What is Handicap Betting?
Handicap betting is a popular form of sports betting that is used to level the playing field between two teams or players. In handicap betting, one team or player is given a virtual advantage or disadvantage in order to create a more even betting field. This is done by adding or subtracting points from the final score of the team or player. Handicap betting is also a way to enhance betting excitement. It is commonly used in sports betting, particularly in football, basketball, and tennis.
Understanding Handicap Betting: How it works?
As we know, handicap betting is designed to level the playing field by giving one team or player a hypothetical advantage or disadvantage before the start of the event. This advantage or disadvantage is expressed as a numerical figure, either adding goals/points to the underdog team or player or deducting them from the favorite one. We will understand more with the examples given below.
Types of Handicap Betting
Different types of handicap betting are used in sports betting. There are two main types of handicap betting which are discussed below:
Asian Handicap Betting
Asian Handicap is a type of handicap betting that originated in Asia. Asian handicaps are typically given in half or quarter goals/points to eliminate the possibility of a push or draw outcome. Lets see following examples:
If you bet on a team with a -1.5 Asian Handicap, they need to win by at least two goals for your bet to be successful. Your bet is lost if they either win by only one goal, draw the match or lose the match.
If you bet on a team with a +0.5 Asian Handicap, your bet wins if they win or draw the match. The bet is lost only if they lose the match.
European Handicap Betting
European Handicap is commonly used in Europe. In European Handicap, the handicap is expressed in terms of whole numbers, and the outcome includes the possibility of a draw, which refunds the bet. It is similar to the traditional 1X2 betting but with the handicap added.
Here are the examples for European handicap betting.
If you bet on Team A with a -1 European Handicap, they need to win the match by at least two goals for your bet to be successful. If they win by only one goal, it’s a draw in terms of the handicap, and your stake is refunded.
If you bet on Team B with a +2 European Handicap, your bet wins if Team B wins, draws, or loses by only one goal. If they lose by exactly two goals, it’s a draw in terms of handicap, and your stake is refunded.
In both cases, the purpose of handicap betting is to provide more balanced odds, especially when there’s a clear favorite and underdog in a match. This adds an extra bit of excitement for the bettor as well.
Examples of Handicap Betting
Now let us see more examples of Handicap Betting. Here we will see examples for football and tennis matches.
Football Handicap Betting Examples
Fixture 1: Real Madrid vs Barcelona
Asian Handicap: Real Madrid -2.5
If you bet on Real Madrid with a -2.5 Handicap, the possible outcomes are:
- Bet wins: The bet is won only if Real Madrid wins the match by three or more goals. Some of the final score with which the bet wins are:
Real Madrid 3 – 0 Barcelona
Real Madrid 4 – 1 Barcelona
- Bet Loses: The bet is lost if Real Madrid loses the match, draws the match or wins the match by less than three goals. Some of the final score with which the bet loses are:
Real Madrid 5 – 3 Barcelona
Real Madrid 2 -2 Barcelona
Real Madrid 1 – 3 Barcelona
Fixture 2: Manchester United vs Aston Villa
Asian Handicap: Aston Villa +1.5
If you bet on Aston Villa with a +1.5 Handicap, the possible outcomes are:
- Bet wins: The bet is won if Aston Villa wins, draws, or loses by only one goal. Some of the final score with which the bet is won are:
Manchester United 1 – 2 Aston Villa
Manchester United 2 – 2 Aston Villa
Manchester United 3 – 2 Aston Villa
- Bet loses: The bet is lost if Manchester United wins by more than one goal. Some of the final score with which the bet is lost are:
Manchester United 3 – 1 Aston Villa
Manchester United 4 – 2 Aston Villa
Here is the tabular form to help you understand better:
| Handicap Type | Handicap Points | Outcome for Team/Player |
|---|---|---|
| Asian Handicap | -1.5 | Win if Team/Player wins by 2 or more; Lose if Team/Player wins by 1 or draws; Lose if Team/Player loses |
| Asian Handicap | +0.5 | Win if Team/Player wins or Draws; Lose if Team/Player loses |
| European Handicap | -2 | Win if Team/Player wins by 3 or more; Draw if Team/Player wins by 2; Lose if Team/Player draws or loses by 1 |
| European Handicap | +3 | Win if Team/Player wins, draws, or loses by 2 or less; Lose if Team/Player loses by 3 or more |
Strategies for Success in Handicap Betting
Research
Research in key when it comes to handicap betting. You should research the teams or players that you are betting on, as well as their recent form, injuries, and other factors that may affect the outcome of the match.
Understand the Handicap
It is very important to understand the handicap that you are betting on. You should have the knowledge on how handicap betting works. Betting on handicap with higher points just by seeing greater odds might result in losing your bet.
Bet on the Underdog
If you find a match where you think the underdog can bring a positive result against the favorite, you can place a bet on the underdog. This is because the underdog is given a virtual advantage, which means that they are more likely to cover the handicap.
Bet on the Favorite
If you find a match where you think a team or player is the heavy favorite to win the match by heavy goals/points, you can bet on the favorite team or player. This is because the favorite is given a virtual disadvantage which increases the odds compared to the traditional 1X2 betting.
Conclusion
In conclusion, handicap betting offers more excitement for bettors as well as providing greater odds in the event where there is a clear favorite or an underdog. Betting should always be approached as a form of entertainment, and individuals should wager only what they can afford to lose. Happy betting responsibly!