offer odds on the future 2023 NBA Championship team. 

However, you must be in one among the handful of states that allows online sports betting, including Michigan, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Indiana, all of which boast massive NBA fandom. Additional states also have legal online sportsbooks.

Michigan sports bettors have access to some of the best online sportsbooks on the market, each offering different odds and lucrative bonus offers, including free bets.

DraftKings

Visit: DraftKings MI and claim a 20% deposit match bonus of up to $1,000

• New member offer: Deposit $5, Get $50 Free + 20% deposit match up to $1,000
• Important terms: $1 in site credits released for every $25 wagered.
• Available platforms: Web browser, Android app, iOS app
• DraftKings Sportsbook has one of the highest-rated apps, tons of NBA prop bets, and some of the best promotions surrounding the NBA Playoffs and NBA Championship.

BetMGM

Visit: BetMGM MI and claim a risk-free bet of up to $1,000.

• New member offer: Risk-free bet up to $1,000.
• Important terms: Refund issued as free bets in 20% increments for bets over $50.
• Available platforms: Web browser, Android app, iOS app
• BetMGM consistently offers the best futures odds at the sportsbook, making it a great option for betting on the 2021 NBA Finals.

Caesars

Visit: First bet insurance up to $1,100 back with promo code: SHARPBETCZR

• New member offer: First bet insurance up to $1,100 back with promo code: SHARPBETCZR
• Important terms: must be used as a single bet and placed within 14 days of deposit.
• Available platforms: Web browser, Android app, iOS app
• Caesars is perhaps one of the most reputable sports betting apps on the market. With an extremely reliable platform, glitches are few and far between, and players have access to some of the most competitive odds and market depth around.

BetRivers

Visit: BetRivers MI and claim a 100% deposit match bonus of up to $250

• New member offer: 100% match up to $250
• Important terms: 1x wagering requirement on any combination of bets with odds -200 or longer.
• Available platforms: Web browser, Android app, iOS app
• BetRivers has the best welcome bonus in online sports betting, where they double your first deposit and only require you to bet through it one time before you can withdraw winnings.

FanDuel

Visit: FanDuel MI and claim a risk-free bet bonus of up $1000

• New member offer: Risk-free bet up to $1000
• Important terms: Lost risk-free bet returned as site credits that must be wagered 1x.
• Available platforms: Web browser, Android app, iOS app
• FanDuel Sportsbook always has some of the most exciting odds, boosters, parlays, and promotions for major sporting events, including and especially the NBA Finals.

PointsBet

Visit: PointsBet MI and claim two risk-free bets worth up to $2000

• New member offer: 2 risk-free bets up to $2000
• Important terms: 1 fixed-odds bet up to $500, 1 PointsBetting wager up to $1500
• Available platforms: Web browser, Android app, iOS app
• PointsBet offers totals betting in a structure known as PointsBetting, plus some of the most lucrative parlays for the NBA, from the regular season to the championship.

WynnBET

Visit: WynnBET MI and claim a bet $10, win $200 offer

• New member offer: bet $10, win $200
• Important terms: valid for first bet.
• Available platforms: Web browser, Android app, iOS app
• WynnBET offers some of the best odds on the market, although they tend to be hit or miss. The registration process and deposit/withdrawal interface are intuitive and easy to use.

How To Place Online NBA Finals Bets In 2023

Once you’ve chosen the sports betting app that’s right for you, it’s easy to create an account, deposit money, and start betting.

To place an online NBA Finals bet, follow these steps:

• Visit the sportsbook website to create an account via a web browser or to download the Android app. For iOS users, you can find the sportsbook in the App Store, but make sure it’s specific to your state. Some sportsbooks have multiple apps to accommodate different jurisdictions (e.g. WynnBet Sportsbook & Casino Michigan).
• Click “register” or “sign up” to create an account. This is similar to creating an online banking account, such as PayPal. You’ll need to provide your name, address, phone number, and whatever else is required by state law.
• Provide any promo code if prompted.
• Make a deposit using an online bank transfer, PayPal, Skrill, or debit card. We recommend avoiding credit cards, as they’re often rejected by the bank and can count as a cash advance.

Now you can select your bets, lock them into your bet slip, and cash out if you win using the same banking methods.

How NBA Finals Bettings Odds Are Calculated

In the US, betting odds are usually displayed as American odds, which are positive (+) or negative (-) numbers of 100 or higher. This is not to be confused with the point spread numbers, which are also represented by positive and negative numbers but are completely separate from the odds.

The positive number represents how much you’d win with a $100 bet. For example, a $100 wager on odds +200 would win $200. If you win, you also receive your wager back, so the total payout would be $300 (the wager plus the winnings). 

The negative number represents how much you need to bet to win $100. For example, a $200 bet on -200 odds would win $100. A winning bet would pay out a total of $300 (your wager plus winnings).

Don’t worry. At an online sportsbook, you can select any NBA Finals betting line and type in how much you want to wager to see how much you’d stand to win before placing the bet. You can also type in how much you want to win, and they’ll populate the wager for you if you want to do it that way.

Whether it’s during the NBA Draft or in game 6 of the NBA Finals, the odds can change dramatically based on a wide range of events. Injuries, trades, team form, and a host of other factors can double win potential or cut it in half on a day-to-day basis.

NBA Finals 2023 Odds And Betting In Michigan

NBA Moneyline

Betting the moneyline is a straight bet on who will win the game, and the points don’t matter. If the team you choose wins the game by even one point, you win the wager.

NBA Points Spread

With NBA points spread betting, the favorite team has to win by the number of points recommended by the negative number. For example, a favorite team with a -6.5 points spread must win by at least seven points for the wager to payout.

If you bet the underdog, they either need to win the game or lose within the points spread. For example, if you bet an underdog team with a +6.5 points spread, they can lose by up to six points for a winning payout.

NBA Totals (Over/Under)

For NBA totals, the sportsbook will guess the total number of points, and you can bet whether the total score (both teams’ points added together) will be over or under the sportsbook’s guess.

NBA Parlays

An NBA parlay is placing multiple bets (legs) that all have to be correct for you to win the overall payout. A popular option would be betting on all the games across a specific week of the NBA season or playoff round, or betting on multiple games of the championship series. 

If one leg loses, the entire wager is lost, which is why a parlay’s win potential is often significantly higher than any other type of bet.

What Is An NBA Futures Bet?

For most of the year, betting on the NBA Finals is a futures bet, meaning you’re guessing who will win a championship that’s decided sometime down the line. In fact, you could start betting on the 2021 NBA champions the day after the Lakers won the 2020 NBA championship.

Other types of NBA futures bets, which are listed in the sportsbooks closer to the playoffs, include the finals MVP, Coach of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and more.

Basically, an NBA futures bet is wagering on something beyond an upcoming game, and all online sportsbooks in the US have an NBA Futures section so you can see all the applicable lines in one place.

What Is An NBA Finals Prop Bet?

NBA prop bets are based on in-game outcomes rather than the final outcome. For example, who wins the game is not a prop bet, but who scores first is a prop bet.

The 2021 NBA Finals prop bets will be numerous. For game one of the 2020 NBA Finals, prop bets included the over/under on Anthony Davis rebounds, the over/under on Lebron James assists, and the over/under on Rajon Rondo points.

Beyond the player props, you can also place team props on outcomes like total foul shots, the winners of individual quarters, and more.

While US sportsbooks offer prop bets on NBA games all season, you get the most options during the NBA Playoffs and the NBA Finals.

Strategies For NBA Finals Betting

Shop The Sportsbooks

The easiest strategy is to check the odds at the different online sportsbooks and bet at the lines with the biggest win potential. No state with legal online sports betting, including Michigan, limits the number of sportsbooks you can join or the number of bonuses you can claim.

Do As The Pros Do

For the more serious online sports bettors, you can try the following, more extensive strategies:

• Alternate lines, where you choose a more unique point spread to maximize your winning potential or your odds of winning.
• Fading the public, where you bet the least popular of the points spread or moneyline bets with the idea that if most people lose, then the line that most people choose will likely lose.
• Middling, where you place a wager on one outcome, wait for the lines to shift, then place an additional bet on the opposite outcome to ensure a payout either way.

But the best strategy of all is playing responsibly, which means setting a strict budget, betting when you’re sober, and other strategies detailed here.

Michigan Betting Odds For The NBA Finals FAQs