Teaser Bets add Flexibility and Better Odds
By Eduardo Solano
Teaser bets are modified parlay bets offered in football and basketball betting. With this bet type, you can bet on point spreads and/or game point totals and move the lines up and down. Adjusting the spreads or totals will give you more of a margin of error and a better chance of winning, but at reduced odds. Like in a parlay bet, you have to bet in two or more games and all of the selected teams must win in order for you to win. One loss on any game means you lost your bet.
At first, you might think teasers are complicated but what you should do is break the bet down into individual smaller bets and then look at it a as a whole bet, like with parlay bets. Here´s an example: the New England Patriots are playing the Miami Dolphins. As mentioned before, with a teaser bet you can wager on the spread and/or point total. This is the point spread we´ll use for this example:
1- The Spread:
You select the Patriots to win at +10.0 points. This means that the Patriots must either beat the Dolphins or not lose by more than 10 points.
2- The Total:
Assuming you use the “under” option to bet on the game total, now you have to select the game total points (which is the final combination of points scored by the Patriots and the Dolphins) to be 40 or under.
In order for you to win this bet the Patriots must win or not lose by more than 10 points and the total points scored in the game must be 40 or under.
3- Teaser Points
As you know, the major difference between teaser bets and parlays is that the player can move the point spread in any direction. This increases your odds of winning but also means a decreased payout.
4- Types of Teaser Bets
There are two types of teaser bets:
– Regular Teasers: In a regular teaser bet the player is offered 6, 6.5 and 7 points in football games and 4, 4.5 points and 5 points in basketball games.
– Special Teasers: In a special teaser bet or sweetheart teaser the player is offered 10 and 13 points for football and 7 and 10 points for basketball.
Going back into our example, let´s suppose you select a 7 point teaser, which means that 7 additional points are added to the spread from your bet: 10 + 7 = 17 point spread and 7 points are added to the game total points: 40 + 7 = 47 points total or under. For this teaser bet to win, the Patriots must either win or not lose by more than 17 points and the game total must be 47 points or under.
The previous example shows why it´s best to divide each teaser bet in two parts and base your wager on each part. Note that although adding points to the spread and point total will give you a better chance of winning, you´ll eventually get a smaller payout. Basically, teaser bets are flexible parlay bets with better odds for the player.
But, when should you choose a teaser bet? Teaser bets are good substitutes for regular parlay bets when you want to make a safer bet. With the teaser points you will have more risk tolerance, but you´ll definitely get paid out less. There are cases in which teaser bets are better because you will win in situations where you would have lost had you placed a standard parlay bet, like in games with a final outcome that is hard to predict.
Teaser bets are offered by most sportsbooks, you have to search all the betting options and in some cases go to the “Exotic Bet” section in case the sportsbook doesn´t list teasers in their regular betting options. Teaser bets add flexibility and margin of error to your wagers and since you will not be facing the long odds of a parlay, you will have a better chance of winning.
When should you choose a parlay bet instead of a teaser bet? Don´t bet a teaser if you feel confident about the result of a game regarding the point spread and point total. Instead, you should place a parlay bet because it will pay out better. It´s easier to win a teaser bet than a parlay bet but if you win a parlay bet you will make more money. Remember that you need to choose your teams carefully and read the wagering guide of your sportsbook before placing any bet.
