[llabb]

For individual plays, it's usually just someone saying "+EV" based on their own estimations and feel for the game. For parlays, middles, scalps, etc., it's a math thing.

For you, the answer is that parlays don't pay you what they should. You make less when you win, and lose more often. Better to just play it straight. That said, there is some value in teasers. Others can tell you more about that, particularly teasers on and off the 3 and 7 in football, but I don't know much about football. Teasers in basketball are decent in some situations, for example, taking two home favs around -5 to -7 or so and teasing them for -1 to -2. Can be solid when you are firm on both teams winning, but uncertain about the points and back door covers. Much more value than parlaying the moneylines.

By the way, like I said, the Clips could hit, but it's by no means a lock. To me, another way of looking at it is:

Snow < Cassell (injured)
Hughes > Mobley
LeBron >>> Magette
Gooden << Brand
Z >> Kaman
Cle home >> LAC road

Cle ahead by a factor of 5 >'s. Too tough to take for that reason, and that's coming from someone who was on LAC over Min last night on both the pts and ML for a nice score.