As a general rule, sportsbooks want to give you enough flexibility to keep you betting with them. Thus, if you don’t like a line or the odds attached to it, you can often choose to change them.
On this page, we’re covering teasers, pleasers and alternative lines, which give you a chance to place bets on the very same game at different lines and odds.
To clarify those terms, teaser and pleaser parlays offer either reduced or increased odds depending on which way you choose to move the lines involved. Then, alternative lines are exactly what they sound like: modifications of standard game lines that you can bet at different odds.
Keep reading for more on teasers, pleasers and alternative lines, including everything you need to know about these bets. We’ll cover how they work and how you can take advantage of the choices NC sports betting sites offer you.
Alternative lines explained
Simply put, alternative lines, also known as alternate lines, are alternatives to a game’s standard point spread and totals lines at different odds.
Of course, it’s important to remember that sportsbooks set these game lines with stunning accuracy. If a line tells you the Carolina Panthers are three-point favorites over the Atlanta Falcons, chances are that Carolina is going to win the game by a field goal.
Sportsbooks also set game lines trying to draw an equal amount of betting to each side. This is the standard business model for a sportsbook and it allows the book to collect on the vig built into the odds, making a small profit without worrying about the outcome of the bet.
From time to time, these two goals may be at odds, or your research might tell you something different is likely to happen in this game. This is when you might want to think about betting on an alternative line.
Taking advantage of alternative lines
Let’s say the Carolina Panthers are three-point home favorites over the Atlanta Falcons, and both sides of the bet offer the same standard -110 odds. Let’s also say you’ve done your homework, and it tells you Carolina matches up well with Atlanta.
If you think Carolina is more likely to win by a touchdown or more and the oddsmakers have this one wrong, you can take advantage of better odds with an alternative line. For example, you may be able to bet on the Panthers -7.5 at much more attractive +120 odds.
You have to bet $110 to win $100 on Carolina -3, but this alternative line pays $120 for every $100 you bet. Of course, instead of winning when the Panthers win by four or more, you only win the alternative line bet when Carolina wins by eight or more.
This is when it’s important to keep in mind that sportsbooks are usually right when they set the original line. You can bet on alternative lines and get better odds, but you should probably only do it when your research screams that oddsmakers have this one wrong. If you just go toy with the spread willy-nilly, chances are you’ll get burned.
Betting the other alternative
Of course, there is another side to alternative lines. Once again, let’s say the Carolina Panthers are three-point home favorites over the Atlanta Falcons at -110 odds on both sides, and your research tells you this line is spot on.
You may be able to bet on the Falcons +7 at less attractive -125 odds. You have to bet $110 to win $100 on Atlanta +3, but with this alternative line, you have to bet $125 to win $100. Yes, the odds are worse, but that’s because, theoretically, you stand a better chance of winning the bet.
Instead of winning when the Falcons win or lose by two or fewer, you win the alternative line bet when the Falcons win, or lose by six or fewer. That’s a bigger cushion for you, and while it won’t guarantee a win, you accept the worse odds because you think that a bigger cushion improves your chances of winning.
We all love the Panthers, but you must bet on sports with your brain, not your heart. Alternative lines actually allow you to back the oddsmakers’ accuracy by betting on the other side. Plus, it’s not exactly betting against the Panthers. It’s just betting that Carolina won’t cover a larger spread than oddsmakers originally set.
Teaser bets explained
Teasers are alternative lines of a different sort. Teaser sports betting lets you change spreads or totals on different legs in a parlay. You can move the line up or down anywhere from four or six points in a basketball game and six to 10 points in football. However, every leg in your teaser must be moved by the same number.
In theory, when you give an underdog more points or allow a favorite to give away fewer points, you stand a better chance of winning your bet. That makes the teaser easier to win, and because of that, teaser bets pay less than traditional parlays.
Betting teasers
You might be able to put together a three-team NFL parlay that includes Carolina -3, LA Rams -7 and Miami +4.5. Typically, a parlay like this would pay out at +590 odds, which means a $100 bet would return a total of $690 if all three teams cover the spread.
Teasing the bet changes the lines. If you choose a seven-point teaser, the lines would change to Carolina +4, LA Rams even-money and Miami +11.5. In theory, you’re now a bigger favorite in all three games, as you’re now getting points on Carolina, giving away points on the Rams, and getting even more points on the Dolphins.
The trade-off is this bet now pays out at +130 odds, which means a $100 bet would return a total of just $130 if all three teams cover the spread.
Ultimately, teaser bets pay less because you stand a better chance of winning with the improved lines. However, it’s important to remember that parlays are inherently harder to win than other bets because you must string together winners. Plus, you have to consider how much worse the odds are compared to the difficulty of winning.
These +130 odds are nowhere near the true odds of winning this parlay, even with the advantage the new lines give you. The dip in odds can make a teaser a bit of a sucker bet, so it should only be placed when you see the movement in the lines giving you a clear advantage.
Pleaser bets explained
Finally, pleasers are just teasers that move the line in the opposite direction. Instead of giving the underdog more points or allowing the favorite to give away fewer points, you take away points from the underdogs and force the favorites to cover even larger spreads.
That makes pleasers harder to win. Therefore, pleaser bets pay more than the traditional parlay or a teaser.
Betting pleasers
Once again, you might be able to put together that three-team NFL parlay that includes Carolina -3, LA Rams -7 and Miami +4.5. Typically, this parlay would pay +590 odds.
Pleasing the bet changes the line. If you choose a seven-point pleaser, the lines would change to Carolina -10, LA Rams -14 and Miami -2.5. In theory, you’re now a much bigger underdog in all three games. After all, you’re giving up substantially more points on Carolina and LA, and giving away points on Miami instead of taking.
The trade-off is this bet now pays out at +2500 odds, which means a $100 bet would return $2,500 in profit if all three teams cover their more difficult spreads. These +2500 odds move the needle much closer to the true odds of winning this parlay, but it makes the parlay significantly harder to win.
As a result, pleasers are bets that should really only be placed when you figure the movement in the lines doesn’t eliminate your advantage. In other words, if your research tells you the teams are much bigger favorites to cover than oddsmakers are giving them credit for, you can proceed with a pleaser.
Parlay, teaser and pleaser odds
Payouts on teasers and pleasers depend on the number of points the lines are changed and the number of legs involved. Take more points, and you get paid less. Give away more points, and you get paid more. Plus, the more legs involved, the better the potential payout.
Here’s a chart showing you some typical parlay, teaser and pleaser odds, so you can clearly see the differences:
| Parlay, Teaser and Pleaser Odds | Standard Parlay | +7 Teaser | -7 Pleaser |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two Legs | +260 | -110 | +800 |
| Three Legs | +590 | +130 | +2500 |
| Four Legs | +1230 | +210 | +6000 |
| Five Legs | +2440 | +320 | +15000 |
| Six Legs | +4740 | +450 | +45000 |
| Seven Legs | +9140 | +600 | +70000 |
| Eight Legs | +17540 | +650 | +100000 |
Totals alternatives
All of the examples of alternative lines on this page use point spread bets. However, if there’s a line, sportsbooks are probably offering an alternative. That means there are alternative totals at different odds. Plus, you can use totals lines in your teasers and pleasers.
With totals, you’re betting on the total combined score in a game landing over or under the line set by sportsbooks. Teasers, pleasers and alternative lines work the same way as they do with point spreads, except you’re moving or betting on a different total instead.
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