Teaser betting has quickly become one of the most popular bet types by putting the power to change the point spread or total on the big game in the palm of your hand.
How To Bet A Teaser: Risks, Tips, Strategies, Examples
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"Sports bettors who have done their homework can enjoy an extra edge with teaser betting..."
Offered by all the nation’s best sportsbooks, teaser betting is particularly popular with sports bettors wagering on the NFL odds and NBA odds, and enables you to adjust the point spread or total, improving your chances to win with reduced odds.
Teaser bets are also offered with bettors betting on MLB odds and NHL odds, but it is mostly popular with total betting when it comes to these two sports. Learn more about teaser bets vs straight bets and how to bet teasers with this helpful teaser explainer.
What are teasers?
Teaser bets are a type of single wager or parlay bet that enable you to adjust the point spread or total on basketball, football, hockey, or baseball games. Since moving the spread or total can increase your chances of winning, teaser bets feature reduced odds. And like other types of parlay bets, every leg of your teaser bet must win for you to cash in a winning ticket.
How to place a teaser bet
Once you have completed your research on upcoming NFL, NBA, and college basketball games, and signed up at one of the nation’s top sportsbooks, you can place a teaser bet in a matter of minutes. Here is a step-by-step guide to placing a teaser bet using NBA teaser bet examples.
Step 1: Download the sportsbook, find your sport
Be sure to download the sports betting app for your preferred sportsbook and top up your account by making a deposit using any of the popular banking methods support.
Once the app is installed, sign in, and navigate to “NBA”. Select the point spreads or totals for the games you wish to tease. For the purpose of this example, we will focus on point spreads.
Step 2: Find the odds you love
After you have completed your selection, tap on “Bet Slip”. You will be presented with the odds for each selection and the option to create straight bets, a parlay bet, or teaser bet.
Step 3: Complete your teaser
Tap on “Teasers”. You can choose what type of teaser you would like to create. In this example, you have four options: 4-point teaser, 4.5-point teaser, 5-point teaser, and 10-point (monster) teaser, along with the odds for each.
Step 4: Place your wager
Once you have created your teaser, you can decide on the size of your stake. Then hit “place bet” to complete your wager and settle in and enjoy the games.
Risks of teaser betting
Like with other types of parlay bets, there are risks you need to keep in mind before you get into teaser betting. While you can add as many as six teams to a typical NBA or college basketball teaser, some of the top sportsbooks offer NFL super teasers that enable you to move the point spread on as many as 13 games. While adding teams to your teaser bet will boost the odds and potential payout, your chances of winning diminish.
Don’t forget that every leg of your teaser bet must win for you to enjoy maximum payout. If just one leg loses, your teaser bet loses, while a push on any leg will reduce your odds and result in a lower payout.
Teaser betting vs straight betting
There are some significant differences between teaser betting and straight betting that can impact your overall betting strategy. With a straight bet, you can wager on the point spread or total offered by the top sportsbooks on a single game, with the potential payout typically close to even money. Or you can bet on the moneyline, which means that you can cash in if your preferred team wins by any margin.
Conversely, teaser betting is a type of parlay bet that enables you to adjust the point spread on two or more games, with the payout reduced by diminished odds.
Teaser betting offer the most value to sports bettors who have done their homework and enjoy a wide selection of games to choose from. For example, a busy Saturday college football schedule is an ideal time to try your hand at teaser betting, with a focus on games that feature small point spreads.
However, if there are few games on the schedule or the games available feature big point spreads between mismatched opponents, straight betting may be the best way to go. In addition, if you wagering on MLB or NHL, teaser betting is typically not an option.
Teaser betting tips
Sports bettors who have done their homework can enjoy an extra edge with teaser betting. Here are some important tips on how to bet teasers ahead of the next big NBA game or NFL Sunday.
Whether you are building NFL, college football, NBA, or college basketball teasers, short favorites can provide you with the best chance of placing a winning bet. Here are teaser bet examples for NFL.
| Team | Point Spread | Six-Point Teaser |
|---|---|---|
| New York Jets | +7.5 | — |
| Buffalo Bills | -7.5 | -1.5 |
In the above example, the Buffalo Bills are listed as 1.5-point favorites versus the New York. However, if you include the Bills in a six-point NFL teaser, you can move the point spread six points, making them a 1.5-point favorite, meaning that Buffalo must simply win by more than 1.5 points for this leg of your teaser to be a winner.
Key numbers play an important role when teasing the point spread or the point total. In the NFL, the most common margins of victory are by 3, 4, 6, 7, 10 and 14 points, and that is reflected on the NFL point spreads. Accordingly, you will want to ensure that the teaser bets you create cross through these numbers, which will provide you with a theoretical edge.
The jury is out on the value of crossing zero on point spread teasers. Since basketball games and college football games never end in ties and NFL games rarely do, zero is considered a dead number that provides no value in a teaser. However, sports bettors who do their research have often enjoyed success when moving a short favorite to a short underdog.
There are also key numbers to consider when teasing point totals including 37, 41, 44, 47, and 51. While you have the option to tease up a point total, you can typically enjoy more success by teasing down the total and betting the OVER.
Executing successful teaser strategies for NBA basketball and college sports can be a challenge for several reasons. The high-scoring nature of basketball can add to the rtisk when teasing totals and the big point spreads that are common in both college football and college basketball make it tougher for teaser bettors to handicap those sports.
Sportsbooks that offer teasers
Here is a quick look at the top sportsbooks offer teaser betting NFL, NBA, college football, and college basketball.
- bet365
- BetMGM
- Caesars Sportsbook
- DraftKings
- ESPN Bet
- Fanatics Sportsbook
- FanDuel
- Hard Rock Bet
Teaser bets explained: Conclusion
Teaser betting is a form of parlay betting, with a twist. Popular among NFL and NBA bettors, teaser betting enables you to move the point spread or total on two or more games, increasing your chances of winning but with a payout on reduced odds.
Whether you are building a simple two-team NBA teaser that allows you move the point spread by four points or an NFL super teaser that features more teams and lets you make big adjustments to the point spread, teaser betting provides sports bettors who have done their homework with an opportunity to play oddsmaker on game day.
Don’t forget that teaser betting comes with unique risks. That makes it even more important for you to maintain responsible betting habits including proper bankroll management and following your head rather than your heart when crafting your bets. You can also give yourself more chances to win by taking advantage of the wide variety of promos and welcome bonuses available when you sign up at the nation’s top sportsbooks.
Pros and cons of teaser betting
Pros
- The ability to find the spread you love is in your hands
- Bettors can now find the exact odds they want
- Teaser bets empower the bettor
Cons
- There are still risks involved as in every bet
- Will need to have a strategy, stay within your unit size
Teaser betting explained FAQs
What is a teaser bet?
A teaser bet is a parlay bet with a twist. With teaser betting, you have the option to adjust the point spread or total in your favor for two or more games, giving you an improved chance to win. However, as a result, teaser bets pay out on reduced odds, and like other parlay bets, every leg of your teaser must win for you to cash in.
Can you bet teasers in parlays?
Yes. Simply put, a teaser bet is a type of parlay bet, but with the option to move the point spread or total for each of the games included. However, like parlay bets, every leg of your teaser bet must win for you to cash in a winning ticket.
Is teaser betting a bad idea?
Teaser betting is not a bad idea, but it does come with some inherent risks. Like with parlay betting, every leg of your teaser bet must win for you to cash in. However, it is important for you to do proper research before placing a teaser bet and to tease your games of choice through the most popular point spread and point toal key numbers.
What is an open teaser?
An open teaser is an option available in teaser betting that enables you to add additional legs to an existing teaser. Available at most top sportsbooks, you can add legs to an open teaser as long as at least one of the legs of the teaser is still undecided. However, keep in mind, the more legs you add to the teaser, the greater the risk of losing.
Can a teaser bet push?
Yes, a teaser bet can settle as a push. Typically, if a leg of your teaser bet settles as a push, the odds for your teaser bet will change. For example, if you play a four-team teaser, and one leg pushes, the odds will change to reflect a three-team teaser bet.
Daniel Coyle
