We've officially made it to Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season, and we can't wait to dive into the loaded slate starting on Thursday night. Before we get to the action, though, let's file in the classroom and go through an important lesson about one of our favorite NFL betting strategies: Six-point teasers. 

Teasers can be extremely valuable if done the right way, but what exactly is the right way? Let's break down what makes a valuable teaser leg and go over the grave mistakes bettors make when cooking up their six-pointers. 

Tuesday Teaser primer

Golden rules for NFL teasers

1. Always tease through key numbers
The most important rule when it comes to six-point teasers is to move lines through as many key numbers as possible. In the NFL, three and seven are the most valuable because that's where most winning margins settle. Six, 10, 13 and 14 are also key numbers in football, but they don't land as often as three and seven.

For example, teasing a team from +14 to +20 might sound like a good idea, but the only key number you're crossing is 17, and that margin doesn't land very often in the NFL. But if you tease a team from +2.5 to +8.5, you're crossing the two most valuable key numbers in three and seven. That teaser leg is inherently more valuable than a leg that crosses only one key number because the game is much more likely to land in that zone. 

2. Target spreads in games with low totals
When cooking up a six-point teaser, you want to target games with the least volatility possible. Let's illustrate that with a quick exercise.

Game 1 - The Miami Dolphins are +2.5 against the Philadelphia Eagles with a total of 56.

Game 2 - The Cleveland Browns are +2.5 against the Baltimore Ravens with a total of 38.

Which underdog is the better teaser leg? Easy, it's the Browns. A game with two explosive offenses and a high total presents a wider range of outcomes and more blowout potential for the favorite, making the underdog a more vulnerable teaser leg. But a low-scoring, defensive game makes the underdog much more valuable because it's harder for the favorite to separate on the scoreboard. 

Let the betting market guide your selections. 

3. NEVER tease totals
NFL spreads will always be more efficient than totals, so the final score is more likely to finish closer to the closing spread than the closing over/under. Remember, we want to avoid as much volatility as possible, so teasing totals is never a good idea. 

4. NEVER tease through zero
Teasers are all about moving the line through key numbers, and zero is the least key number of all. By teasing a team from -3 to +3, you're sucking out all the value of a six-point teaser by moving through a margin that will land maybe once all season. 

Week 1 teaser candidates

We don't love the idea of loading up on teasers in Week 1 because of — you guessed it — the volatility of the unknown. Week 1 spreads aren't as efficient as Week 10 spreads because sportsbooks are mostly guessing how these teams are going to look. Take it easy with teasers this weekend and gradually increase your volume as the season goes on and we learn more about every team. 

If you're going to target some teasers in Week 1, here are a few we like:

New York Giants +1.5 ---> +7.5
Carolina Panthers +4 ---> +10
Dallas Cowboys +2.5 ---> +8.5

In the news ...

Georgia, Notre Dame, Miami impress, while Florida State, LSU flop in Week 1 — The 2024 college football season is officially underway, and some clear winners emerged from a busy Week 1. Georgia established itself as the No. 1 team in the country by dismantling Clemson, 34-3. Notre Dame and Miami went into hostile environments and came away with impressive victories against Texas A&M and Florida, respectively. All three teams look like playoff contenders early on. As for the losers, Florida State is off to a dreadful start after losing to Georgia Tech in Week 0 and getting crushed by Boston College at home on Monday night. LSU lost a winnable game against USC, while Michigan, Oregon and North Carolina State looked rusty against inferior teams. After Week 1, Georgia is holding strong as the +270 favorite to win it all.

Trent Williams finalizing deal with 49ers, will end holdout — The San Francisco 49ers were in danger of missing three All-Pro-caliber players on offense for their Week 1 bout against the New York Jets, but it looks as if all three will suit up on Monday night. Brandon Aiyuk agreed to a four-year, $120 million contract extension last week, Christian McCaffrey is expected to return to practice on Tuesday and now Williams is reportedly close to finalizing a new deal and ending his prolonged holdout. The 49ers are holding steady as four-point favorites against the Jets. 

Shohei Ohtani inches closer to historic 50-50 season — No MLB player has ever recorded 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season, but Ohtani has his eyes set on history. The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar swiped three bases against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday to reach 44 homers and 46 stolen bases on the season. He still has 24 games left to become the first player in league history to reach the 50-50 mark. Ohtani has already locked up the NL MVP award, as he's a -6000 favorite to win.

Today's Bark Bets is written by Jack Dougherty