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Understanding Teaser and Pleaser Bets in Sports Betting

teaser/pleaser bets - full guide
Yonit S
24-Jan-2024

You may now be familiar with the three basic types of bets: moneyline, spread, and total. Even the concept of parlays could be well known to you. But there are a ton of other wagers that are out there and the number keeps growing as safe sports gambling becomes more and more popular.

Bookmakers want to draw in as many bettors as they can. And If you appreciate parlays, you'll probably consider teaser and pleaser bets appealing at the very least. Although some experts find them petty, the decision to test them out is entirely up to you.

What are Teaser/Pleaser Bets

A Teaser Bet allows you to adjust the point spread of a game in your favor. So, Instead of merely predicting the outcome, you're tweaking the odds to increase your chances of winning. The manipulation comes at a cost, though. The money you could whisk away decreases with each adjustment you make.

Pleaser Bets are a reverse version of Teaser Bets. I mean, Instead of shifting point spreads in your favor, you're so confident that you move them against you. This increases the risk, but what you could walk away with if your predictions come true rises higher, too. To opt for Pleaser Bets, you must have more accurately read the games and point spreads.

How do Teaser/Pleaser Bets work?

Teaser and Pleaser Bets bring about an exciting twist to sports betting as they allow you to manipulate point spreads in your favor or against you. With Teasers, you get to adjust the point spreads of chosen games by a fixed number of points, usually 6, 6.5, or 7 points. You are doing this because you want to increase your winning chances by creating more favorable spreads for the teams you've selected. I mean, who doesn't like the taste of victory?

For instance, if Team A has an original point spread of -3 and Team B at +4, a Teaser Bet might shift these spreads to +3 and +10 respectively. The catch is that, for your bet to win, all your chosen teams must cover their new spreads.

Pleasers reverse the equation. So, instead of changing point spreads in your favor, you move them against you. Voila! Your are predicting outcomes that are even more than what Sportbooks think. It truly comes with a higher risk. But what you stand to walk away with if your wager hits the mark will make your bank account salivate. For instance, if you've chosen two NBA games with point spreads of -6 and -8, a Pleaser Bet could adjust them to -13 and -15. Your Pleaser Bet succeeds only if both teams manage to surpass their newly adjusted spreads.

Ergo, while Teaser Bets aim to create more favorable point spreads, Pleaser Bets challenge you to predict outcomes that exceed predicted margins. Both options offer adjusted odds that mirror the changes made to the point spreads. Adjusting spreads boosts your winning chances but also reduces potential payouts. Conversely, moving spreads against you heightens both your could-be payout and expected risk.

Variations of Teasers and Pleasers

There are different variants of Teasers and Pleasers. Let's go through some of them to see how they make your wagers even more intriguing.

Teasers and Pleasers

 

Sweetheart

They take adjustments to the next level. These bets allow you to move point spreads a significant number of points, usually 10 or 13 points.

Cross-Sport

With Cross-sport variations, you can combine predictions from different sports in a single Teaser or Pleaser Bet. They broaden the scope of your bets. You can navigate the outcomes of basketball, football, and even baseball games in just one wager.

Multi-Team

They let you include multiple teams or games in your Teaser or Pleaser Bet.

Mixed

They allow you to include both Teaser and Pleaser Bets within a single wager. This hybrid approach lets you strategically adjust point spreads in your favor for some games while accepting higher risks for others.

Open

They provide flexibility even after you must have placed your bet. You can still adjust the point spreads within a specified range until a particular time, often before the first game of your wager begins. The variation will come in handy for anyone with late-breaking insights.

Variations of Ties

Sports betting has fascinating ways to handle tied matches. It brings depth to your betting journey. Let's break them down for you.

Push

A push is when a game's result matches the point spread. Nobody wins in this case. It shows how accurate predictions matter.

Draw

In sports like soccer or hockey, a draw means neither team wins. Betting on a draw might give bigger rewards because it's hard to predict.

Half-Win, Half-Loss

Some sportsbooks offer a half-win or half-loss for ties. Part of your bet wins, the rest is either given back to you or counted as a loss. It's like an insurance against ties.

Alternative Lines

Bookies give alternative lines to avoid ties. While odds change, it guarantees a winner, eliminating the complexities involved in a tie.

Tiebreakers

In sports like tennis or golf, tiebreakers impact bets. Understand tiebreaker rules for accurate predictions.

Overtime and Extra Time

Basketball and soccer use overtime to decide ties. Know overtime rules for your bets. It adds extra uncertainty.

Wong Teasers Explained

Wong Teasers, named after the renowned sports betting author Stanford Wong, offer a unique and strategic approach to Teaser Bets. They focus on exploiting the frequency of key numbers in football point spreads to your advantage.

Key numbers are specific point differences that appear often due to the scoring system in football. These numbers include 3, 4, 6, 7, and 10. Wong Teasers tweak spreads to cover these key numbers, aiming for better odds of success.

I'll tell you how it works. You pick two teams with spreads like -7.5, -8.5, -9.5, or -10.5 points. You then adjust these spreads down by six points each. By moving them across the important key numbers of 3 and 7, you increase your chances of covering these numbers and winning your bet.

A 6-point Wong teaser features favorites with spreads between -7.5 and -8.5 and underdogs with spreads between +1.5 and +2.5. We significantly boost our odds of winning a teaser bet if we can tweak the crucial figures to lie within that range because those numbers decide nearly all matches. Most sportsbooks feature a conventional two-team, 6-point teaser at -110. Thus, the normal 52.4% is what's needed to hit to break even on the typical 10% juice.

Because NFL games frequently fall on these crucial figures, Wong's teasers outperform this percentage. But then, you must win your teaser bets roughly 72.5% of the time in order to make some mints on them. Wong teasers bets have consistently struck above that percentage over the past ten years, with some going reaching as far as 76%. Naturally, this depends on the odds at your disposal.

Let's see what an ideal 6-point Wong teaser on three teams should look like before and after:

 

Spread Before Wong Teaser

Spread After Wong Teaser

Chicago Bears

+2.5

+8.5

Las Vegas Raiders

+1.5

+7.5

Philadelphia Eagles

-8

-2

How Much Do Teasers and Pleasers Pay Out?

Teaser Payouts are influenced by the number of teams in your bet and the adjusted point spread. As you adjust spreads to your advantage, the odds become more favorable. But, the potential payouts decrease. The more teams included and the larger the spread adjustment, the lower the potential payout. Payout calculations consider the adjusted spreads and sportsbook-assigned odds.

Pleaser Payouts work in the opposite way. Adjusting point spreads against you increases risks but also potential payouts. Pleasers reward you handsomely if you successfully predict outcomes with larger victory margins than initially supposed. So, adjusting your Pleasers bet more and including more clubs multiply how much you could earn. Well, the risk involved follows suit and multiplies, too.

Tips & Strategy Advice

You might need some heads up before you try out Teasers and Pleasers. Let's walk you through some valuable tips that can come in handy for you.

  • Analyze team performance, player injuries, historical trends, and so on This information will help you make informed decisions when selecting teams and adjusting spreads.
  • Familiarize yourself with key numbers in football point spreads. These numbers significantly impact the outcomes of Teaser and Pleaser Bets. Adjusting spreads to cover key numbers boost your chances of success.
  • In Teaser Bets, striking the right balance between spread adjustments and potential payout is important. While adjusting spreads enhances your odds, it also reduces the potential payout. Find a balance that goes well with your tolerance for risk and prediction confidence.
  • While moving spreads against you increases potential payouts, it also heightens the risk of losing. Gauge your confidence in predicting outcomes with larger victory margins before making Pleaser selections.
  • Keep an eye on line movements and odds changes as game time approaches.

Summary

Teaser and pleaser parlay bets offer interesting choices for sports bettors. You can adjust the point spread to make parlay wins more likely, which is appealing. Sometimes, it feels like you can't lose.

On the other hand, pleasers make winning parlays much harder. But if you do win a multi-team pleaser, the potential payoff is huge. Both sides have their appeal.

Despite seeming like good options, the math doesn't support playing pleasers and teasers. In reality, they're often not smart bets.

Even though they're seen as not-so-great bets, teasers and pleasers add variety to sports betting. They make parlay bets more exciting and challenging. Plus, many casual bettors like risking a little money for a big win. Teasers and pleasers offer this chance for a big win without much risk. Even if the big win doesn't happen, many gamblers enjoy dreaming about it while the game is on.