An NFL parlay is a series of connected bets that must all win for the bet to pay out. You can put as few as two teams together in your combo bet teams in this case refers to both spreads and totals, as well as moneylines, props and futures where available. Nov 13, 2020 Bet $1 on ANY TEAM’S money line Sunday, WIN $100 (in free bets) if ANY team scores a touchdown during Sunday’s NFL action. Place your legal, online sports bets in CO, IN, NJ, TN and WV at BetMGM, The King of Sportsbooks! New customer offer, terms and conditions apply. NFL Week 10 parlay picks and predictions. Parlay Calculator. A parlay is a single bet that links together two or more individual wagers for a high payout. A 2 team parlay might pay 13/5, a three team parlay might pay 6/1, a four team parlay might pay 10/1, and so forth with the payouts getting higher with more teams or totals selected. For a single bet, 2 to 8 teams or totals can be selected.

While single-game wagering is the backbone of many sports betting strategies, there are times when bettors want a little more bang for their buck. After all, who doesn’t like the chance to earn exceptional returns on a small outlay?

Parlay betting is one of the ways that bettors can make that dream a reality. While not easy to hit, the returns can be outstanding. As such, parlay betting is extremely popular, especially with recreational bettors and those looking to build bankroll.

A parlay bet is a wager that includes multiple wagers on a single ticket. The ticket can include as few as two games all the way up to 10+, depending on the rules at the sportsbook you are placing your wagers at.

In order for these bets to be graded as winners, each of the wagers – or legs – on the ticket must be correct. So if you bet a four-team parlay and are only right on three of the games, you’re out of luck.

That’s the basics behind parlay betting, but there’s a lot more you need to know. We’re going to cover all of that right here.

What is Parlay Betting?

For a parlay bet, you’re combining multiple wagers on a single betting ticket. The more bets that are added to the ticket, the higher the potential return becomes. However, the odds of hitting all legs on the ticket rise with each addition.

As such, parlay bets are a high-risk, high-reward wager type. That doesn’t limit the appeal in the slightest, as parlays are among the most popular bets at legal and regulated sportsbooks. While challenging to hit regularly, the possibility of exceptional returns is quite the enticement.

A parlay bet can be placed on as few as two games. Sportsbook rules vary, but operators typically cap the number of games that can be placed on a single wager. It’s generally 10 or more before that applies, but consult the sportsbook where you plan to place your bet for specifics.

In order for the wager to be graded a winner, you need to be right about all legs. If you place a two-game point spread parlay and are only right on one of them, the ticket is a loser. The same applies if you wager on four totals on the same ticket and are only correct on three: the bet will be graded as a loss.

Parlay bets can be equal parts challenging and fun. They can be a welcome addition to the sports betting arsenal, but the chances of loss are high. As a result, many long-term sports bettors allocate a small portion of their bankroll for parlay and exotic wagers while using the bulk of their funds for bet types they deem to be more predictable.

Parlay Betting Examples

To fully understand how parlay bets work, it’s helpful to walk through a few different scenarios involving varying numbers of legs. Let’s begin by taking a look at a simple two-team moneyline parlay.

After examining a slate worth of NHL games, you find two contests to be particularly attractive. You handicap the two of them and come away with a clear choice on the winner of both of them.

• Boston Bruins -135
• Toronto Maple Leafs +115

Since you’re confident on both, you decide to add both games to a single parlay ticket. You’ll see the betting odds for the parlay wager on your ticket, but here’s how it works out and what you can expect the return to be on a standard one-unit wager if you’re correct.

• Odds of -135 and +115 equal total parlay odds of +274
• A $100 wager at odds of +274 equals potential return of $374.25 – the original wager plus a profit of $274.25.

That’s an excellent return if you’re correct in both cases, but the bet will be a loser if you’re only right on one of them.

Next, let’s take a look at a three-team point spread parlay. You find three games on the NFL docket that you really like and decide to tie them all together.

• Cleveland Browns +1.5 (-105)
• New England Patriots -3.5 (-115)
• Dallas Cowboys -8 (-110)
• Odds of -105, -115, and -110 equal total parlay odds of +597
• A $100 wager at odds of +597 equals potential return of $696.86 – the original stake plus a profit of $596.86.

As you can see, the potential returns rise quickly as more legs are added to the ticket. For our final example, let’s say you like four different totals on a slate of NBA games. You decide to go for the gusto and tie them all together on a single slip.

• Over 205.5 (-110)
• Under 199.5 (-105)
• Over 212.5 (-115)
• Under 208.5 (-110)
• Odds of -110, -105, -115, and -110 equal total parlay odds of +1230
• A $100 wager at odds of +1230 equals potential return of $1,330.38 – the original stake plus a profit of $1,230.38.

Astronomical returns such as those in the example make it pretty easy to see the appeal of parlay bets. Even if you drop your stake down to small levels, you’re still looking at really nice returns.

• $5 four-team parlay at odds of +1230 offers total potential return of $66.52.
• $10 four-team parlay at odds of +1230 offers total potential return of $133.04.
• $20 four-team parlay at odds of +1230 offers total potential return of $266.08.

And so on. The lure of outstanding returns makes parlay bets one of the most popular choices on the sports betting menu. As always, it’s important to manage your risk and be aware of the potential for losses.

Parlay Betting Odds and Line Moves

For each slate of games on the docket, oddsmakers release what are known as opening lines. In sports such as NBA, MLB, NHL, and College Basketball, lines will definitely be out the morning of the day of the games, but you can get a sneak peek the night before in some spots.

When it comes to weekly slates such as in the NFL or College Football, odds begin trickling in as the final games of the preceding week wind down and all will be released once everything is in the books for the schedule at hand.

After opening odds and spreads are released, the betting market gets its chance to weigh in. If a lot of action comes in one one side as opposed to the other, the lines can be adjusted by oddsmakers in a bid to even out the action more to their liking.

In addition, news that comes to the forefront after lines are released can lead to an adjustment. It has to be something significant to move the needle, such as an injury to a star player or a major trade, but this can also impact movement from release to game time.

Each of these shifts will have an impact on the odds for parlay wagers as well. For example, if one of the listed games opens at odds of -110 and then sees a significant amount of action, one side can be adjusted to -115 while the other is moved to -105.

The goal of oddsmakers is to make the side that they need additional action on even more appealing to bettors. For those who wager on games, it’s important to take into consideration the movement from release onward as it gives you a glimpse into public sentiment.

One other note to consider on line moves: odds and spreads can have a few ticks of difference between books. As such, it’s a good idea to engage in what’s known as line shopping – i.e. comparing the prices offered at different marketplaces.

If you find more appealing odds at one book over another, there’s nothing to stop you from taking your action to the place with the better prices for a slate of games.

How to Handicap Parlay Bets

Normal handicapping rules apply for parlay betting. You’ll want to treat each leg of the ticket as its own event and break it down accordingly.

To break down games, you can begin with a simple five-step process and work your way out from there.

• Study the odds and any line moves
• Consider the overall strength of the two teams
• Factor in home/away performance as applicable
• Examine stats that really move the needle
• Review recent play for both sides

You can get more in-depth as time permits or as your experience grows, or you can also choose to keep it really simple. The choice is completely yours. There are bettors who have success with simple systems, some who kill it with an advanced approach, and plenty of others in the middle who find a balance that works best for their approach.

When handicapping parlays specifically, it can help to focus on the games you are most confident about. It’s tough hitting multi-team tickets, so it makes sense to only include those that you rate highly as legs on the parlay.

However, there are alternative approaches that can be taken. For example, let’s say you identify a pair of underdogs on a slate of College Basketball games that you like to win outright. A parlay with both of them could provide some serious bang for the buck.

Consider the return possibilities for two underdogs on the same ticket with the following odds.

• Odds of +110 and +145 equal parlay odds of +415.
• Potential return on a $100 wager equals $514.50 – the $100 original bet plus a return of $414.50.

A hybrid approach with elements of both strategies – most confident and underdogs you like – makes sense as well. In the end, it all comes down to what makes the most sense for your overall strategy and bankroll management.

How to Place a Parlay Bet

Nfl Parlay Bets Online For Real Money

Legal and regulated online and mobile sportsbook operators make it very simple to build a parlay ticket. When you find the choices you like, clicking on them will typically bring up a new window. Included among the options is something along the lines of ‘add to betslip.’

Click on that choice and continue adding wagers until the parlay is built out with all of the legs you want to include. You can focus your parlays on moneylines, spreads or totals, or you can mix it up a bit.

The same applies for sports as you can do a parlay which includes games from different leagues, such as one NBA spread, one NHL moneyline, and one College Basketball total.

Please note that you can’t include two choices from the same fame on one ticket – i.e. spread and total. However, if you click on prop wagers for the game at hand, there will generally be ‘in-game’ parlay options to explore such as side and total or spread and total.

Once you have all of the legs added, it’s just a matter of entering your stake. You’ll be able to see the potential return based on the parlay odds right away. You can then adjust the amount of the wager as needed or click submit if you’re comfortable with what you see.

Before clicking on submit, it’s always a good idea to review all of the legs you have included. This little step can help prevent mistakes, which can happen pretty easily when building out a multi-team ticket.

Odds of winning a parlay bet

So you can easily figure out the potential return on a parlay bet by adding legs to a betting slip, but what are the actual odds of hitting a parlay?

The answer to that question depends upon the amount of games you have added to the ticket. For each choice that’s included on the slip, the chances of being correct on all of them go down.

That’s partially why you see such astronomical returns on big parlay tickets as the chances of it actually happening aren’t great. However, don’t take that to mean that it can’t be done. It certainly can, just don’t count on it being a regular occurence.

After all, if it was that easy to hit 10-team parlay tickets, sportsbooks would be quick to adjust potential returns accordingly.

For an average parlay in which all of the odds are at the standard of -110, here’s a safe benchmark of an odds scale to use.

• Two-team parlay: 13-5
• Three-team parlay: 6-1
• Four-team parlay: 10-1
• Five-team parlay: 25-1
• Six-team parlay: 40-1
• Seven-team parlay: 75-1
• Eight-team parlay: 150-1
• Nine-team parlay: 300-1
• 10-team parlay: 600-1

As you can see, the odds rise with each selection added to the ticket. The chances of hitting a two-team parlay aren’t too bad, but a 10-team parlay coming in requires a good deal of lady luck on your side.

Once again, don’t let that discourage you from taking your shots with parlays. If you practice solid bankroll management and keep yourself disciplined with more reasonable wagers elsewhere, there’s nothing wrong with taking a shot at a parlay with an amount you feel comfortable with.

One other note to keep in mind: legal and regulated sportsbooks run promos all the time. Keep your eyes out for ‘parlay insurance’ promotions. In general, the operator will provide you with insurance on a four- or five-team parlay.

If one of your legs is a loser, you’ll get a refund of your wager up to a certain amount. For those who plan to bet on parlays regularly, promotions such as these can be quite bankroll friendly as many a parlay has been ruined by a single incorrect leg.

The Bottom Line on Parlay Bets

A parlay bet is a wager in which multiple choices are included on a single betting slip. A minimum of two selections is required, and books can cap the total number of choices that can be included somewhere north of 10.

The chances of being correct on all legs of a parlay lessen with each selection that’s added to the ticket. It’s an inverse relationship when it comes to returns, as the potential rises with each leg added.

Normal handicapping rules apply for parlays. You’ll want to consider each leg as an individual event and break it down accordingly. You can take a safe approach and only include choices you are most comfortable with, or you can shoot for bigger returns by focusing on underdogs.

A mix of the two approaches is perfectly fine as well. From a bottom line perspective, parlays are high-risk, high-reward wagers that are quite popular at sportsbooks.

Best Nfl Parlay Bets

While it can be tough to generate consistent returns with them, it certainly makes sense to take some shots as part of a disciplined overall approach to sports betting.

Last week’s NFL parlay picks got off to a great start, as the Vikings and Saints put up a ton of points. In fact, the Saints hit the Over all by themselves.

The rest of my NFL parlay didn’t really agree with me. Miami won, but they didn’t cover. Arizona needed to beat a 49ers team that isn’t in the playoffs and couldn’t.

Tennessee had to win in Green Bay and didn’t bother to show up.

Week 17 brings a chance to hit the reset button and get one more set of parlay picks in the green, however. Let’s see which bets I like the most as I break down my favorite parlay picks for NFL week 17.

Incentive is a thing in professional football. It also helps to be pretty good and have a tasty matchup.

Tennessee fell flat in the snow against the Packers last week, but they’ve got the great trifecta I just mentioned. They face a Texans team that has clearly given up, they’re capable of putting up 40+ points, and they need to win to lock up a playoff spot (and possibly a division title).

Derrick Henry should run wild in this spot.

He did drop 212 rushing yards and two scores the last time he faced Houston, after all.

I don’t think the second meeting will be nearly as close.

Another game I doubt will be tough to predict is the week 17 showdown between the Seahawks and 49ers.

San Francisco has remained competitive despite being eliminated from the playoff race, but they don’t have much incentive to stage a pretty big upset.

Seattle is a sizable favorite in a game they have to win for a shot at the top seed (and a first-round bye) in the NFC.

Delaware Sports Nfl Parlay Card

Seahawks can actually still get the 1 seed if both Saints and Green Bay lose — or the 2 seed if one of them lose.

— Mike Triplett (@MikeTriplett) December 28, 2020

The Seahawks are also just the far better team, as Russell Wilson and co. should be able to put up points against a Niners defense that couldn’t stop the Cowboys two weeks ago.

The Niners are pesky enough to the point where the spread feels dicey, but I’m otherwise comfortable in going hard at the Seahawks in this spot.

Chicago Bears (+5.5) -105

This is the only bet in my week 17 NFL parlay picks that feels a little risky. However, when speaking of incentive, nobody has more reason to get a win this week than Chicago.

The Bears presently hold the final playoff seed in the NFC after a roller-coaster season, and they know a win gets them into the big dance.

Mitch Trubisky has been playing so well that some think the Bears will retain him going into next year.

Honestly if the #Bears find a way to upset this Packers team next week, I won't argue about Matt Nagy and Mitch Trubisky returning.

— Erik Lambert (@ErikLambert1) December 28, 2020

That’d be a questionable decision, to be sure, but here he is, about to guide the Bears to the playoffs for the second time in three years.

Chicago’s defense is also playing well, and David Montgomery has their rushing attack roaring to life.

Beating the Packers sounds daunting, but things change when your backs are against the wall. I think it’s very possible Chicago stages the much-needed upset, but if they can’t, this should at least be a good game where the Bears threaten the spread.

Football Parlay Bets

• Tennessee Titans (-7.5) -110
• Seattle Seahawks to Win (-260)
• Chicago Bears (+5.5) -105

I’ll keep things relatively tame for my week 17 NFL parlay picks. Aiming high hasn’t worked out in recent weeks, and there aren’t a ton of NFL upset picks to confidently target.

Nfl Parlay Picks

You can still go with my favorite week 17 NFL underdog plays (linked below), but for my top NFL parlay this week, I’ll just string together my favorite bets.

Tennessee needs to win to get into the playoffs, and they get the lowly Texans. It’s a total mismatch, and the Titans should leave zero doubt here.

Seattle needs to win for a shot at the #1 seed in the NFC. The 49ers are competitive enough to possibly beat the spread, but I can’t see the Seahawks blowing this opportunity.

If you must go wild, then change this bet to include the Bears as a straight-up winner (+200). In the name of producing a winner this week, I’ll keep things restricted and just target a palatable 5.5-point spread.

Chicago needs to win just to sneak into the playoffs, and I think at the very worst, they give the Packers a good fight.

This week 17 NFL parlay brings back $416.08 for every $100 risked at Bovada. None of these wagers individually return plus money, so you’re getting a considerable boost by just combining them in a parlay.

Nfl Parlay Bets Online

If you want to place some other bets, get some extra week 17 NFL betting advice via the links below.