Some of the most popular types of NFL bets include the classic straight bet, a parlay, a player prop and a game total. However, have you heard of a teaser? It’s like a parlay in the sense that you’re combining 2 teams, but you get to change the spread or total in your favor. At most sportsbooks, a 2-team, 6-point teaser will have odds of -120; if it doesn’t, be sure to shop around for the best price. Let’s get into this week’s best NFL teaser, but make sure you check out our NFL Week 5 picks on the side and total for every game this week.
NFL Teaser Strategies
There is a certain strategy when putting your teaser together. That includes being aware of the key numbers: 3, 6 and 7. Those are the most common winning margins in an NFL game. So, when taking a teaser, you ideally want to be lower than 3 and higher than 7. For example, if a heavy favorite is -8.5 on the spread, I can tease them down 6 points through all 3 key numbers to -2.5. That’s an excellent teaser choice since the team can now win by 3, 6 and 7 and the teaser would win.
On the other side, taking an underdog through those key numbers is also just as valuable. If a team is a +1.5 underdog, you could tease them up 6 points to +7.5, and then that allows them to win or lose by the 3 key numbers and you would still win. There’s also the option to tease game totals in the NFL, but with how quickly and sporadic scores can happen, I tend to stay away from totals and stick to spreads. It can be fun hunting for the best teaser options each week, so let’s get into some of my teaser contenders for Week 5, and then my favorite teaser option for the Sunday.
NFL Week 5 Teaser Options
Last week, I decided to put my faith in the Dolphins and teased them up to +9. I thought there was no way that Miami, one of the most efficient offenses in the league, would lose by double digits. Well, they got exposed as frauds, and my faith in them is gone. However, that did make me realize how dangerous the Bills are. Aside from Week 1, Buffalo has been absolutely incredible. They highlight some of my favorite teaser candidates of the week.
- Bills +0.5 (from -5.5)
- Rams +10.5 (from +4.5)
- 49ers +2.5 (from -3.5)
- Cardinals +9 (from +3)
- Patriots +7 (from +1)
I usually advise not teasing a spread through zero, but I had to include the 49ers this week. Brock Purdy and the Niners have one of the most balanced and effective offenses in football, so there was no way I wasn’t going to include them in this week’s teaser edition — especially since they already have such a low spread. Until San Francisco shows any signs of weakness, they deserve to be big favorites against almost every team.
I briefly discussed why the Bills are my favorite teaser candidate of the week, but the second reason is the fact that all they need to do is win in this teaser leg. It feels similar to Week 3 when I teased Miami’s spread to -0.5 against the Broncos, and we all know how that turned out. Ever since their Week 1 loss to the Jets, Josh Allen and the Bills have won by 28, 34 and 28. So yeah, this teaser leg seems like a steal.
The other three picks are similar in the fact that I’m taking a small underdog and teasing the spread to a touchdown or higher. For the Rams, they have a very good chance of an upset in Week 5. Matthew Stafford has been exceptional so far, and the Eagles’ defense looked horrific against Sam Howell and the Commanders last week. As for the Cardinals… the Bengals are bad. Joe Burrow isn’t healthy, and honestly, I wouldn’t be shocked to see Cincinnati lose outright. Finally, the Patriots and Saints game screams 14-10 to me. I don’t know who’s going to win, but I highly doubt that it will be by more than a touchdown.
Lock in our experts’ NFL best bets this week — we’re 14-8 this season!
NFL Week 5 Teaser Best Bet
Without further ado, here’s my best NFL Week 5 teaser.
Bills +0.5
Rams +10.5
It’s simple — the Bills are very, very good. As mentioned earlier, Buffalo has won their last three games by 28, 34 and 28 points. Last week was a true test for their defense, and the Bills passed with flying colors. Buffalo showed that they are still the team to beat in the AFC East, and now they’ll have to show it across the pond. Sunday’s matchup with the Jaguars takes place in London for the second international game of the season, and although they won’t be in front of their home crowd, Buffalo should still take care of business in a “home” game.
The Eagles are one of two teams that remain undefeated, but unlike the 49ers, Philadelphia hasn’t been blowing their opponents out of the water. Philadelphia’s four wins against the Patriots, Vikings, Buccaneers and Commanders have come by 5, 6, 14 and 3 points. Last week in the Nation’s Capital, the Eagles defense was getting shredded by Sam Howell, and it took until overtime to beat a team they were favored to win against by nearly 9 points. The bottom line is the Eagles are good, but not enough to be 10.5-point favorites, which they are when I tease the Rams’ spread. Los Angeles should be able to keep this a one-score game.
Head over to our NFL picks for our bets on every game this week — we’re up +18 units this season!
