What Does 2 Team Parlay Mean
A parlay is a single sports wager that involves two or more bets combined into one. This can include point spreads, moneylines, totals, futures, or even prop bets, as long as the bets are on different games.
If one of the games on the card pushes, that wager is removed from the parlay. So, in the case of our three team bet above, if the Ravens tied their game, it becomes a two bet parlay. If the Patriots and Texans then win their games, the bet pays out as a 2 team parlay.
The allure of these bets has always been a larger payout than choosing a single team to win. But there’s more gamble to these types of wagers because every “leg” of the parlay needs to not lose in order to win. If one leg loses, the whole parlay loses.
When you hear someone mentioned the term “parlay” in a sports betting discussion, they are referring to a type of bet that involves two or more teams. In order for a parlay bet to be successful. A parlay bet is one of the most popular forms of sports betting. What's great about parlays is that sports bettors can bet on two or more point spreads, OVER/UNDERs or Moneyline Bets, earning a higher payout if all of their picks win as opposed to making a single bet on each one individually. What Is A Parlay Bet? Note: A +260 payout for a two-team parlay at standard -110 odds is standard across all the online sportsbooks we review. Let’s say that you wager $5 on each of the three parlays. If everything goes ideally and all three teams covered, you win $39 in pure profit and receive all three $5 stakes back for a total return of $54.
The flexibility of a parlay bet also makes it attractive to gamblers. You can combine multiple sports into your parlay bet; for example, you can include the Cowboys from the NFL, the Celtics from the NBA and the Coyotes from the NHL into a single bet. If they all win, you win.
Test out the parlay calculator above and compare odds at different sportsbooks to see how it works!
Placing a parlay bet
There are two ways to place a parlay bet and both are quite simple. Bettors can either tell the ticket writer directly which teams and totals they’d like to bet on and how much they’d like to risk on the bet. Filling out a parlay card is the other option for placing this kind of bet. Once the card is filled in, the bettor simply needs to visit the sportsbook desk to place the bet.
Some mobile sports wagering apps offer both types of parlay bets.
Get the best parlay deal at online sportsbooks with Parlay Insurance here:
Winning a parlay
There are two instances when a parlay can be a winning bet. A parlay only wins if none of the sides, totals or moneylines selected is a loser. The parlay can still be a winner if a game is canceled or ends in a tie. The pay schedule will simply more down to the lesser payment. For example, the bettor will win if a baseball parlay for four teams has three winners and one game is canceled because of rain. The bet will only pay based on the schedule for three winners instead of four as originally planned. The bet is a loser if one pick for a parlay is wrong.
Parlay odds
Not all parlay payouts are the same. Sportsbooks may have different odds for the number of teams bet in a parlay. This can be very confusing when looking at online sports that have different odds and payouts for the same parlay. Further, these odds may change at any time so bettors should check with the ticket writer in sportsbook before placing a parlay.
Parlay payouts
Payouts for a parlay are fixed by the time the bet is placed. Even if the lines and odds for an individual game move, the parlay lines and odds won’t change from when the parlay bet was placed. The parlay bet won’t be changed whether the lines change for or against the bettor.
If the lines change for a game, or games, in the favor of the bettor another parlay may be bet with the new line. The original bet cannot be changed and the bet will stand. The good news is that the bettor has two live parlay bets.
Types of parlays
A parlay is a type of sports bet and there are different variations of this kind of wager. The most common types of parlays are Round Robin parlays and Teasers.
Round Robin
A Round Robin bet is placing multiple parlay wagers at once. It’s just that simple. Round Robin bets are just a way to simplify making multiple parlays. When a bettor “Round Robin’s” teams in sports betting it’s similar to a horse bettor “boxing” horses for an exacta or trifecta bet in a race.
The bettor will select anywhere from 3 to 8 teams or totals to be in the Round Robin. They will then choose how many teams or totals they’d like to tie together for the Round Robin. For example, a bettor may select eight teams and totals for a Round Robin and tie the parlays to as many three-team combinations as possible.
The combination of teams will dictate how many different parlays the bettor has. Continuing the example, if a bettor wants to Round Robin eight teams they will have 28 different parlays if they choose two teams. If the bettor chooses to make three-team parlays they will have 56 different parlay tickets.
The ticket will cost the amount chosen for each parlay. If the bettor only has $300 they might choose to Round Robin the teams by two, so they have 28 different parlays for $10 each. The payout for each winning parlay is the same as it would be if the parlay bets were each made individually.
Teaser
A teaser is similar to a traditional parlay where the bettor can select multiple teams or totals. However, there are no moneylines allowed with a teaser. Unlike a parlay, the bettor may move each point spread or total plus or minus a certain number of points. The additional points on the spread or total make these bets easier to win and thus they pay less than a traditional parlay.
Teaser bets can change the point spreads or totals anywhere from six to 10 points. However, each leg of the teaser must use the same number of points. Those legs of the teaser may go in different directions.
- For example, the New England Patriots -7 can be teased down six points to -1. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Browns can be teased up six points from +4 to +10 points.
Much like a traditional parlay, the more teams involved with a teaser the better the payoff. Again, different sportsbooks have different odds and rules so they might have different payouts and teaser options available to bet.
Parlay Cards
The more popular way to bet parlays in casinos today seems to be with a Parlay Card. These are the long narrow cards where bettors fill in the numbered circle of the side or point spread they want to include in their bet. Once the teams and totals are chosen the bettor simply presents the filled in portion on the card to the ticket writer in the sportsbook along with how much they’d like to wager.
Parlay Cards are especially popular during football season. There are many different types of Parlay Cards including a variety of teasers, ties win and reverse teaser cards known as pleasers. These are more popular every year so the mobile sports wagering apps have started to add Parlay Cards for mobile bettors.
Warning
This page is rather dated and limited in scope. I recommend you visit my page on Teaser Bets in the NFL instead.
Introduction
A teaser is similar to a parlay bet in that the player ties multiple wagers together and the cumulative bet wins only if the wagers all win together. Where the teaser differs from the parlay is that the point spread is moved a specified number of points (usually 6 to 7 points) in the player's favor on all picks. The player pays for those points in the form of much lower wins than a parlay bet. For example, a 2-team parlay usually pays 13 to 5, but a 2-team 6-point teaser usually pays 10 to 11. On teasers, each pick is called a 'team.' I always thought this was confusing, because the player can choose over and under bets too. Personally, I prefer to use the term 'pick,' but on this page I use the terms 'pick' and 'team' interchangeably.
As with a parlay, every pick must win in order for the bet to win. In the event one or more events end in a push, then those picks are ignored. For example, if a 4-team teaser results in 3 wins and 1 push, then it would pay as a winning 3-team teaser. In the rare event a teaser is reduced to just one pick, then it usually pushes, because there is no such thing as a one-team teaser. An exception to this is The Greek Internet sports book, which treats any teasers with a losing pick as a loss. Otherwise, don't throw away a teaser bet if the first game loses, because it will still push if every other pick results in a push.
Let's take a look at an example. The image to the side is of a teaser bet I made in 2004. The following would have been the normal point spreads that week:
- Bengals +2.5
- Buccs -8
- Chiefs +2.5
- Colts -8.5
However, because I did a 6-point teaser, all the point spreads moved six points in my favor, to the following:
- Bengals +8.5
- Buccs -2
- Chiefs +8.5
- Colts -2.5
If I covered all four of these spreads, then I would have been paid 3 to 1. Since I made that bet, teaser odds have gone down. The Suncoast now pays only 5 to 2 for a 4-team 6-point teaser, for example. The outcome of the teaser above is I won two and lost two, so the bet lost.
Probability of a Single Pick Winning
A good place to start an analysis of teasers is to find the probability of any given pick winning. I looked at every regular season NFL game between the 2000 and 2011 seasons. Then I cut the results by the number of points given, and whether the pick was on a home team, away team, under, or over. The 'all sides' column is the average of both sides of all games against the spread.
The most common teasers give the player 6, 6.5, or 7 extra points. However, I've seen teaser cards with an unusual number of points given. To be complete, I analyzed everything from a 0 to 14-point teaser, although many of these you will never see.
Teaser Average Probabilities
| Extra Points | All Home | All Away | All Sides | All Under | All Over | All Totals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 85.85% | 85.00% | 85.43% | 83.70% | 87.44% | 85.57% |
| 13.5 | 84.89% | 84.05% | 84.47% | 82.86% | 86.69% | 84.78% |
| 13 | 84.16% | 83.26% | 83.71% | 81.94% | 85.78% | 83.86% |
| 12.5 | 83.15% | 82.49% | 82.82% | 80.87% | 84.85% | 82.86% |
| 12 | 82.43% | 81.77% | 82.10% | 79.92% | 83.73% | 81.83% |
| 11.5 | 81.48% | 80.91% | 81.20% | 78.83% | 82.81% | 80.82% |
| 11 | 80.74% | 80.32% | 80.53% | 78.10% | 82.09% | 80.09% |
| 10.5 | 79.53% | 79.31% | 79.42% | 76.99% | 81.01% | 79.00% |
| 10 | 78.32% | 77.91% | 78.11% | 75.94% | 79.59% | 77.76% |
| 9.5 | 76.82% | 76.61% | 76.71% | 74.92% | 78.39% | 76.66% |
| 9 | 75.88% | 75.70% | 75.79% | 73.73% | 77.39% | 75.56% |
| 8.5 | 74.74% | 74.87% | 74.81% | 72.68% | 76.12% | 74.40% |
| 8 | 73.65% | 73.85% | 73.75% | 71.60% | 74.75% | 73.17% |
| 7.5 | 72.28% | 72.64% | 72.46% | 70.36% | 73.14% | 71.75% |
| 7 | 71.06% | 71.56% | 71.31% | 69.03% | 71.61% | 70.31% |
| 6.5 | 69.67% | 70.03% | 69.85% | 67.71% | 69.88% | 68.79% |
| 6 | 68.09% | 68.48% | 68.28% | 66.24% | 68.18% | 67.21% |
| 5.5 | 66.30% | 66.61% | 66.45% | 65.11% | 66.73% | 65.92% |
| 5 | 64.97% | 65.46% | 65.21% | 63.91% | 65.69% | 64.80% |
| 4.5 | 63.66% | 64.19% | 63.93% | 62.73% | 64.54% | 63.63% |
| 4 | 62.15% | 62.78% | 62.47% | 61.50% | 63.16% | 62.33% |
| 3.5 | 60.31% | 61.16% | 60.73% | 59.86% | 61.53% | 60.69% |
| 3 | 58.95% | 59.69% | 59.32% | 58.53% | 59.80% | 59.17% |
| 2.5 | 57.52% | 58.33% | 57.92% | 57.16% | 58.25% | 57.70% |
| 2 | 56.08% | 57.21% | 56.65% | 55.69% | 56.73% | 56.21% |
| 1.5 | 54.56% | 56.13% | 55.35% | 54.32% | 55.13% | 54.72% |
| 1 | 53.11% | 54.84% | 53.98% | 52.91% | 53.38% | 53.14% |
| 0.5 | 51.47% | 53.17% | 52.32% | 51.46% | 51.71% | 51.58% |
| 0 | 49.13% | 50.87% | 50.00% | 50.03% | 49.97% | 50.00% |
What does the table above tell us? For the common teasers of 6 to 7 points, away teams are slightly better than home. It also shows that overs are slightly better than unders. The most important thing to notice is that teasing sides is significantly better than teasing totals.
The sports book review at my Wizard of Vegas site indicates what all the major sports book families pay on teasers. The next table shows the expected return on 6, 6.5, and 7-point teasers under all known pay tables, for all side and all total teasers.
6-Point Teaser Returns
6-Point Teasers
| Picks | Pays | Sides | Totals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 10 to 11 | -10.99% | -13.77% |
| 2 | 5 to 6 | -14.52% | -17.19% |
| 3 | 9 to 5 | -10.86% | -15.00% |
| 3 | 8 to 5 | -17.23% | -21.07% |
| 3 | 7 to 5 | -23.60% | -27.14% |
| 4 | 3 to 1 | -13.05% | -18.39% |
| 4 | 14 to 5 | -17.40% | -22.47% |
| 4 | 13 to 5 | -21.75% | -26.55% |
| 4 | 5 to 2 | -23.92% | -28.59% |
| 4 | 12 to 5 | -26.09% | -30.63% |
| 4 | 17 to 10 | -41.31% | -44.91% |
| 5 | 5 to 1 | -10.95% | -17.73% |
| 5 | 9 to 2 | -18.37% | -24.58% |
| 5 | 4 to 1 | -25.79% | -31.44% |
| 5 | 3 to 1 | -40.63% | -45.15% |
| 6 | 7 to 1 | -18.92% | -26.28% |
| 6 | 13 to 2 | -23.99% | -30.88% |
| 6 | 6 to 1 | -29.06% | -35.49% |
| 6 | 9 to 2 | -44.26% | -49.31% |
| 7 | 11 to 1 | -16.96% | -25.68% |
| 7 | 10 to 1 | -23.88% | -31.87% |
| 7 | 9 to 1 | -30.80% | -38.06% |
| 7 | 8 to 1 | -37.72% | -44.26% |
| 7 | 7 to 1 | -44.64% | -50.45% |
| 8 | 15 to 1 | -24.40% | -33.40% |
| 8 | 12 to 1 | -38.58% | -45.89% |
| 8 | 10 to 1 | -48.03% | -54.21% |
6.5-Point Teaser Returns
6.5-Point Teasers
| Picks | Pays | Sides | Totals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 5 to 6 | -10.56% | -13.23% |
| 2 | 10 to 13 | -13.69% | -16.27% |
| 2 | 10 to 14 | -16.37% | -18.87% |
| 3 | 8 to 5 | -11.40% | -15.35% |
| 3 | 3 to 2 | -14.81% | -18.60% |
| 3 | 29 to 20 | -16.51% | -20.23% |
| 3 | 7 to 5 | -18.22% | -21.86% |
| 3 | 6 to 5 | -25.03% | -28.37% |
| 4 | 5 to 2 | -16.70% | -21.60% |
| 4 | 12 to 5 | -19.08% | -23.84% |
| 4 | 11 to 5 | -23.84% | -28.32% |
| 4 | 2 to 1 | -28.60% | -32.80% |
| 5 | 4 to 1 | -16.88% | -22.95% |
| 5 | 7 to 2 | -25.19% | -30.66% |
| 6 | 7 to 1 | -7.11% | -15.19% |
| 6 | 6 to 1 | -18.72% | -25.79% |
| 6 | 11 to 2 | -24.52% | -31.10% |
| 6 | 5 to 1 | -30.33% | -36.40% |
| 7 | 9 to 1 | -18.89% | -27.07% |
| 7 | 8 to 1 | -27.01% | -34.36% |
| 8 | 12 to 1 | -26.36% | -34.78% |
| 8 | 10 to 1 | -37.69% | -44.81% |
| 8 | 9 to 1 | -43.35% | -49.83% |
7-Point Teaser Returns
7-Point Teasers
| Picks | Pays | Sides | Totals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 10 to 13 | -10.03% | -12.53% |
| 2 | 5 to 7 | -12.83% | -15.25% |
| 2 | 2 to 3 | -15.25% | -17.60% |
| 3 | 3 to 2 | -9.34% | -13.09% |
| 3 | 7 to 5 | -12.97% | -16.57% |
| 3 | 13 to 10 | -16.60% | -20.04% |
| 3 | 6 to 5 | -20.22% | -23.52% |
| 3 | 1 to 1 | -27.48% | -30.47% |
| 4 | 2 to 1 | -22.42% | -26.67% |
| 4 | 9 to 5 | -27.60% | -31.56% |
| 5 | 7 to 2 | -17.02% | -22.66% |
| 5 | 3 to 1 | -26.24% | -31.25% |
| 5 | 5 to 2 | -35.46% | -39.85% |
| 6 | 5 to 1 | -21.10% | -27.49% |
| 6 | 9 to 2 | -27.68% | -33.53% |
| 6 | 4 to 1 | -34.25% | -39.58% |
| 7 | 8 to 1 | -15.61% | -23.52% |
| 7 | 7 to 1 | -24.98% | -32.02% |
| 7 | 13 to 2 | -29.67% | -36.27% |
| 7 | 6 to 1 | -34.36% | -40.52% |
| 8 | 11 to 1 | -19.76% | -28.30% |
| 8 | 10 to 1 | -26.45% | -34.28% |
| 8 | 9 to 1 | -33.13% | -40.25% |
| 8 | 8 to 1 | -39.82% | -46.23% |
As you can see, teasing random picks results in a very high house edge most of the time. As a rule of thumb, teasers are a sucker bet. However, with some skill you can get the odds in your favor.
Wong Teasers
The two most common margins of victory in the NFL, by far, are 3 and 7 points. My sports betting appendix 2 shows the probability of each margin of victory. Briefly, 15.9% of NFL games are decided by exactly 3 points and 9.6% are decided by 7.
In his outstanding book Sharp Sports Betting, Stanford Wong noted that by crossing the 3- and 7-point margins of victory with a 6-point teaser, the player could have an advantage. However, his book is now somewhat dated, and results since its publication have not been good for what are known as 'Wong teasers.' Let's take a fresh look at them. Again, all the results in this page are based on regular season games from week 1 2000 to week 4 2010.
Wong Teasers
| Bet | Wins | Games | Ratio Wins | Standard Deviation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home underdogs | 90 | 126 | 71.43% | 3.98% |
| Home favorites | 109 | 144 | 75.69% | 3.72% |
| Away underdogs | 124 | 170 | 72.94% | 3.42% |
| Away favorites | 31 | 48 | 64.58% | 6.44% |
| All home | 199 | 270 | 73.70% | 2.72% |
| All away | 155 | 218 | 71.10% | 3.02% |
| All underdogs | 214 | 296 | 72.30% | 2.59% |
| All favorites | 140 | 192 | 72.92% | 3.22% |
| All | 354 | 488 | 72.54% | 2.02% |
The table above shows the probability of a Wong teaser winning ranges from 64.58% to 75.69%. I tend to think this is just random variation and that the overall win rate of 72.54% is the significant statistic. The next table shows the expected return of Wong teasers according to the number of teams and the odds a winning bet pays.
Wong Teaser Expected Return
| Picks | Pays | Expected Return |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 10 to 11 | 0.46% |
| 2 | 5 to 6 | -3.53% |
| 3 | 9 to 5 | 6.88% |
| 3 | 8 to 5 | -0.75% |
| 3 | 7 to 5 | -8.39% |
| 4 | 3 to 1 | 10.76% |
| 4 | 14 to 5 | 5.22% |
| 4 | 13 to 5 | -0.31% |
| 4 | 5 to 2 | -3.08% |
| 4 | 12 to 5 | -5.85% |
| 4 | 17 to 10 | -25.24% |
| 5 | 5 to 1 | 20.52% |
| 5 | 9 to 2 | 10.48% |
| 5 | 4 to 1 | 0.44% |
| 5 | 3 to 1 | -19.65% |
| 6 | 7 to 1 | 16.57% |
| 6 | 13 to 2 | 9.29% |
| 6 | 6 to 1 | 2.00% |
| 6 | 9 to 2 | -19.86% |
| 7 | 11 to 1 | 26.84% |
| 7 | 10 to 1 | 16.27% |
| 7 | 9 to 1 | 5.70% |
| 7 | 8 to 1 | -4.87% |
| 7 | 7 to 1 | -15.44% |
| 8 | 15 to 1 | 22.68% |
| 8 | 12 to 1 | -0.32% |
| 8 | 10 to 1 | -15.65% |
The table above shows the classic 2-team teaser that pays 10 to 11 is barely good any longer, with a player advantage of about half a percent. To have an advantage worth bothering with, you need at least three teams and the premium odds. Here is Nevada, when last I checked in 2010, your best chance at a good Wong Teaser is the 4-team teaser that pays 3 to 1 at Leroy's sports books. You can use my Las Vegas sports book groups page to find which cases have a Leroy's outlet.
Teaser Cards
I have not checked every teaser card out there, but those I have checked I found to be a lousy bet. Consider the Boyd Gaming 'Super Teaser' card, for example. For the Monday Night Football game of October 18, 2010, they had the Titans +5 and the Jaguars +12. Ties always win, and every point spread is an even number, so that is the same as Titans +5.5 and Jaguars +12.5. That is mathematically equivalent to a 9-point teaser. The following table shows the pay table, probability of winning, and expected return for a random picker.
Boyd Super Teaser
| Picks | Pays (for one) | Probability Win | Expected Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 2 | 32.99% | -34.01% |
| 5 | 2.5 | 25.00% | -37.49% |
| 6 | 3.5 | 18.95% | -33.67% |
| 7 | 4.5 | 14.36% | -35.37% |
| 8 | 6 | 10.89% | -34.69% |
| 9 | 7.5 | 8.25% | -38.13% |
| 10 | 9.5 | 6.25% | -40.60% |
| 11 | 12 | 4.74% | -43.14% |
| 12 | 15 | 3.59% | -46.13% |
| 13 | 20 | 2.72% | -45.56% |
| 14 | 25 | 2.06% | -48.43% |
| 15 | 30 | 1.56% | -53.10% |
The upshot of it is that this Super Teaser card is a lousy bet. You might say, what if the player only crossed through key totals. I found that didn't help much. To make things worse, they give the player only 8.5 points on totals, when they should offer more points than for sides, to be fair.
Pre-Season Teasers
Most sports books don't allow teasers on pre-season games. However, if you find one that does, I think Wong teasers would be a strong bet. This is because you find a lot of games with a 1.5 to 2.5 spread, and the games tend to be low scoring, and decided by small margins of victory. I don't have data on pre-season games, so this is anecdotal advice only.- Betting MLB In-depth look at betting professional baseball.
- Betting the NBA In-depth look at betting professional basketball.
- Appendix 1 Comparative study on who has the best lines in Vegas.
- Appendix 2 Various topics in sports betting.
- Appendix 3 List of Las Vegas sports book families.
- Appendix 4 Fair prices to buy and sell points in the NFL.
- Appendix 5 Explores sports futures in greater depth.
- Appendix 6 Lost and expired tickets.
- Appendix 7 Companion to appendix 1, showing NFL money line pairs from several Internet sportbooks.
- Appendix 8 Comparitive study on who has the best lines offshore.
- Appendix 9 Companion to appendix 8, showing NFL money line pairs from offshore sportbooks.
- Total number of kickoffs in Super Bowl 43. Were there 9 or 10?
- Vegas sports book comparison at WizardOfVegas.com. Who offers what odds on parlays and teasers, as well as rebate percentages.