Asian Handicap Betting Guide
Asian Handicap betting has quickly become one of the most popular football betting markets. Although there are plenty of Asian handicap bets placed on every game, many bettors don’t understand how the Asian handicap market works. To help you out, Bet UK have created a guide on Asian Handicap betting.
What is Asian Handicap Betting?
Asian Handicap betting is popular on games that might have a clear favourite, as it requires a team to score more than one goal and can lead to better odds. Asian handicaps will give a team a theoretical goal advantage or disadvantage. For example, a -1 handicap for a team will essentially mean they start on -1 goals. This means they need to win by 2 clear goals for the results to come in. On the other hand, a +1 handicap gives a team a 1 goal head start. For the bet to lose, they would need to lose by 2 clear goals.
Asian handicaps differ from traditional handicap markets because punters can get their money back if their result is a draw. For example, if a bet is placed on England to win with a -0.5 handicap, and England only win by 1 goal, the result will effectively be a draw. Rather than the bet losing, the stake will be returned. This is only possible on Asian handicap markets that offer whole numbers. Some markets offer half goals, -0.5 for example.
Asian Handicaps that offer half a goal handicaps work very similarly to normal Asian handicaps, but will not return any money if the bet results in a draw. For example, a bet on Swansea City to win with a -0.5 handicap can only win or lose. If Swansea wins by 2 clear goals, then the bet will result as a win. If Swansea only wins by 1 goal, the handicap score will be a draw, meaning the bet has lost.
Finally, there are quarter goal Asian handicap markets. Markets can also be offered with -0.25 goal and -0.75 goal Asian handicaps. For both markets, your stake will be split in half between 2 different bets. For -0.25, half your stake will be placed on -0.5 Asian handicap, with the other half being placed on 0 handicaps. For -0.75, half your stake will be placed on -0.5 Asian handicap, with the other half being placed on -1. This means that you can essentially cover 2 different Asian handicap markets at once. If you only win half your bet, then you will still get some returns, with the other half losing.
Asian Handicap Betting Strategy
Asian Handicaps can provide some of the best value in sports betting overall. They can help turn a completely one-sided affair into a competitive match, whilst also providing some incredible betting value
When looking for your next handicap bet, you’ll want to pick out a game where you expect there to be a heavy favourite. For example, in the FA Cup, when a Premier League side is drawn against a lower league side, the handicap betting markets are always worth checking out. If Manchester City were drawn against a side like Macclesfield, we can expect Man City to dominate, potentially winning by 5 or more goals. Therefore a handicap of around -3 or -4, would provide great value for the match, as long as you are confident that City would dominate.
It’s not just blowout games where handicap betting can come in handy, however. Closely matched games can also provide great value. For example, a mid-table clash between Everton and Burnley could go either way, with both teams likely priced just above evens at around 21/20. But if you think Everton are in good form and can dominate against Burnley, then even a -1 handicap could see your price rise to as high as 4/1.
Asian Handicap Betting Examples
Placing a bet on England -2 against Germany
For this bet to win, England needs to win by 3 clear goals. If England only wins by 2 goals, then your stake will be refunded as the match finished as a draw including handicaps. If England only wins the game by 1, draw or lose the game, then the bet will be lost.
Placing a bet on England -1.5 against Germany
For this bet to win, England needs to win by 2 clear goals. If England fails to win by at least 2 clear goals, then the bet will result in a loss. The stake cannot be refunded on a half goal Asian handicap.
Placing a bet on England -0.75 against Germany
If England wins by 2 clear goals, then the full bet will win. If England only wins by 1, then half of the bet will be returned as a win, with the other half resulting as a loss. If England draws or lose, then the whole bet will result in a loss.
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Asian Handicap FAQs
How Does Handicap Betting Work in Football?
Football is the sport where Handicap betting is most common. In simple terms, handicap betting in football adds an imaginary goal advantage, or disadvantage, to a side. This means a side could start with -1 goals, essentially making the score -1-0 at kick-off. For your bet to win, that team will need to win by 2 goals to overcome their handicap.
What Does Handicap Draw Mean?
A Handicap Draw works very similarly to the traditional handicap betting markets. A team will still be hindered with a hypothetical goal handicap, but rather than needing them to win, they just need to level the scores. For example, if you bet -1 draw on England against Germany, a 1-0 England win would result in a handicap 0-0 draw.
Is Point Spread The Same As Handicap?
Point Spread and Handicap Betting are two names for the same concept in betting. Both markets offer a theoretical advantage or disadvantage to a side, which they will need to overcome to win. The main difference between the two is the sport that they are commonly found in. Point Spread is more popular in American sports, such as basketball and American football. Handicap betting, however, is more popular in sports such as football, rugby and hockey.
Which Sports Have Handicap Betting?
Handicap betting can be found in almost any point based sport. Football, rugby and hockey all feature handicap betting on the outright score of a game. For tennis, you may find handicap markets for the number of sets a player will win. Although handicap is a common term in golf overall, handicap betting is traditionally not available. You may also find the term Point Spread in sports like basketball and American football. This is essentially the same concept but just uses a different term in America.
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