Advertisement

NFL odds, betting: Here's your teaser option for Week 14

NFL teasers have been good to bettors as of late. Week 14 presents some challenges with limited or undesirable options. Here’s how to attack the betting board this week.

As a reminder, here are some general guidelines to follow if you are wagering on NFL teasers to keep risk in check.

  • Stick to six-point teasers (you need to win more consistently to offset the higher price in higher numbers).

  • Keep it to a two-team teaser (the more pieces you add, the greater the risk).

  • Target lower-totaled games (the more points expected, the more variance involved).

  • Tease through the key numbers of three and seven (this approach is at the heart of all proven winning strategies).

Teaser legs to avoid

In Week 14, there are a few 3.5-point spreads. The urge for the betting market is to tease up from 3.5 to 9.5. Long term, this is not the play to make, as you are now adding more variance and risk with a two-team teaser, asking for both teams to cover. Instead, if you like the underdog, play the +3.5 as a solo wager for less risk and at a cheaper price of -110 rather than -120 for a teaser. The current 3.5-point spreads are:

Jaguars +3.5 at Titans, 41

Buccaneers +3.5 at 49ers, 37

Chargers +3.5 vs. Dolphins, 52.5

Current Week 14 teaser-leg options

Vikings +7.5 at Lions, 51.5

Eagles -1.5 at Giants, 44.5

Ravens +8 at Steelers, 36.5

Cardinals +7.5 vs. Patriots, 43.5

Week 14 NFL teaser to bet: Ravens +8/Cardinals +7.5

Tyler Huntley is in at quarterback for Baltimore in place of the injured Lamar Jackson. Huntley is a serviceable backup who's already faced a strong defensive unit in the Denver Broncos last week in a 10-9 win despite throwing an interception. The information we have on Huntley is the 2021 sample size. The three touchdowns to four interceptions does not sound enticing from a betting standpoint, however, Huntley rushed for nearly 300 yards. The mobility factor is beneficial. Plus, in the five losses Huntley was under center last season, the Ravens lost four of those games by a combined seven points. The one blowout was a 41-17 loss to Joe Burrow and the Bengals.

The Steelers are not that. Although Pittsburgh’s offense is improving with Kenny Pickett as quarterback, the defense is still lackluster, allowing 7.6 yards per pass attempt, which ranks 28th in the league. Plus, the Steelers are 30th in opponents' touchdowns allowed and allowing a league-high 12.5 yards per completion. Huntley already has experience against the Steelers, facing them last year in a 16-13 overtime loss. That experience could help this week.

The Arizona Cardinals have not had a game this season with receivers DeAndre Hopkins, Marquise Brown, and Rondale Moore on the field at once. Coming out of a bye, there is a chance all three could be in the lineup with Hopkins and Moore currently questionable. Regardless, the Patriots' defense has struggled against mobile quarterbacks. This season, New England has allowed 107 rushing yards to Lamar Jackson and 82 yards to Justin Fields, both losses. Plus, it allowed the Packers to rush for 200 yards, while also giving up 4.6 yards per carry to RB James Cook last week against the Bills. The Patriots have some holes on defense and with the Cardinals coming out of a bye, it’s a solid opportunity to find some momentum.

Week 14 doesn't present options as strong as previous weeks. Remember that you can pass and wait for Week 15 for a more confident buy.