We’re here to explain how to bet teasers. If you’re not betting teasers, today might be your lucky day.

Key Points

• A teaser is a parlay bet in which a bettor pays a premium to adjust the point spread in the bettor’s favor.
• Teaser strategy involves understanding common scoring margins.

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How to Bet Teasers 101

A teaser is simply a parlay bet (two or more bets grouped into a single wager) in which the bettor pays a premium for the ability to move the point spread in his or her favor. 

Bettors buy points and in exchange must pick two teams to back. That makes the teaser bet more difficult to win. If one leg of the bet fails, the entire bet is a loss.

Teasers are more common in football and basketball, specifically NFL and NBA games. The most common teaser bet is the NFL two-team, six-point teaser. To understand betting teasers, it helps to look at some examples.

NFL Teaser Example

The standard two-team, six-point teaser gives the bettor the ability to swing the point spread in either direction in his or her favor. Let’s look at the following example, aiding you in how to bet teasers.

Giants (+2.5) vs. Eagles

Patriots (-7) vs. Dolphins

In this case, the bettor can adjust the spread on the Giants game to New York +8.5 and on the Patriots to -1. The Giants have a much better chance of covering 8.5 points than they do 2.5. Likewise, the Patriots can cover a single point much easier than covering a touchdown.

If the Giants lose by eight or fewer points or win outright, that leg of the bet wins. If the Patriots win by two or more points, that leg of the bet wins and the teaser pays out. If one of the legs loses, the entire bet is a loss.

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How to Bet Teasers - Strategy

There is some strategy involved in placing teaser bets whether they are NFL or NBA teasers. In the NFL, the best teaser bets are those involving short underdogs and long favorites. 

It also helps to understand key numbers in the NFL scores. These key numbers are the most common scoring margins of victory. In NFL games, more games end with a final margin of 3 and 7 points. Other key numbers include 4, 6, 10 and 14.

Get To Know Key Numbers

Knowing these key numbers, bettors can tease through them to have a greater chance of winning. Looking back at the example above, the Giants are a short underdog at +2.5. Teasing the Giants six points will cover 3, 4, 6, and 7. These are four of the most common scoring margins in NFL games.

It’s the same as sports bettors that are backing the Patriots. Teasing them to -1 is essentially a bet on New England to win. They must win by at least two and they win if they hit the most common - 3, 4, 6, and 7 - margins of victory.

In the NBA, the most common margins of victory are between 2 and 8 points with 5 and 7 the most common. The most common NBA teaser is a two-team, 4.5-point teaser. Again, the idea would be to cross key numbers when putting together an NBA teaser.

Be sure to check your odds. Typically, an NFL two-team, six-point teaser will pay out at -110 to -130. You won’t see plus-money odds until you add a third team which makes the bet even more difficult.

We hope this helped you learn some on how to bet teasers. Teasers can be very profitable if used correctly. However, if used incorrectly, they can empty your account quickly.

Before you go, let’s learn a little more about sportsbetting. Take a look at Sportsbetting 101: Betting NHL Totals.