Teasers vs Pleasers: What’s the Difference?

Teasers and pleasers are both challenging but potentially lucrative wager types that require bettors to adjust the point spread or total when wagering on multiple games in a single bet, or parlay. The primary difference is that teasers move the spread or total in the bettor’s favor, whereas pleasers move the line in favor of the sportsbook.

If you haven’t already done so, be sure to review our detailed explanation of parlays and teasers. This article focuses primarily on pleasers, which are the riskiest option compared to both teasers and regular parlays.

What Is a Pleaser Bet?

A pleaser is essentially the exact opposite of a teaser. When betting pleasers, you will ‘give’ or ‘sell’ the sportsbook points on a spread or totals line in exchange for a higher potential payout. This means the odds will move in the sportsbook’s favor.

Like all parlays, teasers inextricably tie together the outcome of at least two events. They are only offered on basketball and football at most sportsbooks and are most commonly used to bet on the NFL.

Typically, you have the option of adjusting the spread by 6, 6.5, or 7 points when betting football pleasers (some books allow you to give up to 10 points), and 4, 4.5, or 5 points when betting basketball. The more you move the spreads or total in the bookmaker’s favor, the larger your potential payout becomes. Of course, your risk also increases substantially with each point given away.

You must include a minimum of two picks or ‘legs’ in your teaser, and most sportsbooks will limit you to six. Again, your payout will increase dramatically with each additional leg you take, but please note that your chances of winning decrease exponentially.

Pleasers vs Teasers in Practice

Let’s look at an example of how both teasers and pleasers work in practice. We’ll use the same starting football spreads for both in order to demonstrate how each modifies the original line.

Say the following NFL spreads were available for wagering at your sportsbook of choice:

Note that you can only include one side of each point spread in any type of parlay, including pleasers and teasers. There is no way to win (or lose) a wager you’ve taken both sides of, so you cannot do so to make up two distinct ‘legs’ of your parlay.

As mentioned above, teasers move the spread in the bettor’s favor. If you want to construct a standard 3-team 7-point teaser with the lines above, you end up with the following adjusted spreads:

All three adjusted lines are linked together in a single bet, and all of them need to hit for you to come out a winner. The same is true if you pick these spreads as part of a 3-team 7-point pleaser, but the original lines move seven points in the opposite direction.

Obviously, teasers make it easier to hit every leg compared to standard parlays, while pleasers make it harder. As such, teasers offer a reduced payout compared to standard parlays, while pleasers offer an increased payout.

How Much Do Teasers and Pleasers Pay Out?

Your payout when betting any kind of parlay depends on the number of legs included. The more picks you tie together, the higher your potential reward becomes.

The tables below include typical payouts for all three types of multi bets. These numbers are examples only, as payout terms vary significantly between online sportsbooks and numbers have been rounded. That said, they provide a solid indication of the relative difference in payout between the three wager types and number of legs included.

Typical Parlay Payout Odds (Spreads/Total Not Adjusted)

Typical Teaser Payout Odds (7 Points Purchased/Taken)

Typical Pleaser Payout Odds (7 Points Sold/Given)

Note that payouts for teasers and pleasers are also dependent on the number of points the line is adjusted by. Taking more points decreases your payout when betting teasers, whereas selling more points increases your payout when betting pleasers.

Pleaser Bets Explained: Are They Worth the Risk?

As you can see from the tables above, pleasers offer the opportunity to multiply your stake by an incredibly large factor if you can identify multiple lines that remain winnable despite moving to the bookmaker’s favor.

That said, anyone who’s spent a bit of time betting point spreads will tell you that it’s challenging enough to hit three or more picks even when the lines are not adjusted against you. You’ll be hard-pressed to find an experienced bettor who suggests betting pleasers can be a profitable enterprise over the long run. Most would advise you to avoid them entirely.

If you’re willing to take on the extremely high risk inherent with betting pleasers, make sure you reserve them for special occasions in which you see multiple lines that seem way off.

When You (Might) Want to Bet a Pleaser

Some lines make more sense to please than others. Obviously, any line you feel is off by close to a touchdown is a worthy candidate for inclusion in your pleaser. Once the sportsbook has set a line at +/- 7, they’re indicating one side is a heavy favorite. It might make sense to tease the line even further, assuming you think there’s a good chance the favorite can come up by more than one touchdown.

Spreads of +/- 3.5 are also worth consideration, as they reflect the bookmaker’s feeling that the game is more or less a toss-up. Pleasing a line from +3.5 to -3.5, for example, would be a smart move if you’re confident the team in question will win the game by a touchdown rather than a field goal.

Remember, of course, that you need to identify multiple faulty lines in order to bet a pleaser with any sort of confidence.

Ultimately, we can’t recommend pleasers as a profitable betting strategy.

Looking for More Ways to Bet on Sports?

Pleasers and teasers are only two of many options when it comes to betting on sports. The world of sports betting is full of jargon and numbers, so take the time to understand the details before placing any wagers. SBD’s Betting 101 guides are a great place to start.

For those looking for more sport-specific advice or intermediate and advanced betting strategies, consider exploring our how to bet on sports and sports betting strategy sections.

Our goal is to provide valuable insights and betting advice regardless of your experience level. Please remember to always wager responsibly and enjoy the action out there.