The world of team-based sports betting has several ways to bet on a game, such as money lines, spreads, and totals. However, both of these categories include team wagering. What if you’re not as familiar with the whole team but are really knowledgeable about a particular player?
Sportsbooks offer not only team-based odds but also prop bets available to specific players. Player prop bets are usually available for most major sports, but they may not be available to just any player.
This article clarifies what a player prop bet is and how to place such a bet at a sportsbook.
Table of content:
- What’s a Player Prop Bet?
- Player Prop Bet Examples (Individual Games)
- How To Make a Player Prop Bet?
- How To Place A Teaser Bet
- Example Of A Teaser Bet
- What’s the Teaser Bet Payout?
- How To Place A Teaser Bet At A Sportsbook?
What’s a Player Prop Bet?
A player prop bet is a bet on a certain player’s statistics or a particular outcome. Player props can be bet on a game-by-game basis or as part of a season-long bet.
Player Prop Bet Examples (Individual Games)
Below are some examples of player prop bets that could be found for individual games of each major sport:
- NFL: Kyle Anderson – 2020-21 Regular Season Total Rushing and Receiving Yards (Over 1099.5/Under 1099.5)
- MLB: Who will hit the most regular-season home runs in 2020? (Juan Soto +950, Jacob deGrom +1000…)
- NBA: Who will win the 2020-21 NBA MVP Award? (Al-Farouq Aminu +400, Kyle Anderson+800….
- NHL: How many points will Elias Pettersson score in the regular season in 2020-21? (Over 80.5/Under 80.5)
One major difference between a season-long and single-game player prop bet is the expected returns. For a season-long prop bet such as the one that wins the MVP award, there is a potential for significant returns on your bet considering the number of variables that go into forecasting such a bet. Nevertheless, season-long bets that come in an over/under format normally pay out the same odds as an individual bet.
How To Make a Player Prop Bet?
Follow these steps on a mobile device:
- Sign in to your sportsbooks account
- Go to the sport/game that you want to bet on
- Find the option that says “Player Props” or “More Wagers.”
- Find the player prop you’d like to bet on and select your choice for the correct side of the bet
- Enter your bet amount
- Click the “confirm bet” button
It’s just as easy to make a player prop bet in person at a sportsbook. Take the following steps:
- Get acquainted with the player prop bets available from that specific sportsbook. You can do this by reading any of the betting sheets available to you or using their app on your mobile device when you’re at a sportsbook.
- Walk up to the cashier and tell them the game you want to bet on.
- Tell the cashier that you’d like to place a “player prop bet.”
- Identify the particular prop and the side you want to bet on.
- Tell the cashier your bet amount
- Give the money to the cashier
- Take your betting ticket and keep it in a safe place.
How To Place A Teaser Bet
A teaser bet is identical to a parlay in the context that it takes several games or “legs” to win the bet. However, teasers are different from parlays because you’re not betting on the actual spread. With teasers, punters are given a fixed number of points at which the spread can be changed. Bettors can also change the total game if they want to do so.
Example Of A Teaser Bet
This is an example of a fictitious NFL teaser bet:
Three-team 7-point teaser
- New York Jets -9.5 vs. New England Patriots
- Los Angeles Chargers -5.5 at Kansas City Chiefs
- Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers Over/Under 42
With a seven-point teaser, a punter could change the Jets vs. Patriots line to Jets-2.5 or up to Patriots +16.5. For the second game, a punter could tweak the line so that the Chargers are +1.5 point underdogs or move the Chiefs to +12.5. Bettors could move Bears vs. Packers over/under to Over 35 or Under 49 in the last game.
Let’s say the bettor teaser looks like this: jets-2.5/Chargers +1.5/Bears Over 35. To win the bet, all three bet legs must come true. If you notice, there is a chance for one leg of the bet to “push” the Beats over 35.
Do your research beforehand to see how your sportsbook treats a teaser bet push. Some sportsbooks will still deem this bet a winner as long as the other two legs are profitable, even though they will pay off a fraction of the original bet. However, some sportsbooks would consider pushing a losing bet because they have already offered the bettor points to alter the spread or the total bet.
What’s the Teaser Bet Payout?
Sportsbooks also deliver 6, 6.5, 7, or, in some cases, 10-point teasers for football games. Teasers usually require a minimum of three players, although certain sports teams are permitted to do so.
Sportsbooks can offer 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5, or 6-point teasers for basketball games. Like football teasers, bettors can modify spreads and totals for their basketball teasers.
A teaser bet’s profits depend on how many teams and how many points you use in their teaser. For instance, a five-team 7-point teaser will pay less than a five-team 6-point teaser.
With a simpler example, you can see another major difference between parlays and teasers. A regular two-team parlay (against the spread) can be charged anywhere from +200 (2:1) to +300. (3:1). However, a basic two-team 6-point teaser can have a-110 odds. Therefore, teasers are easier to strike than parlays, but they often yield less.
How To Place A Teaser Bet At A Sportsbook?
Stake a teaser bet online (or a mobile device)
- Sign in to your sportsbooks account
- Find the sport(s) you’d like to bet on.
- Tap on all the spreads or totals that you want to include in your teaser.
- When you head over to your bet slip, your sportsbook will likely have any game you clicked on as one of your individual bets. Instead, find out where the word “teaser” is, and click that
- Use the + or – buttons to change the number of points for the teaser you want.
- Verify that all of your spreads/totals have been changed in the direction you wanted them to go.
- Revisit the odds/potential payout
- If you accept, enter your bet amount and press “confirm the bet.”
How To Place A Teaser Bet At A Sportsbook (In-Person)
- Check to see whether your sportsbook uses “teaser cards.” If yes, fill in your card before walking up to the cashier.
- If a sportsbook does not provide teaser cards, walk up to the cashier and say that you want to make a “teaser bet.”
- Identify all the teams and how many points you would like to use with your teaser.
- Tell the cashier how you want each spread to be adjusted
- Once you are done saying all the “legs” of your teaser, check out the new lines on the screen in front of you.
- If the lines are to your taste, tell the cashier your bet amount.
- Review the odds/potential returns
- If acceptable, give your money to the cashier. Collect your betting slip and keep it in a safe place.
