Welcome to our complete guide to handicap betting! In this detailed analysis of the handicap bet, we will look at how they are used within sports betting. What a handicap bet is, what it means in terms of how you can win your bet and much more besides.
We will also take a closer look at different types of handicap betting options, such as European handicap betting and Asian Handicap betting. We will also explore what sports are popular for this form of betting with the aim of giving you everything you need to know about handicap betting to enjoy any type of handicap betting to the full.
So, before you head back to your preferred betting site, lets learn more about the handicap bet by asking a very simple, but obvious question!
What is a Handicap Bet?
A handicap bet is one of a number of terms* used to describe when a bookmaker tries to turn a sporting event, where one option is favoured more than another, into an even money choice.
It is this process which makes the handicap market so appealing as if the bookmaker has judged the handicap line well, then there is no advantage or disadvantage to backing either of the options. That is because the betting odds for either are likely to be very similar, with the returns for either option likely to be the same or almost equal if you win the bet.
The theory being that when applied, the handicap levels the playing field between the teams or individuals playing.
Therefore, handicap betting odds tend to be around even money when you place a bet.
It is a popular betting market when online betting, particularly in events where you can reduce the number of outcomes possible. For example, when handicap football betting, you can eradicate the possibility of a draw by giving the two teams a handicap that is not a whole number, such as a 1.5 handicap on goals scored.
We’ll explore how this process works in the section below, when we .
The key thing to remember about handicap bet types is that the handicap offered is contextual for the sporting event in question and the handicap only applies to your selection in the bet.
So, in football, the handicap will be applied as a + or – goal handicap on the team you bet on. In Rugby or American Football, because these sports use points as their basis for deciding results, the handicap will be expressed as + or – points on each team.
*Other terms used to describe handicap betting include line betting and spread betting.
How Does Handicap Betting Work on A Football Match?
We’ll now look at how some football handicap betting options will turn out based on a number of different results and handicap options.
Example A – Whole Number +1 or -1 Handicap – Three-Way Handicap Betting
For example, if a bookie offers a -1 handicap on Liverpool to win, odds of 2/1 on the tie and a +1 handicap on Everton to win, then if Liverpool were to win the match by one goal, say 1-0, then with the -1 handicap applied to their goals scored, the game would finish as a 0-0 draw. So, if you backed Liverpool here, your bet would lose.
However, if you backed Everton on +1 here, then your bet would also lose as adding +1 to Everton’s score of 0 would make the score Liverpool 1-1 Everton and with the handicap applied, the game ends in a draw.
But, if you backed the Tie (draw) option at 2/1, then the game would need to finish in a draw (with no handicaps applied) for your bet to win.
- Handicap Draw Options
Sometimes, bookmakers will also offer a handicap draw option. In this case you may see options such as Liverpool -1, Tie +1, Everton +1.
So the question here is, who does the +1 apply to in the tie market? Well, the answer is that it depends on what the value is shown. If it is a minus number, then it is applied to the team that is favourite to win the game (in the above handicap betting example, this is Liverpool).
If it is a positive number, as in the example in bold above, then it is applied to the team that are not favourites to win the game, in this case Everton.
So here, if Everton were to lose the game by just one goal, then a bet on the tie would pay out as with a +1 goal handicap applied to their score, the game would finish at 1-1.
Example B – A No-Draw Handicap Bet (Partial Goal Handicap)
Bookmakers can ensure that a goal handicap when applied will always result in one team winning or the other. This is a no-draw handicap and the way this is achieved is by giving both teams a goal handicap that includes part of a goal (such as half a goal).
For example, if a bookmaker made Liverpool have a -0.5 handicap against Everton and the Toffees had a +0.5 goal handicap, then if the score in the actual game finished 1-0 to Liverpool as outlined above then the following would happen.
If you backed Liverpool to win, then with a – 0.5 goal handicap, Liverpool would still win the game 0.5 – 0, so you would win your bet on Liverpool here.
But if you backed Everton to win, then with half a goal added to their total, they would still lose the game (1 – 0.5). So, you would lose your bet in this case.
As there is no such thing as half a goal, a draw cannot be the result with either handicap applied, so the bookmaker has made the game a choice between a win for either side, with the stated handicap in play.
This sounds like one of the more complicated sports betting options, but it is a simple football betting market. And an easy way to remember how the handicap affects your bet is as follows:
- Liverpool -1 – Liverpool must win by two clear goals to win the bet.
- Tie +1 – A bet on the tie pays out if favourites Liverpool win by one goal.
- Everton +1 – Everton must either draw or win by any score to win this bet with the handicap applied.
This standard, or European handicap bet is not the only type of handicap betting available with bookmakers. Another massively popular form of this type of bet is the Asian Handicap market.
What is an Asian Handicap Bet? Asian Handicap Betting Explained
You do have options when you place handicap bets, and our Asian Handicap betting guide will hopefully let you get to grips with this slightly more complicated handicap betting market.
An Asian Handicap Bet differs from a standard handicap bet in that there will be two handicaps applicable.
For example, if you are Asian Handicap betting, then you will likely see options such as: –
- Manchester United -1.0, -1.5 (at odds of 2.03)
- Fulham +1.0, +1.5 (at odds of 1.87)
However Asian Handicap lines are actually very simple to understand when you know how your stake is applied to your bet.
- The Simple Secret to Asian Handicap Betting Markets
Let’s say you want to put £10 on Manchester United to win from the Asian Handicap lines listed above. How does that work?
Well with Asian Handicap bets, you put half your stake (£5) on the -1.0 option and half your stake (£5) on the -1.5 option.
Then depending on the result, here is how you will be paid out.
- If Manchester United win by two goals or more – Both your handicap bets win (You’ll win £20.30 and get your £10 stake back). Total return £30.30. (£20.30 profit)
- If Manchester United win by one goal – Your -1.5 bet will lose, but the -1.0 will be a push, which means you will get half of your stake back. Total Return £5 (£5 loss)
- If the game is a draw or Fulham win by any score – Both your bets lose. Total Return £0 (£10 loss).
Now let’s say that instead of betting on Manchester United, you instead wanted to back Fulham at +1.0 and +1.5 on the Asian Handicap market.
Once again, your £10 stake is split between the +1.0 and +1.5 handicaps and you will earn the following payouts if the game finishes as follows: –
- If Fulham win or the game is a draw – Both your handicap bets win (You will win £18.70 and get your £10 stake back) – Total return £28.70 (£18.70 profit).
- If Manchester United win by one goal – Your +1.5 goal bet is a winner (£9.35 return), but your +1 goal bet is a push which means you get your £5 stake back. Total Return £19.35 (£9.35 profit).
- If Manchester United win by two goals or more – Both handicap bets lose. Total Return £0 (£10 loss)
These are generally the two most popular options for handicap betting in football but the same process is true for handicap betting on sports that have different scoring methods. In rugby or American Football for example, the handicaps are quoted in points.
What Sports Are a Popular Choice for Those Seeking to Place a Handicap Bet?
Handicap betting is very popular across a wide range of sports, especially those that involve two teams competing, or two individuals competing.
Sports on which you will likely find handicap betting with your choice of betting site include: –
- Football (Soccer)
- American Football
- Basketball
- Rugby Union
- Rugby League
- Baseball
- Ice Hockey
- Australian Rules
- Esports
- Futsal
- Gaelic Sports
- Golf
- Hockey
- Snooker
Is There a Useful Handicap Betting Strategy?
Betting strategies can be somewhat problematic as no strategy is ever 100% foolproof. However, there are some simple guidelines you can follow when betting on football handicaps or similar.
- The fewer outcomes available in handicap betting, the better chance you have of picking the winner.
- Look for examples where you feel the bookmaker has been too generous, or too harsh with their handicaps and you can find good value this way.
- Asian Handicap betting offers a chance to earn half your stake back in some situations if your bet isn’t an outright winner, so can be a more flexible option than regular handicap betting.
- Simplify your handicap bet to clearly understand what you need for the bet to win. For example, backing Arsenal to win with a -2 handicap means that Arsenal need to win by three goals or more in order to win the bet.
- You may need to check with your betting site to see whether you can use handicap betting markets with any betting offers you may have triggered.
When is the Best Time to Use Handicap Betting Rather Than Another Type of Bet?
Handicap bets offer a great opportunity to get some value backing a big favourite to win in an event. For example, if Manchester City are facing Northampton Town in an FA Cup tie, then City would be huge odds-on favourites if you were to bet on a team to win the game in the standard full time result market.
With a handicap bet, you can back Manchester City and get close to even money and still land a return, but only if they win by enough goals to overcome the handicap applied to them.
Every single handicap bet is still a bet to win, especially if it is a draw no bet handicap option, but by assessing whether a team has been handicapped too harshly, or too generously, you can find value in this market.
Key Handicap Betting Tips
- Remember, standard Handicaps betting markets can include Tie/Draw options, or not.
- Asian Handicap Betting does away with ties.
- Handicap Betting is always based on betting on the result for the team you backed – but with their handicap applied.
- Handicap odds tend to be around even money, especially in the markets that have just two options.
- In Asian Handicap Betting, your stake is split equally between the different handicap options for your bet.
- The real meaning of handicap betting is to give you options that are as close to even money odds as possible, though there is flexibility in this.
We hope our guide to handicap betting has helped you gain a greater understanding into this form of betting. If it has, then why not go and give it a try with your chosen bookmaker now!
