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Teaser Sports Betting Strategy

What Is a Teaser Bet? - Teaser Betting Strategy

The world of sports betting is brimming with great opportunities. Online sports wagering has much more to offer than land-based shops, including new ways to win. For example, have you heard about teaser sports betting?

Teasers are a very popular wager that can be hard to predict and involve gambling on the line – the market price of a particular sports event. This type of bet is pretty hard to get right as you’ll wager multiple teams way below the line that can deliver solid profit, although not as high as singles.

In today’s guide, we’ll tell you more about the teaser in betting and how it works. We’ll also show you a few strategies that can deliver great results and give an answer to the question – are teasers worth it?

What Is a Teaser Bet?

Some punters believe that teasers are a complex bet that involves expert knowledge. While it is a wager that requires a bit of extra knowledge, it’s not hard to place at all. As a matter of fact, teasers are among the most straightforward bets to calculate, allowing you to spot value wages easily. In the simplest terms, teaser bets are parlays but use a modifier point spread.

What’s the teaser bet meaning? It’s not because they’re easy. Teasers are teasing punters to make a bad choice. Since you’re not betting on a single but a double or higher team parlay, it’s not easy to get both teasers right. Call it a dare in a game of truth and dare, but in sports betting. By moving the line, you’ll get extra points per game. However, it’s still not easy to sweep 2 or more plays, no matter how profitable they might look.

As the punter, you’ll be betting a number of points, but in exchange, you’ll wager on 2 or more selections. Standard teasers call for 6 points per football game or 4 per basketball match. Why the parlay in this case? Well, that’s the tease part of the bet – by wagering on multiple teams, the chance for you to fail and the bookie to make a profit is higher.

There are 2 types of teasers. The first one is known as Super Teaser or Monster Teaser, allowing you to link 3, 4, or 5 teams in some cases. Bookies usually allow punters to adjust a larger number of points with this teaser, but you’ll be getting less money than you’re planning to risk.

The Vegas Teaser is the second type of teaser. Call it a mix of a parlay and the Monster Teaser. Punters will get fewer points to adjust the spread of the chosen selections, but the more teams you add to the slip, the higher the teaser bet payouts will go.

That’s teaser bets explained for you in the simplest possible way.

How to Place a Teaser Bet

Many punters are understandably asking how to bet teasers. It’s a type of wager that might sound complex, yet it’s as easy as it gets the moment you try it. Of course, the process of placing teasers will vary from one bookmaker to another. The teaser option will generally appear as soon as you add 2 selections you want to tease on your slip.

  1. First, choose the games you want to tease. Whether it’s football, basketball, or anything else, you can select any game
  2. Check the bet slip – it is usually to the right side of the betting site or app
  3. Click on Teaser
  4. You now have the option to adjust the lines in your favor. In general, moving 4 points around results in -110 teasers
  5. Enter your wager, check the payout, and place your teaser if you’re satisfied

At some bookies, teaser bets might be grouped with parlays. In this case, you’ll need to choose a parlay bet, then select teaser from the submenu. There are usually points indicated and the type of the teaser (basketball, football, etc.) with the site’s platform instantly calculating payouts.

Teaser Betting Strategy

There is no magic formula to winning teasers, just like there’s no formula for winning all your bets. To win teasers, you will first need to understand how a teaser bet works. It isn’t a wager for new punters, so get some experience before you delve into this part of online sports betting. Just picking out random teasers or listening to other ‘expert’ punters will result in losing in the long run. However, you can improve your chances by using a basic teaser betting strategy.

When betting teasers, it’s best to stick to proven leagues such as the NFL. College football may offer better returns, but the point spreads are larger and the wagers tougher. A college teaser parlay is simply more volatile, so you’ll have much better chances to win with NFL teasers due to the more consistent results.

Statistics say that 3 and 7 points margins are the most successful in football teasers. By moving a 6-point teaser between +1.5/+2.5 on underdogs and -7.5/-8.5 on favorites, your chances of getting both bets right are higher. Of course, nothing is ever guaranteed, but the options are better.

Even if a sportsbook offers reduced juice at -105 instead of the regular -110 on teasers, randomly choosing teasers is not the best way to win. The expected loss on random picks at -110 is just over 4.50% and 2.38% at -105.

It is where teaser bet odds come in. Teasers are great for finding value bets, and such great odds can be found at major bookies such as FanDuel and DraftKings. Others can give you great odds, too, so make sure to check all the NBA and NFL bookies before you start betting teasers.

Common Football Teasers and Basketball Teasers

There are various teaser parlay bets you can place online, but typically, they’re used on football and basketball. Both are great markets for sports wagers, and they’re ideal for teasers too. Below, we’ll give you a few examples of football and basketball teasers to see how this special type of bet works.

Football Teasers

The most common teaser in online sports betting is a 6-point football teaser. NFL bookies usually have odds on such teasers, giving punters 6 additional points for each spread. In general, these pay -120 or -110. Of course, the bookie is free to set the odds on its own, but the payouts are generally near that mark.

In a football teaser, you’re buying 6 points to move the line in your favor. Let’s put this into perspective:

  • Jets vs. Falcons / original bet: +2.5 / teaser: +8.5
  • Chiefs vs. Steelers / original bet: -7.5 / teaser: -1.5

Let’s go match by match. The Jets are a 2.5 point underdog in the match against the Falcons in the first one. The Jets must cover the new 8.5 point spread to win this bet. If they lose by, say, 16-10, the spread is covered, and you win your bet. If they don’t, the other teaser bet example doesn’t matter. To win a teaser, you must get both spreads right.

That would mean that the Chiefs must cover the -1.5 point spread against the Steelers. If this teaser is priced at -120 and you place a $12 bet on it, you would win $10 in return. The total would be $22 – that’s the original stake back plus the profit. As mentioned, if one or both teams fail to cover the new spread, you lose your wager.

Basketball Teasers

Unlike football teasers, basketball teasers can be moved 4-5 points. It goes for college basketball (NCAA) and games in the NBA. A 2-team 5-point teaser in the NBA is usually priced at around – 130, meaning that you should risk 13 betting units (considering they’re $1 each) to win $10.

Using the example above, you can easily make a teaser parlay with NBA teams. With dozens of matches available in the NBA every night, making a 2-team teaser at basketball sportsbooks should be easy.

Understanding Teaser Odds and Payouts

Teasers revolve around the idea of accepting better chances of winning in exchange for a smaller payout, knowing that it’s easy to see how teaser odds are worse. Of course, that depends on the odds the bookie offers and how many points you tease your bet by. Odds on teasers are shown in moneyline (American) odds.

To learn the payout on teasers, you have to understand the basic concept of sports betting lines, and you must know how to read odds.

For example, if you move the line 6.5 points like it is standard in football, it’ll cost you -130. It’s like betting on a favorite’s moneyline odds, bringing you $100 in profit on every $130 you wager. The best line for 6-point 2-team teasers is -120. In this case, you’ll win $100 for each $120 you bet. Or if you don’t want to spend that much, you risk $12 for a profit of $10.

Another thing you should keep in mind regarding teaser payouts. Bookies set the lines in their favor originally. You’re taking control away from the house by moving the line in big amounts. It makes a big difference in your winning chances, but the odds are worse in exchange.

You’ll still be making a profit, but not as big as you’ve hoped for. It is why you should always shop for odds and find the best EV teasers on the market.

Buying the Right Numbers in the Right Games

You can’t just make a teaser on the first 2 matches you come across. When betting on sports online, we’re all looking for better value. Value bets don’t come easily, and that’s especially true for teasers.

Looking at stats should give you a much clearer idea of what to expect from teasers. You can then apply a teaser betting strategy for both favorites and underdogs. If you take a look at the NFL, you’ll see that teasing underdogs both home and away is viable if the totals line is below 49.5. Always tease underdogs with 6 or 6.5 points up or when they’re listed at +1 to +2.5. Underdogs with +4.5 and +5.5 seem to be doing well in over 70% of cases in the past decade, so those would be the right numbers to tease on and the right games.

You can expect profit with spreads of -7.7 and -8.5 by 6 points when it comes to favorites. Favorites with -3 are best teased at +3.5 – historically, these bets have a 75% win rate. You should stick to moving the line around 6.5 points, as over that will take you past the key numbers in the right games.

Of course, there’s nothing guaranteed with a teaser in betting, so best experiment and write your bets down to see what works best for you.

What Happens to My Teaser Bet if a Leg Pushes?

Each betting site has its own rules when it comes to teaser pushes. The push in sports betting is another term for a tie bet for those unaware. Normally, a 2-team teaser with a win and a push results in a refund. That’s contrary to a loss and push result, which brings you to a loss. All losses result in a bet slip loss, although there might be exceptions at certain betting sites.

That’s why you should go over each sportsbook’s rules, especially when it comes to teaser sports betting. It’ll help you learn the push rules regarding your teasers so you don’t miscalculate your wagers.

Using Moneylines to Analyze Teasers

How can one use moneylines to analyze teasers and see if they’re worth it? Moneylines and teasers are 2 completely different types of bets, yet the former could be used to see if the latter offers value. Moneylines are essential when looking for wagers of value. If you spot a valuable bet via this type of stake, you can easily check if the line can be moved in your favor.

As mentioned before, buying 3 and 7 makes the most sense. Those are the most common winning margins, even though you can’t know for sure. Now, before you do it, the key is taking a look at the moneyline. If the odds are good, you might have a value bet. These wagers work best in teaser sports betting, so you might want to give it a shot.

When looking for teaser moneylines, try to find -110. Those are EV bets worth trying. Of course, the odds on teasers have evolved a lot in the past few years, so not all bookmakers might offer it. Such pricing is valuable since most bookies nowadays offer -120 on teasers. Always use moneylines to analyze teasers and go for -110 to the best value.

Reverse Teasers (Pleasers)

With teasers, punters move the line in their favor. Then there are pleasers where punters move the line in the sportsbook favor. Frankly, that kind of thing doesn’t make sense except in one situation – exchange for better odds. The sportsbook now has a better line with pleasers, and you get much better odds.

It means higher payouts, although you’ll need a good strategy and a lot of luck for pleasers to work. If you’re a new punter, you should probably stick to other bet types than pleasers.

Are Teaser Bets Worth It?

That’s the million-dollar question, and the answer is it depends. Sure, teasers can be profitable with a good teaser betting strategy and a bit of luck, not as much as singles or regular parlays, but still more than enough. Of course, they require quite a bit of knowledge beforehand, so they’re not exactly ideal for new punters.

Seasoned punters who like to shake things up and try something different should look at teasers. You can even go with pleasers if you’re feeling like it, but always make sure to gamble responsibly.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How does a teaser bet work?
    Teasers are parlays in which you’re allowed to move the line in your favor. The outcome is a 2+ team teaser with odds altered in your favor, but a tinier return.
  • What is a teaser bet in football?
    Football teasers are the most common teaser in the world of online sports betting. 2-team 6-point teasers allow you to move the line by 6 points in your favor, but both your selections need to win.
  • What is a teaser bet vs. parlay?
    A parlay is a type of wager where you can combine multiplier selections at their determined price. You can move the lines in your favor in teasers in exchange for lower odds.
  • What happens if you push a teaser bet?
    It depends on the bookie. A win and a push in 2-team teasers result in a bet refund. If one of your selections loses, it’s an automatic loss.
  • How do you win a teaser bet?
    To win a teaser parlay, you’ll need both of your selections to pass through.
  • How to bet a teaser on DraftKings?
    Placing teasers at DraftKings is simple. Just add 2 matches to your slip to enable the teaser option, then move the lines, place your bet, and wait for the results.
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    Rebecca E
    Author
    Writer & Media

    Rebecca is a Liverpool gal and a big fan of the club. She likes nothing more than sharing tips and predictions on sports betting. Her other favorite sports include horse racing, snooker, and golf. Rebecca is in charge of writing and media at BetZillion. You can thank her for making our articles look so great.

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