NFL teaser guide: how teasers work and when they win
A teaser lets you move the point spread in your favor on two or more games in exchange for a lower payout. Done right, it’s one of the few bets with a long track record.
What is a teaser?
A teaser is a parlay where you shift every spread by the same number of points. In a 2-team, 6-point teaser, a team at −7.5 becomes −1.5 and a team at +2.5 becomes +8.5. Both legs have to win. Sportsbooks commonly offer 6, 6.5, 7, 10 and 13 point teasers, with lower payouts the more points you take.
The Wong teaser
Named after author Stanford Wong, this classic strategy only teases lines that cross both key numbers 3 and 7:
- Favorites of −7.5 to −8.5, teased down to −1.5 to −2.5
- Underdogs of +1.5 to +2.5, teased up to +7.5 to +8.5
Source: nflverse game results and closing lines, 1999–2025 regular and postseason games.
What win rate does a teaser need?
| 2-team 6-point teaser price | Whole ticket | Each leg |
|---|---|---|
| −110 | 52.4% | 72.4% |
| −120 | 54.5% | 73.9% |
That’s why Wong legs work and random teasers don’t: moving a −4 favorite to +2 crosses 3 but not 7, so the extra points are worth less than you paid for them.
Bigger teasers: 10 and 13 points
Bigger teasers win individual legs more often but pay less and usually need three or more teams. Sharp Sully’s model tracks every teaser size. Since 2024 its 13-point teaser legs hit 86% of the time across 1,378 legs, with the model rebuilt each week using only games played before that week. Past results don’t guarantee future results.
Teaser traps
- Overtime: about 1 in 16 NFL games (6.1%) goes to OT, where a tight leg can still lose.
- Totals: NFL totals don’t have key numbers as strong as 3 and 7, so teasing totals usually gives up value.
- Bad prices: a 6-point, 2-team teaser at −130 or worse needs each leg above 75%.
Common questions
What is a Wong teaser?
A Wong teaser is a 6-point NFL teaser using only favorites of −7.5 to −8.5 and underdogs of +1.5 to +2.5, so each leg moves through both key numbers 3 and 7.
What percentage do you need to win a 2-team teaser?
At −110 each leg needs to win about 72.4% of the time. At −120 it’s about 73.9%.
Are teasers a good bet?
Most teasers favor the sportsbook. Teasers that cross both 3 and 7 at a fair price have historically been the exception.