Offers Verified By Our ExpertsHow to Bet on Michigan State Basketball
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Once you've chosen a sportsbook on BetMichigan.com, click on the link and you will be sent to the operator's website. Here, you will click on "register" to start the sign-up process. You will be asked to provide an email address before choosing a password and username for your account. Next, you will be asked to verify your identity by providing the last four digits of your Social Security number and proof of your address.
When it comes time to make your first deposit, a copy of your driver's license or passport may be required to verify your identity as part of the security check-in process. New players may also qualify for any welcome bonuses or promotions following an initial deposit.
To wager on Spartan basketball, select college basketball in the league list in the app or website, and scroll until you find the Michigan State basketball betting lines.
Bet Types for Michigan State Basketball
Futures
Futures bets can be made before the season even tips off in East Lansing! Sportsbooks have a wide range of futures for every team, including Michigan State. Some examples of Spartans futures include Michigan State to claim the men's basketball national championship, Big Ten conference title or earn a trip to the Final Four.
Individual futures are also offered by some sportsbooks. Bettors can wager on a Spartan player to win the Wooden Award, which is given annually to the country's top player as selected by a panel of college basketball experts.
Totals
Betting on the totals for single game is deciding on how many points you think will be scored in the contest. For example, let's say the Michigan State Spartans are playing the Northwestern in Evanston, Illinois, and the total was set at 150.5. If a bettor chooses the under, he or she is wagering the two teams combined will score less than 150.5 points; if the bettor selects the over, the total must be at least 151 points for the bet to cash.
Moneyline
A moneyline bet simply involves picking which team will win the game. There are no spreads to worry about with moneyline bets, and the odds of these types of wagers are based on $100. If Michigan State is -180 favorites against Wisconsin, Michigan State bettors would net $100 for every $180 bet on the Spartans. But if someone took Wisconsin at +165, then every $100 would cash out $165 if the Badgers pulled the upset.
Spreads
Point spread betting entails how many points a favorite must win by to cover and how many points an underdog can lose by and still cover. If the point spread was Michigan State -4.5 against Gonzaga, the Spartans would have to win by five or more to cover and cash. Meanwhile, Gonzaga backers could lose by four or less (or win outright) and still have a winning ticket.
Prop Bets
Sportsbooks may offer prop bets for marquee games. These types of bets can include individual player props or team props. A player prop example would be the over or under for how many points a player will score in a game. Team props are normally offered as well. The most common team prop is how many points a team will score in a game. The over and under is what bettors will choose here. Other team prop bets might include the first team to score 20 points, how many 3-pointers will be hit or who leads at halftime.
Live Betting
Live betting, also known as in-play betting, is a form of wagering that has increased in popularity. With a mobile phone or other device, it's easy and user-friendly for anyone to make a bet with a couple of clicks as a game takes place.
Live betting is great for bettors who are late to place their pregame wagers and are still looking to get action on a game. It can also be used for savvy bettors who want to place a wager based on the flow of a game they are watching. For instance, if Michigan State was a big pregame betting line favorite against Rutgers but now finds itself trailing in the second half, the Michigan State odds will have come down and players can now pick the Spartans to beat the Scarlet Knights if they believe they will make a comeback.
The same strategy can be used for betting totals. If a bettor likes the pregame over but the teams get off to a slow start offensively, they can take a live over at a lower number and still hope the offenses take off and score points like they anticipated.
Teasers
Teasers are typically associated with parlay bets, which combine multiple wagers onto one ticket. With a parlay, bettors get a bigger payout than betting each individual game but if one leg loses, the whole parlay loses. With a teaser bet, points are added to the lines for each game. An example would be if a bettor likes Michigan State +2.5 against Iowa and Illinois +3.5 versus Ohio State, and wants to bet on both Michigan State and Illinois but would like an added cushion of insurance for their bets.
If a six-point teaser is selected, Michigan State's line would be +8.5 and Illinois' new spread would be +9.5. Teasers work like parlays in that every part of a wager must win for it to cash out, but the betting odds are less because of the added points.
Michigan State Basketball Betting Tips
Bankroll Management
It is important before making college basketball picks for every player to utilize proper bankroll management. Being a responsible bettor can help deal with the emotional highs and lows of betting throughout a full college basketball season and can combat the urge to chase losses.
To begin organizing your bankroll, the first step is to determine a standard unit for a single bet. Units are relative to the size of your total bankroll and can differ from player to player. A bettor with a bankroll of $100,000 will have bigger units than someone with a bankroll of $1,000. There is not a singular rule as to what the percentage size a bankroll unit should be, but it is recommended to be low enough to withstand any prolonged losing streak.
If your bankroll is $1,000 and you decide to risk 1% of it for each wager, that would mean your standard unit for a bet is $10. For a bankroll of $100,000, a unit would consist of $1,000.
Line Shopping
There are numerous online sportsbooks in Michigan, which gives players the ability to freely shop lines to find the best value for their Michigan State bets. The Spartans could be 3-point favorites on one book, but -2 on another. Searching for the best lines and odds will give players a better chance at victory throughout a season.
Injuries
A key absence in a basketball rotation can be detrimental for a team. Monitoring injuries and the status of vital players is important in the leadup to tipoff. Teams with more depth are better equipped to handle the loss of a key player, while others may struggle more. Going over each team's rosters and the status of each player is a strategy to consider before making a bet.
Where to Stream Michigan State Basketball
Michigan State men's college basketball games are broadcast on all the major networks, such as the ESPN networks, CBS, FOX and FOX Sports 1. Each of the Spartans' games are also streamed on the apps or websites that are televising the game.
Author
Bryce covers sports betting and gaming for BetMichigan.com, along with other Midwest states. He joined BetMichigan.com after spending the last nine years covering high school and college sports throughout Michigan. His favorite sports to gamble on are football, basketball, baseball and Formula 1.
