What Are Teaser Bets?

Chances are, you are familiar with the common options for sports betting such as the point spread, moneyline, or point totals. These three categories are the main focus in sports betting, but there are numerous other enticing opportunities worth considering.

Teasers, being more advanced and slightly intricate than the industry’s fundamental terms, may require some explanation. However, we are here to assist you in comprehending all aspects of teasers and their functioning.

Teaser betting explained

A teaser bet operates similarly to a parlay bet, as it necessitates accurate predictions for multiple outcomes in order to win. It is a high-risk, high-reward type of wager that can prove beneficial when examining the betting options. However, a teaser differs from a parlay in that the bettor has control over the lines, whether they involve point spreads or point totals. This allows the gambler to adjust the spreads and totals in any direction they see fit, aiming to enhance their chances of winning.

One distinction between these two strategies is that although shifting numbers in your favor increases the likelihood of a successful bet, teaser bets generally offer a lower payout compared to parlay bets.

The basics of teasers 

Teasers are primarily employed in football and basketball betting due to the substantial number of points typically scored in these sports compared to others. Since point spreads and totals play a significant role in wagering on both sports, it presents a favorable chance for engaging in teaser bets.

Football bettors are usually offered the opportunity to tease 6, 6.5, and 7 points by sportsbooks. When examining the point spread or point total of a specific game, bettors can opt to include their teaser points to the sides or totals they desire for various possible outcomes.

When analyzing NFL and college football teasers, it is crucial to consider the significance of key numbers. The numbers three and seven hold immense importance in football betting, as they have the greatest likelihood of being the final point differences in games.

Sportsbooks often present basketball bettors with teaser options of 4, 4.5, and 5 points to choose from.

In order to win the bet, all the combinations you choose must be winners. However, even if you have multiple winners in the teaser, if just one of the outcomes fails to meet expectations, the bet will be considered a loss.

Football teaser payout chart

If you add more points to your preferred side or total, the payout for a winning bet will decrease. For instance, in a football game, if you choose a teaser bet with seven points, the payout will be lower compared to a teaser with six points.

While there may be variations in payout policies for teasers among sportsbooks, a general consensus has been reached regarding their operation for up to ten outcomes.

For six-point teasers:

• Two-team teaser: -110
• Three-team teaser: +180
• Four-team teaser: +300
• Five-team teaser: +450
• Six-team teaser: +600
• Seven-team teaser: +1,000
• Eight-team teaser: +1,500
• Nine-team teaser: +2,000
• 10-team teaser: +2,500

For 6.5-point teasers:

• Two-team teaser: -120
• Three-team teaser: +160
• Four-team teaser: +250
• Five-team teaser: +400
• Six-team teaser: +550
• Seven-team teaser: +900
• Eight-team teaser: +1,200
• Nine-team teaser: +1,500
• 10-team teaser: +2,000

For seven-point teasers:

• Two-team teaser: -130
• Three-team teaser: +140
• Four-team teaser: +200
• Five-team teaser: +350
• Six-team teaser: +500
• Seven-team teaser: +800
• Eight-team teaser: +1,000
• Nine-team teaser: +1,200
• 10-team teaser: +1,500

As you add more teams, the payout significantly increases. However, the payout decreases as the teaser number gets higher.

Basketball teaser payout chart

The payouts in basketball are comparable to those in football. Here is a list of them:

For four-point teasers:

• Two-team teaser: -100
• Three-team teaser: +180
• Four-team teaser: +300
• Five-team teaser: +500
• Six-team teaser: +700
• Seven-team teaser: +1,000
• Eight-team teaser: +1,500
• Nine-team teaser: +2,000
• 10-team teaser: +2,500

For 4.5-point teasers:

• Two-team teaser: -110
• Three-team teaser: +160
• Four-team teaser: +250
• Five-team teaser: +400
• Six-team teaser: +600
• Seven-team teaser: +900
• Eight-team teaser: +1,200
• Nine-team teaser: +1,500
• 10-team teaser: +2,000

For five-point teasers:

• Two-team teaser: -120
• Three-team teaser: +150
• Four-team teaser: +200
• Five-team teaser: +350
• Six-team teaser: +500
• Seven-team teaser: +800
• Eight-team teaser: +1,000
• Nine-team teaser: +1,200
• 10-team teaser: +1,500

Follow the lines

This information is primarily intended for experienced bettors. However, having a basic understanding of how betting lines fluctuate before a game can significantly increase your chances of selecting a winning bet. Initially, when oddsmakers establish the point spread or point total, it is common for these numbers to change based on the majority of bets placed. If you have a strong intuition about which side or total will attract the most significant amount of money, you may be able to take advantage of this knowledge by securing an additional half-point or more in your favor. This will provide you with an even greater advantage when placing a teaser bet.

Football is a sport characterized by extensive movement, mainly because the lines are typically established well before the game begins.

What about a push?

In gambling, a push refers to a tie. When you create a three-team teaser and one of the outcomes matches the exact number you wagered on, it is considered a push. The handling of pushes in teasers varies among sportsbooks, but generally, the outcome that resulted in a push is excluded from the teaser bet. In case of a three-team teaser, the bet that ended in a push is disregarded, as though it never occurred, and you are left with a two-team teaser to play.

Examples

After grasping the fundamentals of betting teasers, it’s time to enhance your comprehension by applying the knowledge with some practical examples. Let’s delve right into it.

Betting teasers in NFL

Once you have carefully examined the betting board, you find yourself drawn to the home teams and decide to enhance their odds with a teaser. In this particular situation, you opt for the Packers, Lions, and Eagles to successfully cover. Here is the initial appearance of the board before incorporating your teaser points.

• Packers -3
• Lions +2
• Eagles -6.5

Suppose you opt for a seven-point teaser, and once implemented, here is the revised appearance of your gambling card.

• Packers +4 vs. Vikings
• Lions +9 vs. Bears
• Eagles +0.5 vs. Cowboys

The teaser increased the margin by seven points for each result. Instead of the Packers having to win by more than three points, they now simply need to win or lose by three points or less. The Lions must win or lose by less than nine points, while the Eagles transformed from 6.5-point favorites to 0.5-point underdogs.

If every outcome indeed becomes a reality, the bet will be considered successful. In the case of a three-team teaser with a seven-point spread for each team, the odds would be +140. This implies that a $100 bet would result in a $140 profit.

If any of the results are unsuccessful, the whole wager is considered a loss.

Betting teasers in NBA

Next, let’s shift our focus to the NBA for our next illustration. In this scenario, suppose you believe that offenses are not being given enough credit for the number of points they will generate today. Although you are confident that the total points scored will exceed expectations, you decide to safeguard your bet by opting for a four-point teaser on the upcoming basketball games.

• Bucks/Celtics: 215
• Lakers/Cavs: 201.5
• Warriors/Thunder: 208
• Suns/Pistons: 203.5

As you are supporting the over, we will deduct four points to make the target point total more achievable. After applying the teasers, this is how your betting card appears now:

• Bucks/Celtics: 211
• Lakers/Cavs: 197.5
• Warriors/Thunder: 204
• Suns/Pistons: 199.5

In order to secure a winning bet, you need to successfully predict the outcome for every team in a teaser, just like with any other teasers. If you correctly tease a four-teamer by four points, the odds will be +300, meaning that a $100 bet will yield a $300 profit if you emerge as the winner.

Betting teasers in college football

To conclude our exploration of teaser betting, we will now turn our attention to a collection of college football games. In this particular case, we will merge point spreads and point totals to create a four-team teaser.

• The point spread for the Ohio State vs. Michigan game is Ohio State favored by 10 points.
• Clemson is favored by 7.5 points against South Carolina.
• Michigan State/Rutgers: 49.5
• Alabama/LSU: 55

You anticipate Ohio State’s victory over Michigan, although a 10-point difference might be excessive. Consequently, you decide to lower the spread by seven points. Similarly, you apply the same strategy when considering Clemson’s matchup against South Carolina.

You anticipate the over to be reached in the Michigan State and Rutgers game, therefore deduct seven points. Conversely, in the Alabama and LSU matchup, you are convinced that fewer points will be scored, so you opt for the under and add seven points.

Once all the teasers have been arranged, the board now displays the altered configuration featuring your four-team teaser.

• The betting line for the Ohio State vs. Michigan game is Ohio State favored by 3 points.
• Clemson is favored by 0.5 points against South Carolina.
• Michigan State/Rutgers: 42.5
• Alabama/LSU: 62

In this scenario, suppose Ohio State ultimately triumphs over Michigan by a mere three points, resulting in a final score of 23-20. Consequently, this outcome leads to a push, causing the bet to be voided. As a result, your initial four-team teaser now transforms into a three-team teaser.

If you correctly predict the outcomes of the remaining games, three teams that were initially favored to score seven points will have odds of +140. Placing a $100 bet will result in a $140 profit.

Key takeaways on teaser betting

Bettors in sports have the chance to adjust the betting odds. A successful bet requires all outcomes to be accurate. The potential payout increases as more outcomes are included. Conversely, the potential payout decreases as more points are added to the teaser.