What Is a Teaser Bet?

You have probably seen "6-point teaser" sitting next to the parlay option on your bet slip and scrolled past it. It looks like a parlay and pays like a parlay, but the number attached to it changes the whole bet. Here is what you are agreeing to when you place one.

Teasers in one line

A teaser combines two or more spread or total bets into one wager and moves every line a set number of points in your favor. The price for those friendlier numbers is a much smaller payout than a standard parlay, and every leg still has to win.

What a teaser does

Start with a normal parlay: two or more sides, and every one has to hit. A teaser works the same way, except you first get to slide each spread or total in the direction that helps you. A team favored by 7 might become a 1-point favorite in a 6-point teaser. An underdog at +3 becomes +9.

A 6-point teaser moves each leg six points your way. The best teasers use those six points to cross 3 and 7.

That is the whole trade: easier numbers to clear, in exchange for a smaller payout than a parlay with the same number of legs.

How many points you get

6 to 7

Football teaser points

6, 6.5 and 7 are the common sizes

4 to 5

Basketball teaser points

Smaller, since scoring is spread out

Legs required

Every adjusted leg must win

The more points you take, the worse the payout on the same number of legs, because you are asking for a bigger cushion. Prices vary by book. As a rough guide, a 2-team, 6-point NFL teaser often pays somewhere around -120, while a standard 2-team parlay at -110 pays about +264.

Why teasers live and die on key numbers

Football teaser bettors talk about "crossing the key numbers," meaning moving a line across 3 and 7, the two most common final margins in the NFL. Six points that take a -7.5 favorite down to -1.5 cross both. Six points that take a -10 favorite to -4 cross neither, which is why the same teaser can be a smart bet on one game and a poor one on another.

Teaser-friendly spots

✓Favorites of -7.5 to -8.5, moved to -1.5 to -2.5

✓Underdogs of +1.5 to +2.5, moved to +7.5 to +8.5

✓Both cross 3 and 7 in one move

Weaker spots

✕Big favorites like -10 moved to -4

✕Lines that cross no key numbers

✕High totals, where six points matter less

Teaser vs. parlay

	Parlay	Teaser
Lines used	The posted spread or total	The posted line, shifted your way
Payout for the same legs	Higher	Lower
Best for	Bettors happy with the real numbers	Close lines where a cushion helps
What has to happen	Every leg wins	Every leg wins against the adjusted line

Teaser questions

What is a teaser bet?

A bet that combines several spread or total selections into one wager and lets you move each line a set number of points in your favor, in exchange for a lower payout than a standard parlay.

How does a teaser work?

Pick your legs like a parlay, choose a teaser size (commonly 6, 6.5 or 7 points in football), and every adjusted line has to hit. Miss one leg and the whole teaser loses.

Is a teaser better than a parlay?

Neither is better across the board. A teaser trades payout for easier numbers. Whether that is worth it depends on how close the original lines are and which key numbers the move crosses.

How many points can you tease a line?

It varies by sport and book. Football teasers are commonly 6, 6.5 or 7 points; basketball teasers usually run 4 to 5.

Keep reading

NFL key numbers →

The data behind 3 and 7.

Buying points →

Moving a single line instead of several.

Round robins →

Another way to soften a parlay.

Skip the parlay math entirely

Every GSP pick is priced and graded on its own, at the real number. You only pay when a pick wins.

Today's free picks Premium picks & packages

Sports betting involves risk and is intended for entertainment purposes for adults 21 and older. Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.