We’re going to explain how to bet on NBA teasers and offer tips for winning these types of bets. While this type of wager can be a “suckers bet”, there are times when betting NBA teasers makes sense.
Before jumping into NBA teasers betting strategy, let’s look at how teaser bets work.
How to Bet on NBA Teasers
There are several different types of NBA teasers available to bet on.
Regular NBA teasers allow bettors to adjust the point spread or game total by 4, 4.5 or 5 points. You need to have at least two selections on an NBA teaser bet and all selections need to win for the bet to cash.
Some sportsbooks also special NBA teasers. For example, some shops offer basketball super teasers or basketball monster teasers where you can buy more points off a point spread or total. A super teaser will feature three selections and you can adjust the spread or total by eight points (ties lose) at -120 odds.
Here’s an example of an NBA 4.5 point teaser bet:
Example: Raptors -6 adjusted to -1.5 and Knicks +11 adjusted to +15.5
Rather than betting on a parlay with the Raptors at -6 and Knicks at +11, we can bet on a 4.5-point teaser with the Raptors at -1.5 and Knicks at +15.5. With our NBA teaser bet, the Raptors only need to win by two points now and the Knicks can lose by up to 15 points and we’ll still win.
Tips for Betting on NBA Teasers
Here are some tips for betting on NBA teasers that’ll give you the best shot at winning:
Never Cross the Number Zero
Regardless of how many points you’re buying on an NBA teaser, never cross zero. For example, if the Lakers are -2 point spread favorites, you’d never tease them, as you’d be crossing zero.
Avoid Adding NBA Totals to Teasers
You want to avoid adding NBA totals to your teaser bets. Adjusting a total by four or five points isn’t going to make a difference for the majority of games and you’re better off parlaying non-adjusted totals.
Understand Key Numbers in the NBA
Did you know that the most common margin of victory in the NBA is five and seven points? You can use this information to make +EV NBA teaser bets. Crossing the key numbers when betting on NBA teasers will give you an edge. For example, if the Clippers and Spurs are both -7.5 point spread favorites, adding them to a 5-point NBA teaser will adjust the spreads to -2.5, which crosses both key numbers.
Limit the Number of Selections on NBA Teasers
Some sportsbooks will allow you to add up to 15 selections on an NBA teaser, but those are sucker bets. Ideally, you want to keep your NBA teasers to two teams only. The house edge increases as you start to add more selections to your NBA teaser bets and that’s something you want to avoid.
The best NBA teasers are two-teamers where you’re crossing key numbers. Keep this in mind when you bet on basketball teasers and you’ll start to notice your winning percentage will increase.
