Handicap betting: what is Asian Handicap and how does it work?
The Handicap market can be your best friend in betting if you know how to use it!
But did you know that there are 2 types of Handicap in betting?
-
European Handicap
-
Asian Handicap
In this article you will learn how they work and you'll know how to use them to your advantage!
However, we will already give you a “taste”: the Handicap can improve the odds of an event and increase your potential earnings !
Where to bet on Handicap?
What is Handicap in Sports Betting?
Handicap is one of those betting markets with several options within it. At a glance:
The Handicap represents a fictitious goal differential between two teams, applied at the start of the match.
The big advantage here is that this will allow you to have more control over your risk management in sports betting.
There are two ways this can happen:
-
Give disadvantage to the favorite team, increasing the odd of your victory.
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Give an advantage to the non-favorite team by decreasing the odd for their victory.
Understanding this mechanism makes all the difference, since it is possible to “manipulate” the odds using the Handicap.
NOTE: understand the operation of odds before using the Handicap.
Example of Handicap
In the match between Barcelona and Valencia, the highest probability of victory is Barça, so this odd is 1,47 .
We all know that the team of Messi, Suárez and Griezmann playing at home is often deadly!
Thinking about it you can apply a disadvantage of -5 goals to Barcelona from the start of the match.
Notice that the odds of Barça winning have increased to an incredible 23.00!
But make no mistake.
It's as if the game started with Valencia winning by 5 goals. For Barcelona to win it is necessary to win by 6 goals difference!
No wonder the odds are so high in this case...
If you bet $10 in this Handicap, with this odd, you could receive in total an amount of $230 !
On the other hand, the probability of Barcelona scoring 6 goals and conceding none will always be lower.
You can also use Handicap on:
- Corners
- Cards
European Handicap and Asian Handicap
Betting with Handicap requires understanding that there are 2 different types of this market: the European and the Asian .
The European Handicap is considered the simplest of these two. However, the Asian Handicap is also very popular because it gives more options.
The Asian Handicap offers more Betting Lines and makes it possible for some wagered amount to be returned to the bettor.
See below all about each type of Handicap!
European Handicap
Let's start with the simplest. In the European Handicap you either win everything or you lose everything, there is no return of the amount invested.
European Handicap results table
In the 1x2 betting scheme (win/draw/win), the possibilities are as follows:
Handicap | Team result | Bet result |
-1 | Win by 2 goals or more | Win |
Win by 1 goal, draw or defeat | Lose | |
Draw +1 / Draw -1 | Lost/won by 1 goal | Win |
Any other result | Lose | |
+1 | Draw or win | Win |
Loses by a goal or more | Lose | |
-2 | Win by 3 goals or more | Win |
Win by 2 goals, draw or defeat | Lose | |
Draw +2 / Draw -2 | Loss/win by 2 goals | Win |
Any other result | Lose | |
+2 | Lose by 1, draw or win | Win |
Loses by 2 goals or more | Lose |
The table above is quite clear about the betting possibilities on the European Handicap.
Suppose, in the game between Barcelona and Valencia, you bet on the Handicap “ Draw, Barcelona (+1) “.
What would that mean?
The interpretation to make here is that you would be betting in the event that Barcelona starts out winning by 1 goal, and ends up drawing the match.
This result is less likely, since if Barcelona started the game winning 1-0, the most certain thing would be to turn this advantage into a victory.
Therefore, for you to win this bet, Valencia would have to win by 1 goal difference.
Already bet on something like “ Barcelona (+1) "it meant betting on the scenario where Barcelona start the game winning by one goal and really end the game consolidating that victory.
As you would expect, the odd of this would be quite low, as it would be a fairly likely outcome.
Where to bet on European Handicap?
Asian Handicap
The major difference between the European Handicap and the Asian Handicap is:
- In the Asian you are not restricted only to lose or win everything, because can win or lose a portion of the amount wagered
There are 3 lines of the Asian:
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Negative
-
Positive
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Null
NOTE: the Asian Handicap is recognized for working with decimal places, such as 0,25; 0,50; 0,75; 1,00; 1,25; 1,50; 1,75 , etc.
Negative goal lines
As the name suggests, a negative Asian Handicap is one that removes goals from a team .
The idea is the same as in the case of Barcelona presented above.
When you identify a team that is far superior and great at thrashing opponents, you can use a negative line.
But let's go to another example!
Now the match is between Palmeiras and Cruzeiro, by The New Zealander. And the victory of Verdão has odd of 1.45 .
We assume then that Palmeiras has more chances to win the duel against Fox. Plays at home, and the Cruise comes on a bad streak.
You believe in the victory of Verdão, but you want to increase the value of your odd to receive more!
For this we will use the Negative Asian Handicap .
As you can see, if you bet on Handicap (-1) , increases from 1,45 for 1,65 the value of odd.
Now it is enough for Palmeiras to win by at least 2 goals difference for your bet to come out the winner.
But do not forget that one of the benefits of the Asian Handicap is as follows:
In case he wins by 1 goal difference only, the money bet is returned to his account.
Positive goal lines
Here the idea is add a goals advantage to a team. Very used to unbalance even games.
You can add +1 goal to one of the teams (usually the weakest), which means that it can even tie the match for you to win your bet.
Even if she loses by a goal difference, you still wouldn't come out on top. You would receive the amount wagered in return.
Just remember that the more goals you give a team, the lower the odd on your win.
Null goal lines
The null Asian Handicap is similar to the marked one Draw Voids Bet . That is: with Handicap 0, draw means returned bet.
In this case, the bet is lost only in case there is a defeat of the team you bet on.
We point out that this asian Handicap line does not appear in most events. She is common in very balanced matches.
Football classics they usually have that market. Especially if there is a slightly superior team playing in the opposing camp.
Asian Handicap results table
Below are 2 tables to answer all your questions about the Asian Handicap.
The first focuses on showing how your bet would succeed from certain results if you focused on Asian Handicap of:
- Null Line
- Negative Line
Negative Handicap | Team result | Bet result |
0 | Victory | Win |
Draw | Return | |
Defeat | Lose | |
-0,25 | Victory | Win |
Draw | Lose half | |
Defeat | Lose | |
-0,50 | Victory | Win |
Draw or defeat | Lose | |
-0,75 | Win by 2 or more goals | Win |
Win by 1 goal | Win half | |
Draw or defeat | Lose | |
-1,00 | Win by 2 or more goals | Win |
Win by 1 goal | Return | |
Draw or defeat | Lose | |
-1,25 | Win by more than 2 goals | Win |
Win by 1 goal | Lose half | |
Draw or defeat | Lose | |
-1,50 |
Win by 2 or more goals
|
Win |
Win by 1 goal, draw or defeat | Lose | |
-1,75 | Win by more than 3 goals | Win |
Win by 2 goals | Win Half | |
Win by 1 goal, draw or defeat | Lose | |
-2,00 | Win by more than 3 goals | Win |
Win by 2 goals | Return | |
Win by 1 goal, draw or defeat | Lose |
The second, which you can see below, brings the same null line and the positive line:
Positive Handicap | Team result | Bet result |
0 | Victory | Win |
Draw | Return | |
Defeat | Lose | |
+0,25 | Victory | Win |
Draw | Win half | |
Defeat | Lose | |
+0,50 | Draw or win | Win |
Defeat | Lose | |
+0,75 | Victory | Win |
Draw | Win | |
Defeated by 1 goal | Lose half | |
Defeat by 2 goals or more | Lose | |
+1,00 | Draw and win | Win |
Defeated by 1 goal | Return | |
Defeat by 2 or more goals | Lose | |
+1,25 | Win or draw | Win |
Defeated by 1 goal | Win half | |
Defeat by more than 2 goals | Lose | |
+1,50 | Win, draw and loss by 1 goal | Win |
Defeat by more than 2 goals | Lose | |
+1,75 | Win, draw and loss by 1 goal | Win |
Defeat by 2 goals | Lose half | |
Defeat by more than 3 goals | Lose | |
+2,00 | Win, draw and loss by 1 goal | Win |
Defeat by 2 goals | Return | |
Defeat by more than 3 goals | Lose |
This table alone, however, does not work a miracle. Let's follow with some examples for you to understand everything right.
0.75 Asian Handicap
We take the Champions League clash between PSG and Real Madrid.
Let's say a bet is placed on $100 on Real's win . We could get a total amount of $320 , in case the Guess was a winner.
But what if I want to use one Positive Asian Handicap line and assign +0,75 advantage to meringues?
In this scenario, the victory of Zidane's team would be more likely to happen!
In this way, the odd of the Real falls to 1,65 with a possible gain of $165,00 . This is because Real starts the match with an advantage of 0.75 goals.
But why +0.75? What does this advantage of 3 ⁄ 4 goals?
Let's see what happens for some possible outcomes of this game, when you bet $100 the Handicap "Real Madrid (+0,75)” :
- If Real win or tie the game, you win the bet
- If PSG win by a goal difference, you lose half the BET and get back $50
- If PSG win by two or more goals difference, you totally lose your bet.
Finally, let's exemplify a bet using the Asian Handicap void line .
See that Real Madrid's odd goes from 3,20 for the 2,20 if you use the null line of this Handicap.
This is easy to understand. A victory of the meringues makes your winning bet, obvious. But if there is a tie you have the money returned !
There is only a loss of the bet using the null line if Real Madrid loses the match.
Where to bet on Asian Handicap?
Conclusion
When you are starting to bet, it is normal to want to get away from Handicap markets. At first they are really confusing!
However, as you could see in this article, they are not that complex to understand.
To make sure that you are really comfortable with this concept and with its application in sports betting, let's resume what we have seen in this guide:
- Handicap means giving a advantage or one disadvantage to a team
- Add or remove goals a team modifies its odds end
-
There are two types of Handicap:
European
and the
Asian
:
- The European, the simplest version, allows betting on a draw , but does not allow financial return in case of loss of the bet
- The Asian counts on 3 lines , does not allow betting on a tie, but provides financial return in some cases of partial loss or victory the bet
-
You can have the
3 Asian Handicap lines
in a single event:
- Negative Line: adds a goal disadvantage to a team
- Positive Line: adds a goal advantage to a team
- Null Line: draw voids bet
What about Handicap advantages?
They are clear, as it brings much more flexibility for you to "manipulate" the odds and create a bet that you consider to be valuable!
With this you can much better manage your financial risk in sports betting.
Betting Handicap Sites
Frequently Asked Questions
☝️ What is the meaning of handicap?
Handicap means giving an advantage or a disadvantage to a team in your bet. This technique can improve the odds of an event and, of course, increase your winnings.
What is the difference between Asian handicap and European handicap?
The European Handicap is simpler. You can bet on the tie, but it does not make possible financial return in case of loss of the bet. It's all or nothing!
In the Asian Handicap, on the other hand, you are not restricted to just losing or winning everything, since you can win or lose a part of the bet amount. But it is more complex.
User reviews
I bet on my team -2,5 in the Asian Handicap then my team was winning 2-0 then the rival team makes 1 goal then it is 2×1 then my team makes third goal A is 3×1 then the game ends in this result of 3×1 I win or lose the game
Then you lost, because you gave 2.5 goals advantage to the opposing team and, as the game ended 3×1, your team won with 2 goals difference. Would have to win with 3 goals difference. Soon the final score was 3×3.5
If you had used the -2 hand your bet would have been returned, the final score would have been 3×3.