Handicap betting comes in two forms: Regular handicap
betting and Asian handicap betting. In Regular handicap betting, the punter
determines whether or not a certain team will overcome a given goal
disadvantage set before the start of the match. Alternatively, the Regular
handicap may be to predict whether or not a given team will hold on a set goal
advantage given to it before the match starts. The other handicap, Asian
handicap is designed in a manner that eliminates ties/drawn outcomes.
Why should you try handicap betting?
Handicaps offer good value in matches where the market
prices provided for the two teams involved are far apart. For example, if
Arsenal is playing Lincoln City, Arsenal would be a huge favorite to win such
that the odds provided for Arsenal would be too low. In such a game, if a
bettor would go ahead to bet for Arsenal then a very big stake would be
necessary to make a small return. On the contrary, it would be borderline crazy
to bet on Lincoln City to win the match as such an outcome is almost certainly
unlikely against Arsenal.
When faced with such a dilemma, looking at the handicap
market would be great. In the handicap market, you will find different lines
set by the bookmaker for Arsenal and Lincoln City. For instance, Arsenal would
have handicap lines such as -1, -2, -3 etc because of their favorite status
while Lincoln City would have handicap lines like +1, +2, +3 etc because of
their underdog status. If say you back Arsenal at -2 handicap line, you will
get a better price than backing Arsenal for a straight win in the 1X2 market.
Likewise, if you back Lincoln City at a handicap line such as +2, you will get
very good odds.
So what does it mean to back Arsenal at -2? It means that
Arsenal starts the match when already two goals down. To win the match, Arsenal
will need to score at least 3 goals. If Arsenal scores 3, 4 5 or more goals in
the match, your bet wins. On the contrary, if Arsenal wins the match by 1 goal,
you lose the bet. If Arsenal wins by 2 goals, there is a tie, creating a push
(for more on a push, see below). If you back Lincoln City at +2, then you are
giving them 2 goals before the match and they need to hang on that in order for
your bet to win. Should Lincoln City lose by 1 goal or draw, you will win the
bet. If they lose by 3 goals or more, your bet loses. But if they lose by
exactly 2 goals, then there is a tie (no lose and no win), resulting in a push.
Handicap Push: What is it?
A push occurs when there is a tie after the handicap
adjustment has been made. In case of a push, the bet is neither won nor lost
and the punter gets back his stake. For example, if a punter backs Arsenal at
-2, then the match ends in 2-0 for Arsenal, the handicap result is 2-2 and the
bet is tied.
Asian handicap
In the Asian handicap, the push is completely eliminated by
the use of half and quarter goals. This means that there can be no ties in the
Asian handicap market. Your bet will either win or lose; no draws. In the Asian
handicap market, you will find handicap lines such as -0.50, -0.75, -1.00,
-1.50, -1.75 and 2.00, among others. Likewise, you will find positive lines
such as +0.50, +0.75, +1.00, +1.50, +1.75, +2.00, +2.50 etc.
So let us say you back Lincoln City in the Asian handicap
market at +1.50. This means that you are dividing your stake into two halves;
one-half going on the +1.00 line while the other half going into the +1.50
handicap line. Essentially, half of the stake is used to back Lincoln City
winning, drawing or losing by less than 1 goal while the other half of the
stake backs Lincoln City winning, drawing or losing by less than 1.5 goals. If
in the match Lincoln City ended up losing 1-0, part of the stake on +1.00 bet
ends up as an adjusted draw and you get half of the stake back, but the +1.50
portion of the bet will win because of the extra half goal. Hence, you get a half win on your bet.
Another example is backing Arsenal at -2.75 Asian Handicap bet.
The quarter goal on 0.75 ensures you split your stake between backing Arsenal
at -2.50 and backing them at -3.00. Such a bet is therefore essentially two
bets with your stake divided into two halves for the -2.50 and another half for
the -3.00 line. In this case, the Asian handicap gives you coverage for the
stake and a better price than a straight bet on Arsenal win. A bet such as
Arsenal -0.75 means your stake is divided into two halves, one for the -0.50
line and another for the -1.00 line.
Lastly, it is important to remember that both the Regular
handicap and the Asian handicap offer better value than the straight 1X2
market. With the Asian handicap, you
even cover yourself with two bet options in a single bet. Besides, the handicap
market has an advantage since bookmakers usually take very low margins on them
as compared to the regular 1X2 match odds. Nevertheless, not all bookmakers
offer Asian handicap betting option, and you will need to choose one with it so
you can enjoy the benefits it brings.