Handicap & Asian Handicap betting explained

If you sometimes get confused by the bewildering amount of betting terminology – don’t worry, you are not alone. With so many betting options available for punters of all levels, it can sometimes feel like the gambling world has a language of its own. With this in mind, it is important to remember to take things one step at a time and fully understand how different bets work before parting with your hard-earned cash. So let’s take a look at Handicap betting and why it is one of the most popular markets.

What is Handicap betting?

In sports betting, handicapping is a method of creating a situation where the competitors can compete more evenly. This is achieved by allocating a head start in the form of goals or points to the weaker opponent. The size of the handicap is determined by the relative strength of each team.

The concept of handicap betting is similar to the principle of golf handicapping where a player with a higher handicap can take a greater number of shots to complete a course but still beat their lower handicapped opponent.

In handicapped horse races, different weights are carried in the horse’s saddles to make races more even. The amount of weight that must be carried is determined by the racing authorities and is based on many factors including past performance and race distance.

Handicap betting has grown to be a very popular way of betting on football markets and you may have seen many different options for handicap betting on your favourite betting websites. But what does it all mean?

How do Handicaps work?

To find out how handicaps work when applied to betting, let’s take a look at an example of a typical handicap bet.

Example 1:

Chelsea (-2.0) 10/11 v Leicester City (+2.0) 5/6

In this example, the bookmaker has made Chelsea the clear favourites and given them a 2 goal advantage over Leicester City; this is the figure in brackets. The prices quoted are for each team to win after the handicap has been taken into account. As a result of the handicap, the contest has been made even and the prices are almost identical.

So, if you back Chelsea, they would need to win by more than 2 goals for your bet to be successful. If you back Leicester, they could win, draw or lose by a single goal and your bet would still pay out. If Chelsea wins by 2 goals, your bet would be refunded (unless there is a handicap draw option). You may see these bets described as “Handicap” or “Asian Handicap” depending on which betting company you use.

If the teams are very evenly matched, the figures can sometimes look even more complicated, so let’s take a look at another example.

Example 2:

Real Madrid (0.0 & -0.5) 10/11 v Barcelona (0.0 & -0.5) 5/6

In this Spanish game, the betting company thinks that the teams are very evenly matched already and the handicap is identical with just a slight difference in the odds. If you back the home team and they win by any margin, your bet will pay out. If it is a draw, half your stake is refunded and if they lose, your bet loses. The same rules would apply if you backed the away team.

The figures in brackets (0.0 & -0.5) basically shown that half your stake will be placed on a handicap of 0 and the other half on a handicap of -0.5. If the game is a draw, the portion that was placed on zero is refunded and the stake placed on -0.5 is lost. If the handicap had been set at (0.0 & +0.5) then a draw would have resulted in half of the stake winning and half being refunded.

It is worth noting that (0.0 & -0.5) can also be displayed by betting companies as (-0.25). This rule applies to all handicap bets where quarter fractions are involved. For example: (+1.00 & +1.5) could also be displayed as (+1.25), in both cases the stake is split and half place on a handicap of +1.00 and half on +1.5.

These bets are commonly known as “Double Asian Handicaps” as the stake is split and placed on two different handicaps.

What is Asian Handicap betting?

The term “Asian Handicap” basically refers to any type of handicap bet where the draw is effectively taken out of the equation and both teams are given an equal chance of winning. The teams are allocated an advantage or deficit that can range from a quarter (0.25) of a goal to several goals.

When a whole number advantage is awarded (1, 2 etc) a draw is still possible but the stake is refunded if this event occurs. When a half goal handicap is set (0.5, 1.5 etc) a draw is not possible. When the handicap is a quarter goal (0.25, 0.75 etc) a draw will result in half of your stake either winning or losing and the other half being returned. These are referred to as push results.

What’s the advantage of handicap betting?

Handicap betting tends to attract more experienced punters than more common types of match betting. As a result, the bookmakers normally take lower profits than they would on straight match betting and shrewd bettors can benefit from this. The betting companies recognise the need to be competitive in these specialised markets but they also know they can gain profit from novice punters that enter the market without fully understanding how it works.

In summary, the handicap market is a popular stomping ground for seasoned pros and can produce lucrative results. However, it is important to understand how it works and to learn how to identify high value bets. This is one market where you should practice on paper first before you commit any real money. Once you are fluent with the workings of the handicap system, you can then decide if this is a market for you.