Super Bowl XLIX ended with a dramatic goal-line interception, which saved the New England Patriots from suffering another last-second heartbreaker during the big game. The turnover also saved millions of teasers across the nation and scooped every combination a bettor could have wagered on: Seattle plus the points, New England plus the points and both totals lines all fell into the range of a standard six-point teaser.

In general, teasers can be a tricky proposition to wager on and if not done correctly will fall into the territory of a "sucker bet". Overall, six-point basic strategy teasers perform well for NFL games and are really the only teasers that Doc's Sports recommends. However, since the season is over, let's take a closer look at teasers in general, figure out if they have value in other sports and recap basic strategy teaser betting.

What is a teaser?

Teasers are an interesting wager that most bettors become obsessed with at one point or another during their gambling career. A teaser is a combination wager, similar to a parlay, which allows you to move spreads in any direction that you want. The bet can be used with two to eight teams and can range from four to 13 points (the point structure is different for football and basketball). And on top of all that, a teaser usually gets a positive payout similar to a parlay.

What is the best NFL teaser to use?

An NFL teaser can be a real shot in the dark, particularly if you are using five-team, seven-point bets. Yes, you get a positive payout, and, yes, you can move the spread by seven whole points. The trouble is that each leg of your wager must win in order for the entire teaser to win, and one loss will kill your entire bet. If you have been a sports gambler for any length of time, then you probably know that picking one winner is hard enough, let alone five.

For NFL games, the best teaser to use is a six-point, two-team basic strategy teaser. The bet usually pays out at a -110 rate but is the strongest teaser to make because it takes advantage of NFL key numbers, or the most common margins of victory in a football game. NFL games will end up with a final score of three or seven points nearly 23 percent of the time. A basic strategy teaser will take favorites of 7.5 to 8.5 points and move them down under the three-point range and underdogs of 1.5 to 2.5 points and move them up past the seven-point range.

Should I use a teaser on NBA games?

Teasers are not as powerful in NBA games simply because there are so many scores over the course of a 48-minute contest. If an NBA game has a total of 200 points scored, adding four extra points on a teaser would only account for two percent of the final score, where as during an NFL game, which generally have scores in the 40- to 50-point range, a six-point teaser could account for 12 percent or more of the final score.

The best way to use an NBA teaser would be to wager on a two-team, four-point teaser (basketball teasers begin at four points). Unfortunately, basketball games to not have a powerful anchor as NFL key numbers because of the fasted-paced nature of the game. However, the number seven does act as a bit of an anchor because teams generally stop fouling when they are down by three scores or in the seven-point rage.

Teasing three- and four-point underdogs up to seven or eight points and taking eight- or nine-point favorites down to past the seven-point mark might be the best way to go. Just remember that going crazy on multi-team teasers is more of a gamble than a smart, calculated bet. Doc's Sports recommends staying away from NBA teasers, but if you must wager on them, use a small teaser with only two teams.

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