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Another day, another betting tutorial from your friends at MyTopSportsbook. Today’s class is about teaser bets. We will define what a teaser is in betting, what a teaser is in sports betting, sports betting teaser odds, the difference between a parlay and a teaser, and teaser payouts. So let’s begin by clearly outlining what a teaser bet is and how a sports bettor can use this type of bet. Teaser bets are great for sports bettors who love to bet on the point spread. If you are betting on teasers, you control the point spread totals, and the more teams you pick, the bigger the odds. Now, on to your teaser betting guide.
What is a Teaser Bet?
When we think of teaser betting, it resembles parlay betting, using only the point spread as the guide. A teaser bet gives a significant advantage to a sports bettor because the point spread can be manipulated in favor of the sports bettor. It takes two bets to form a teaser, and the points moved in your favor – say, teasing the underdog up for a better advantage. Or, you can move the spread down in a ‘pleaser’ bet if you think the underdog will cover a higher-point spread. This is a style of bet that handicappers love and have a great deal of popularity in the sports betting community.
How do Teaser Bets Work?
You can use many point spread choices in a single bet when building a teaser bet. You aren’t forced to settle for the online sportsbook odds or the bookmaker’s spread when you can decide the point spread yourself and improve the odds. You must understand how the odds work in the point spread to understand this fact. The oddsmakers penalize the favorite by a minus sign – negative point spread – because they are considered the better team. The underdog receives plus points – a positive point spread – because they are considered the inferior team.
Here is an example from the NFL:
Buffalo Bills – -3, (-110)
KC Chiefs – +3 (-110)
The Chiefs are underdogs here, a +3 point favorite, but once the spread is applied, they are even up with the Bills. The Bills have better odds at -110 on the spread than on the Moneyline bet – -125, say – given the 3-point handicap. If the game’s score ends up 44-42 Buffalo and you took the Chiefs, you would receive a payout on that bet based on the pointsbet.
How do I Place a Teaser Bet?
If you want to give KC a greater leg up on Buffalo and add other bets to your betting slip, a teaser bet comes into play.
Let’s look at this NFL example:
Browns vs Patriots, +2.5 (-110)
Falcons vs Cowboys, +10 (-125)
Your regular, two-leg parlay works out to +243 combined odds on NFL betting. Suppose you want to give the Browns and Falcons a better headstart? You can add points to the spread and calculate the odds again based on the points added on the bet slip. If you are betting at an online sportsbook, they will have a built-in calculator so you can see the outcomes of different bets. Different sportsbooks will calculate the teasers differently – so shop around – for the best teaser returns on your wagers. Depending on the sportsbook, you might get a promo code for a first bet free bet.
How Teasing Up Affects the Example Bet for Football Teasers
You decide you want to raise your two-leg parlay by a number of points – a 6-point teaser – it gives the Browns +8.5 on a six-point teaser and the Falcons +16 on a six-point teaser on the point spread in the NFL games. Your sportsbook odds for this football game teaser scenario are -120 for the spread bet and are set in stone by the book. You can extend this bet across as many 8 and as few as 3 teams. The more teams you select, the greater the odds you will receive.
If you tease up to 6.5 points on the underdogs, the odds are lower than the 6 points due to the addition of a half-point to your teaser bet example.
Teaser options for multiple teaser bets:
- Two teams: -130
- Three teams: +150
- Four teams: +230
- Five teams: +350
- Six teams: +500
- Seven teams: +900
- Eight teams: +1200
If you are looking at a 7-point teaser bet, this is what the teaser options will look like:
- Two team matchups: -140
- Three team teaser matchups: +130
- Four team matchups: +200
- Five team matchups: +320
- Six team matchups: +450
- Seven team matchups: +700
- Eight team matchups: +1000
What Super and Monster Teasers?
Here is where things get a little crazy for the sports bettor. You can tease up – and get extra points +10 points, a super teaser. The monster teaser is an underdog boost of +13 extra points. When betting on a super teaser, you need to pick three games, and the monster pick requires four games. Teaser bets are usually confined to the NFL and NBA, where point spreads are set for every game.
What are Basketball Teasers?
Here are teaser bet examples from recent NBA scheduled games:
Pistons at Cavs, +5, (-110)
Celtics host Bucks, +2, (-110)
On this two-legged parlay, you get +264. If you add a teaser and +4 points, you still get -110 and the Pistons are a +9 point favorite and Boston are a +6 point favorite. Teasing up can be a sharp bet. Why? You might find close games on the final score if you research recent finishes. Teasing up can turn your bet into a winner. Most sportsbooks will offer NBA teasers in the range of 4. 4.5, 5, 8, and 10 points.
Here is what it will look like should you escalate the point spread:
A 4-Point Teaser:
- Two teams: -110
- Three teams: +170
- Four teams: +290
- Five teams: +450
- Six teams: +650
- Seven teams: +1000
- Eight teams: +1500
A 4.5-Point Teaser:
- Two teams: -120
- Three teams: +150
- Four teams: +240
- Five teams: +400
- Six teams: +550
- Seven teams: +900
- Eight teams: +1200
A 5-Point Teaser:
- Two teams: -130
- Three teams: +130
- Four teams: +190
- Five teams: +350
- Six teams: +450
- Seven teams: +700
- Eight teams: +1000
A Super Teaser, an 8-Point Teaser
- 3 teams: -120
A Monster Teaser, 10-Point Teaser
- 4 teams: -120
Check the fine print for a push when betting in multiples for your teaser bets, whether it is an NFL teaser or an NBA teaser. Some sportsbooks will cancel your bet if one leg ends in a tie. When betting at BetMGM, Fanduel and Draftkings, and Caesars, the rules are clear and easy to locate when you need the information.
