1. What is a Teaser Bet?
A teaser bet allows you to adjust the point spread or total of multiple games in your favor. For example, you can shift the spread by 6, 6.5, or 7 points, making it easier for your selections to cover the spread. However, the adjustment comes with a trade-off: the odds for teaser bets are typically lower than for standard bets because the bet is adjusted in your favor.
2. How Do NFL Teaser Bets Work?
Point Spread Adjustment: In a typical NFL spread bet, you’re betting on the favorite to cover the spread or the underdog to beat the spread. With a teaser, you can adjust that spread by 6, 6.5, or 7 points in your favor.
Example: If a team is favored by 7 points, you could tease the spread to 0, meaning you only need the favorite to win the game. If you’re betting on an underdog, a 7-point tease would give you a +14 spread, increasing the chances of your bet covering.
Over/Under Totals Adjustment: For total bets (over/under), teasers allow you to adjust the total by 6, 6.5, or 7 points in either direction. This increases your chances of hitting the over or under, depending on how the game plays out.
Multi-Game Teasers: Teasers require betting on at least two games, and you can combine multiple games into a single teaser bet (2-team teasers are common, but you can go up to 6 or more games). Each game you add to the teaser can increase potential payouts but also increases the risk.
3. Common Teaser Bet Variations
6-Point Teaser: The most common teaser size in NFL betting. You adjust the point spread by 6 points.
6.5-Point Teaser: Slightly more favorable than a 6-point teaser, but the odds may be slightly lower as well.
7-Point Teaser: The largest common teaser adjustment. It offers the most favorable odds in your favor but may require higher juice (the amount you pay in addition to your bet).
4. Benefits of Teaser Bets
Increased Chances of Winning: By adjusting the lines, you can make it easier for your picks to cover, especially when betting on favorites or large spreads. This can be particularly useful if you’re wagering on a heavy favorite or betting against a team with a poor record.
More Flexibility: Teasers allow you to adjust spreads for multiple games, giving you flexibility in how you structure your bets. You can tailor your wagers to your strategy, increasing your potential for profit.
Lower Risk: By shifting the point spread or total in your favor, the risk of your bet failing decreases, making it an attractive option for bettors looking to reduce exposure to the unpredictable nature of individual games.
5. Disadvantages and Considerations
Reduced Payouts: The trade-off for getting points in your favor is a reduced payout. Teaser bets generally offer lower odds than standard bets because the adjustments make the bet easier to win.
More Teams, More Risk: The more games you add to a teaser, the greater the risk, despite the spread adjustments. For example, a 4-team teaser is harder to hit than a 2-team teaser, and if any game fails to cover, the entire bet is lost.
No Guarantees: While teasers increase your chances of winning, there are still no guarantees. Even with the point adjustment, you can lose if the team fails to cover the teased spread or total.
6. Teaser Bet Strategies
Pick Key Numbers: NFL betting often revolves around key numbers like 3, 7, and 10. Since these are common margins of victory in NFL games, teasers work best when you adjust the spread to or from these key numbers. For instance, teasing a favorite from -7 to 0 (winning outright) or teasing an underdog from +7 to +14 could give you an edge.
Combination of Spread and Totals: You can combine point spread and total bets in a teaser for more variety and increased flexibility. For example, you can tease one team’s spread and adjust the total in another game, based on how you view the matchups.
Avoid High Juice: When placing a teaser bet, be mindful of the odds. Bookmakers may offer you teasers with "high juice," meaning you’ll need to risk more to win the same amount. Ideally, look for teasers where the payout doesn’t require excessive risk.
Favoring Underdogs: Teasers are often more beneficial when you’re betting on underdogs. Adjusting the point spread in your favor gives underdogs a better chance to cover, and it can be a great way to hedge your bets.
7. Popular NFL Teaser Bet Combinations
2-Team 6-Point Teaser: This is the most common teaser bet, where you select two teams and adjust their spreads by 6 points. With only two teams, the bet offers a higher chance of winning.
3-Team 6-Point Teaser: A slight increase in risk, but offers a higher payout than a 2-team teaser.
4-Team or More Teasers: These bets increase the potential payout but also the risk. With each additional game added to a teaser, you need to hit all selections for the wager to be successful.
8. Teaser Bet Example
Let’s say you have the following matchups in a given week:
Team A (Favored by 7 points) vs. Team B
Team C (Underdog by 3 points) vs. Team D
If you place a 6-point teaser, your adjusted lines might look like this:
Team A -1 (from -7)
Team C +9 (from +3)
This gives you a better chance to win, as now Team A just needs to win outright and Team C can lose by up to 9 points and still cover.
9. Key Considerations Before Placing a Teaser Bet
Research: The same in-depth analysis that you apply to standard betting should be used for teaser wagers. Factor in injuries, team dynamics, and other relevant factors before finalizing your selections.
Limitations on Bet Types: Not all sportsbooks allow the same number of teams in teaser bets, and some may restrict certain types of wagers, such as combining NFL and college games in a teaser.
WHAT IS A “WONG TEASER”?
A Wong teaser is a popular betting strategy named after sports bettor and author John Ferguson Wong, who first highlighted its effectiveness in his book "Sharp Sports Betting". It involves specifically teasing point spreads in a way that maximizes the value of key NFL numbers. A Wong teaser is a smart and strategic way to bet on NFL games, leveraging the mathematical edge created by adjusting spreads around key numbers like 3, 7, and 10. By following the principles of the Wong teaser, bettors increase their chances of success by focusing on the most common margins of victory in football, though it still requires careful selection of games and proper bankroll management to be effective
Key Concepts of a Wong Teaser
Targeting Key Numbers (3, 7, 10): The strategy centers on the key numbers in NFL point spreads—3, 7, and 10—because these are the most common margins of victory in the NFL. By adjusting the point spread around these key numbers, you increase the likelihood that your bets will cover.
Teasing Through Key Numbers: The ideal Wong teaser involves teasing point spreads through these key numbers. For example:
Teasing a favorite down from -7 to -1: This is advantageous because if the favorite wins by 1 point, you win the bet.
Teasing an underdog up from +3 to +9: This is favorable because the underdog can lose by up to 9 points, and you still cover the spread.
Teasing an underdog up from +7 to +14: This is another great option because of how often games end with a margin of 7 points.
Example of a Wong Teaser:
Consider an NFL slate with the following games:
Team A -7 vs. Team B
Team C +3 vs. Team D
A Wong teaser would suggest you tease Team A down from -7 to -1 and Team C up from +3 to +9.
This strategy works well because:
Team A only needs to win by 1 point (instead of covering -7).
Team C can lose by up to 9 points and still cover the +9 spread.
Key Rules for Wong Teasers:
6-Point Teasers: Wong typically recommends teasing NFL point spreads by 6 points, as it is the most common teaser adjustment in sportsbooks.
At Least 2-Teams: A Wong teaser usually involves two teams, as this setup offers the best value in relation to the key numbers.
Focus on NFL Games: The Wong teaser strategy is most effective for NFL games due to the prevalence of key numbers like 3, 7, and 10.
Only Teasing Favorites or Underdogs Between 3 and 7 Points:
Favorites should be teased down to less than a touchdown (from -7 to -1, for example).
Underdogs should be teased up from 3 to 9, or 7 to 14, in order to take advantage of those key numbers.
Why It’s Effective:
Teasing Through Key Numbers: By moving the line through crucial numbers like 3 and 7, the teaser reduces the number of possible outcomes where your bet would lose.
Improved Odds: The strategy aims to increase your chances of winning without taking on excessive risk. While teasers typically have lower payouts, the Wong teaser focuses on maximizing the value in each game by targeting key numbers..