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Best NFL Teaser Bets Week 17: Basic Strategy Teasers

by Mike Allen - 12/27/2023

Best teaser bets Week 17 Jordan Love Green Bay Packers

As we enter Week 17 of the 2023 NFL regular season, you may have fallen victim to the parlay fairy. Whether you leave a tooth under your pillow or not, she steals what little profit you did make, and you wake up with more space in your wallet.

The parlays are fun to think about, and they are fun to play…until they aren't. All of you probably have at least that one friend who posts a winning parlay ticket for some super sexy 8.5-1 odds. You probably already know this, but he isn't posting the losing tickets.

Why am I nagging you about your failed parlay? I understand that you have suffered enough. We all have. You probably only lost by a point or two in your last parlay. I bet.

If only there were a way to play a parlay but give yourself a cushion, I'm sure most of you would go along with the tax we would have to pay for the favor.

We actually can do this, and it's called a teaser.

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What is a Teaser?

A teaser bet is a type of parlay where the bettor can manipulate the betting line, whether it be the point spread, point total, or both. That, of course, comes at a cost, and the payout is lowered.

How much? Well, it depends on how many points you are giving your team or the point total. You can do teasers as small as 4 points and take them up to more than 10 points in some sportsbooks.

You certainly have plenty of options, and most everything looks appetizing now that you are giving your side a bunch of points.

There is a basic strategy that the sharpest pros use for teasers.

What is a Basic Strategy Teaser?

A basic strategy teaser is only for NFL games. This is because the point totals are lower, and thus the points you give to your side of the spread are worth more.

Also, only use 6-point teasers, and yup, you guessed it, keep your teasers to only 2 legs, as well.

From there, we look at the weekly schedule and live betting odds and search for betting underdogs of (+1.5) to (+2.5) and betting favorites of (-7.5) to (-8.5).

To tease the underdogs up, we give them 6 points and most importantly pass through the key numbers of 3 and 7 in the process. Now, we have underdogs of (+7.5) to (+8.5).

After we tease our betting favorite down, we will have them at only (-1.5) to (-2.5), and again, we are moving through those key numbers of 3 and 7.

The key numbers of 3 and 7 are important because more games end with a point differential of 3 points than any other, and the 7-point margin of victory is the second most common.

The basic strategy allows us to move through those key numbers when we are teasing an underdog up, as well as when we want to tease the betting favorite down.

Potential NFL Week 17 Teaser Games

Green Bay Packers (+2.5) vs Minnesota Vikings (-2.5)

In this first game, we are looking at potentially teasing the Green Bay Packers up to betting favorites of (+8.5). That is a huge number for a division game against a team on their 4th starting quarterback in their past 8 games.

I have heard plenty of sharp minds who are picking the Packers to win this game outright. If we can find another solid leg, we may have our Week 17 teaser.

New York Jets (+7.5) vs Cleveland Browns (-7.5)

Our only other option this week is the Thursday Night Football game between the New York Jets and the Cleveland Browns. The game will be played in the great football state of Ohio, out in the cold, where that defense thrives.

Cleveland has had quite the resurgence, as of late, ever since calling up Joe Flacco from the depths of retirement. He has been nothing short of outstanding, especially considering his long, slow fall from grace in his NFL career.

On the other side, the Jets are out of playoff contention. How are they going to come out in a Week 17 matchup against a physical team on the road?

I have a great deal of confidence in Robert Salah's team playing hard for him, and there will be some bragging rights on the line this week for possibly the best defense in the AFC. You have to understand that maybe these two teams have been gashed before. That is understandable considering all the different backup quarterbacks they have had to play.

Here, we would be teasing the Browns down to favorites of just (-1.5). I believe they can win by a field goal. They have a veteran under center, a Coach of the Year candidate on the sidelines, and potentially the No. 1 pass rusher in the league about to terrorize whoever is under center for the Jets.

NFL Week 17 Teaser Prediction

Cleveland Browns (-1.5) and Green Bay Packers (+8.5): -120

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