What Is a Teaser Bet? Explained for Beginners

A teaser lets you move the point spread in your favor across multiple games. Learn how teasers work and if they are worth it.

01What Is a Teaser?

A teaser is a parlay where you get to move the point spread in your favor. In football, a standard teaser moves the line 6 points. So if you like the Chiefs -7, a teaser makes them -1. If you like the Broncos +7, a teaser makes them +13.

Like a parlay, all legs must win. A 2-team 6-point teaser typically pays about -110.

02Teaser Strategy: Wong Teasers

The most well-known teaser strategy is the Wong teaser, named after Stanford Wong. It focuses on moving through key numbers (3 and 7) in the NFL.

For example, teasing a -7.5 favorite down to -1.5 crosses both 7 and 3. Teasing a +1.5 underdog up to +7.5 does the same. These are the most valuable teaser legs historically.

03Are Teasers Worth It?

Standard teasers at -110 for 2 teams are generally not profitable long-term because you need to win about 72.4% of teaser legs to break even, which is difficult.

However, Wong teasers that cross key numbers have historically been closer to break-even or slightly profitable. Sportsbooks have adjusted by offering worse teaser odds or restricting Wong legs.

04Teaser Mistakes to Avoid

Do not tease through zero - moving a spread from -3 to +3 crosses zero, which has no value since games cannot end in a tie margin of zero in a meaningful way for teasers.

Avoid teasing totals. Moving a total 6 points is less valuable than moving a spread 6 points because totals are less predictable around key numbers.