As online sports betting continues to grow and develop, so does the range of bet types available to punters. If you’re new to sports betting, you may have started to come across the term teaser bet. You may well be wondering what is a teaser bet as a result and how it can be used in esports betting. You’re in the right place to find out, so read on to discover more!
What is a teaser bet?
Before we go any further, it is probably a good idea to tell you exactly what we mean when we say ‘teaser bet’. A teaser bet is a type of parlay wager. You can find out more about parlay bets and how they work by consulting our betting guides here at EsportsBets.com. A parlay is something that UK bettors would call an ‘accumulator’ or ‘acca’. It is where several selections are tied together on one bet, and each selection needs to be successful for the parlay to be successful.
So how does this work with a teaser bet? With a teaser, the bettor is allowed to alter the odds on the points spread for a game to make them more favourable. Obviously, they don’t get to do this for free! In return for altering the points spread in the bettor’s favour, the bookmaker will reduce the odds on offer to the bettor. As you will know, this will mean lower payouts for winning bets.
Read also: What does acca mean in betting?
Teaser bets explained
To help with our explanation of the teaser bet meaning, here is an example for you to follow. This form of betting is particularly popular in North America, so we’ll use an example from US sports. You’ll need to understand this example if you want to know how to beat the bookies with well-chosen teaser bets.
A teaser bet for American football usually gives you the chance to ‘buy’ six points, and for basketball, it is usually four points. The bettor buys these points in order to give themself a better chance of winning the bet. The ‘price’ of the transaction is a reduction in odds.
How does a teaser bet work?
Our example will use two NFL games so that you can see what happens more easily. This is an entirely fictitious example and is not based on the current or past form of the two teams, it is simply being used to help explain what is a teaser bet. Most teaser bets involve a bet on two games, but they can include up to 10.
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NFL games: Pittsburgh Steelers (-7.5) versus New England Patriots & Miami Dolphins versus Indianapolis Colts (+1.5)
Before betting on these games, you decide that you fancy the Steelers but you’re wary of laying -7.5 against an in-form Patriots outfit. This is where using a teaser bet can help you feel more comfortable. So here, the -7.5 changes to -1.5 as you are ‘buying’ six points off the bookie. Similarly, if you’re not entirely comfortable with the +1.5 handicap on the Colt, you can use a teaser bet to boost the margin to +7.5 points, giving you more of a cushion.
So the actual bets would be: Steelers -1.5 and Colts +7.5.
Tips on putting together a teaser betting strategy
As with any other kind of betting, you need to put some preparation and planning into your teaser betting strategy for it to have the best possible chance of success. The most vital part of planning and preparation is knowledge of the sports on which you are betting. You need to stay as up-to-date as possible with all aspects of your favoured sports or esports games in order to maximise your chances of success.
- Focus on one sport in particular as this minimises distractions and allows you to properly evaluate information
- Try and focus on one league in particular too
- Follow all news sources for your chosen sport from as many sources as possible
- Use social media to pick up extra betting tips from sources such as journalists or current and former players
- Understand how odds work so that you can make wise decisions about factors such as probability and stake size. Use our betting guides to help with this!
- Find a bookie that offers the best odds and markets by consulting articles such as our Thunderpick review here at EsportsBets.
Final remarks
You should now have an answer to the question, ‘What is a teaser bet?’ and know how to work a teaser bet, meaning that you can place one at an online bookmaker. This type of bet is a good way of improving your chances of success, but you do always need to remember that there is a resulting cost in terms of the value of the odds on offer.
Continue reading: How to read betting odds