College Football Teasers

One of the most popular college football gambling alternatives is known as teasers. A teaser is similar to a parlay with an exciting and enticing twist. The betting line is adjusted anywhere from 3 to 13 points on a teaser, depending on the sportsbook. The most common teasers are 6, 6.5, or 7 points. Gamblers love teasers because it gives them extra cushion on the side or total price. However, like parlays, teasers are challenging to win. Further, those enhanced betting lines often give gamblers a false sense of security, making them less judicious on getting the right price. Today we will examine the basics of teasers and how to play them best.

Teaser Lines

Teaser lines are most commonly offered in the form of 6, 6.5, or 7 points. Some sportsbooks will additionally offer teaser lines of 10 or even 13 points.
For our example today, we’ll use the December 5, 2020 matchup of the Tennessee Volunteers and Florida Gators. Tennessee was an 18.5-point home dog on the regular pointspread line.

As an 18.5-point home pup, Tennessee would instead be a 24.5-point dog on a six-point teaser, a 25-point dog on a 6.5-point teaser, or a 25.5-point dog on a 7-point teaser. Conversely, the Florida Gators would be favored by 12.5-points on a 6-point teaser, 12-points on a 6.5-point teaser, or 11.5-points on a 7-point teaser.

Florida beat Tennessee in this game by a score of 31-19, a 12-point margin of victory with the regular betting line. On a 6-point teaser, the Volunteers would be a loser as their winning margin was not enough to cover the 12.5-point teaser spread. On a 6.5-point teaser, the game would be a push on the teaser board. But on the 7-point teaser, the Gators would win the bet coming in just under the wire.

Keep in mind that the more points you tease, the lesser the payback rate on a win.

Teaser Payout Structure

The payout structure for teasers is about the same at any online sportsbook that you use.

For a two-team, 6-point teaser, you can expect to lay $110 to win $100. On a three-teamer, the winning odds increase to $160 for a $100 bet. Subsequently, a four-team teaser pays +260, a five teamer pays +420, a six teamer pays +600, and a seven team teaser pays +1000.

On a 6.5-point teaser, the paybacks are somewhat different. A two teamer pays -120, three teamer +150, four teamer +240, Five teamer +375, six teamer +550, and a seven teamer +900.

And then a 7-point teaser goes -130 for a two teamer, +135 for a three teamer, +200 for a four teamer, +350 for a five teamer, +475 for a six teamer, and +800 for a seven teamer.

Of course, you can tease both sides and totals. And you can merge those two types of teaser bets too. Also, an exciting way to play teasers is with different sports. For example, you can build a combined teaser bet using college football, NFL, NBA, and or college basketball sides and totals.

Be Realistic With Teasers

At first glance, a teaser bet looks easier to win than a regular pointspread or total. And in many cases, that is so. But don’t you think the sportsbooks factor that math into the payback price? That is precisely why the payback on a teaser bet is less than the case for a regular parlay. The reality is that you pay for those extra points upfront with less payback on wins.

Causal bettors, known as squares, often get carried away with teasers, mistakenly thinking that it’s a road to riches. If you bet on college football, you’ll quickly realize that nothing is easy. And that there is a tradeoff for any bet you make. Sportsbooks are open and business to make money. Anything that oddsmakers offer has a price on it. And the math is always factored to favor the house. Online sportsbooks don’t offer teasers because they are easy to win. They offer teaser bets to make a profit off of them.

Be Selective With Your Teasers

There are times when professional gamblers and syndicates, known as wise guys and sharps, will play teasers. When they do, they are very selective. As they say in poker, the fewer bets you make, the more you win.