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Best NFL Teaser Bets Week 17: Basic Strategy Teasers

by Mike Allen - 12/23/2024

Best NFL teaser bets Week 17 Jonathan Taylor Indianapolis Colts

Do you like to parlay bets in the NFL? It's usually a lot of fun to do… until it isn't. It's always that one game that beats you. I have friends who love to bet on the NFL, and they ask for my advice. I'm honored, and I shoot them some articles and even give my best personal picks for the week of NFL action.

Nine times out of 10, it doesn’t matter. They still do 12 different 9-leg parlays mixed with moneylines, spreads, total, and player props. Then, I get the same message every Sunday evening showing me how they missed out on hundreds of dollars by just one of those legs. It always seems to be just one leg that doesn’t hit. This happens so often that we would rather lose our parlay by two or three legs than only one.

Almost any way you cut it, guys, parlays are not smart bets. Yes, almost. There's a way to use parlays as strong wagers. The type of bet is called a teaser. It may be listed as a teaser card at or in your sportsbook.

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What is a Teaser?

A teaser is a parlay wager where the bettor can manipulate the line in their favor. In return, the sportsbooks lower the payout significantly. There are 4-point teasers up to 12 at some sportsbooks, and you may have seen even higher.

Like any parlay, you can tease as many games as you like. However, with every leg you add, you're just shredding money.

There is a basic strategy you can use to turn an ordinary teaser into one of the best weekly bets of the NFL season.

What is a Basic Strategy Teaser?

The basic strategy is to tease through the key numbers of 3 and 7. More games end with a point differential of 3 than any other, and 7 is the second most common margin of victory in the NFL.

To tease an underdog up, we look for teams with betting odds of (+1.5) to (+2.5). And after giving them no more or less than 6 points, you have underdogs of more than a touchdown of (+7.5) to (+8.5).

Teasing a betting favorite down is just as simple. We look for the inverse, teams with betting odds of (-7.5) to (-8.5), and after the 6, we get them under a field goal at (-1.5) to (-2.5).

Potential Week 17 NFL Teaser Games

Kansas City Chiefs (-2.5) at Pittsburgh Steelers (+2.5) Total: 43.5

In this Christmas Day matchup, we're eying the underdog Pittsburgh Steelers as a potential teaser leg, who're coming off their worst loss of the season right after their worst loss of the season. Playing the Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens over a 6-day span is brutal.

However, Mike Tomlin has no other choice than to get the boys ready to play the Chiefs on Christmas.

We also want to look for games with a low point total, because our 6 points count for more in a game like this as opposed to your typical Lions game with a total at or above 50.

Indianapolis Colts (-7.5) at New York Giants (+7.5) Total: 40.5

You’re giving me another chance to fade the New York Giants. It’s Week 17, and they’re in the driver’s seat for the first pick in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft. We took Atlanta down from (-8.5) last week.

I'm not a fan of Anthony Richardson at all, but Jonathan Taylor ran for more than 200 yards last week. Let's hope he rests well. This game has an even lower total. I love teasing the Colts down in this spot.

Las Vegas Raiders (+1.5) at New Orleans Saints (-1.5) Total: 40

We already have one solid leg and a possible. Even though the total is just 40 points, I want no part of this game.

Carolina Panthers (+8) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-8) Total: 49.5

This is another situation where Tampa has everything to play for while Carolina doesn't. The Bucs won the first meeting but didn't cover. I know this because I picked them to do so. My homework was incomplete, as I learned too late how close Baker Mayfield and Panthers head coach Dave Canales were in Tampa.

Canales was clearly highly influential in Tampa and knows Mayfield quite well, maybe better than any QB in the league.

Green Bay Packers (+1.5) at Minnesota Vikings (-1.5) Total: 48.5

Do I think this one will play out super close? Yes. However, the first meeting was 28-7 in the 2nd quarter. The Packers will also be on a short week as they still have to play the Monday night game.

Week 17 NFL Basic Strategy Teaser Pick

The Colts are the easy pick for the first leg, but the second one is a bit more difficult. This isn't because our options are both weak. I like the Pack and the Steelers to keep it close. Green Bay was able to run the ball effectively in their first meeting with Minnesota when they actually handed it off.

The issue was the early deficit. It's not likely we see something like that again. Maybe the final score's about the same, but this matchup likely plays out quite differently than the first.

Pick: Indianapolis Colts (-1.5) and Green Bay Packers (+7.5)

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