Sports betting has been around for quite a while. The market value of sports betting estimates at $203 Billion in 2020 and will only grow in the coming years. This article has handicap betting explained clearly that even beginners can get a hang of it. It mentions the difference between Asian handicap betting and other types of handicap betting and also provides a few fundamental Asian handicap soccer betting tips.
What is Handicap Betting:
There are many types of betting when it comes to sports. Handicap betting is one among them. Handicap betting is a little tricky to understand for a beginner. But once you get hold of it, it can be really enjoyable to bet on handicaps. Handicap betting is simply nothing but giving both the teams an equal advantage to make betting more interesting.
The way handicap bets are presented:
The bookmaker gives the handicap points when an underdog plays the match. The bookmaker in this situation awards points to the underdog team. This makes it an even competition for the teams playing and makes betting more interesting for people to bet on. Handicap betting can be complicated at the beginning and here we have tried to explain it as easily as possible with different cases.
An example: Let us take Bayern Munich vs Porto
Here Bayern Munich has a clear advantage over Porto. Thus Porto is an underdog in this situation. Hence it is common sense that almost everyone would bet for Bayern Munich to win. This makes betting one-sided and boring. To make it an even competition, the bookmaker awards points to the underdog team. Since we are using the example of soccer to explain handicap betting, please consider the points awarded by the bookmaker as goals, so if a team gets a 0.5 points advantage, then it means the team has a 0.5 goal advantage.
REMEMBER: Only the team that you are betting on gets handicap points from the bookmaker.
CASE 1: Porto gets +0.5 points/goal, and Munich gets -0.5 points/goal advantage by the bookmaker.
- Porto starts the game with a 0.5 goal advantage. It means, no matter what the result, Porto has scored 0.5 goals in the bookmaker’s point of view.
- If you bet for Munich to win, and they win the game, you win the bet.
- If you are betting for Munich and the match ends in a draw, then again you lose the bet because Porto was given a 0.5 goal advantage starting the game.
- However, if you bet for Porto and if either Porto wins or draws the match, you win your bet.
CASE 2: Porto gets +3 points/goals, and Munich gets -3 points/goals advantage by the bookmaker.
- Porto starts the game with a 3 goal advantage. It means no matter the result, Porto has scored 3 virtual goals in the bookmaker’s point of view.
- If you bid for Munich to win, you win the bet only if Munich scores 4 or more goals.
- However, if you bit for Munich and they score 3 goals, then from the bookmaker’s point of view, it’s a draw, and so your stakes will be returned.
- If you bid for Porto and if Porto wins, draws, or loses by not more than 2 goals, you win the bet.
- If you bid for Porto and it loses by 3 goals, then your stakes will be returned, and if Porto loses by more than 3 goals, you lose the bet.
Asian Handicap Betting Explained:
Asian Handicap betting and standard handicap betting are very similar, yet there are some differences. Named after the Asians and the massive popularity among them, it aims to provide each team an equal opportunity. The major difference between Asian handicap betting and standard betting is that in Asian handicap, you cannot bet on the draw of the match. You have to choose either of the team, and the outcomes are only a win or a loss. For this reason alone, the points handicaps are always in decimals such as 0.5, 1.5, 2.5, and so on.
Asian Handicap Betting Tips:
One of the best ways to start your sports betting career is through Asian Handicap betting. But it can be risky and difficult for a beginner. The basic Asian handicap betting tips listed below can help you start with this particular form of betting.
- Place bets for small stakes when starting out.
- If you are into online betting, then always choose a reputed site for betting.
- Check news and form of the teams that are playing the match you are betting on.
- Back big favorites at -1 or -1.5.
- Back potentially weak underdogs at +2 or +3.
Types of Handicap Bets:
Handicap League Betting:
As the name suggests, here you would be betting on a team for the whole league rather than a match. Thus the bet profits are received after the completion of the league or competition. Unlike the handicap match bettings where points are awarded to the team that you have wagered on, in handicap leagues, all the teams get handicap points from the bookmaker. The league favorites get the fewest points, the weakest teams get the most points, and other balanced teams get even points.
No Draw Handicap Betting:
Handicap bets provided in decimals are called ‘No Draw Handicap Betting’. Such situations occur in matches where the results can’t be in points like in soccer and many other sports.
Split Handicap betting:
Split betting is a unique type of Asian Handicap betting. Also known as a quarter handicap as it always features handicap points with a quarter fraction like 1.25 or -1.75 and so on. In such cases, two handicaps combine to form one handicap. Like 1.25 is a combination one 1.50 and 1.00. Similarly, -1.75 is a combination of -2.00 and -1.50.
It simply means we split our stake into two wagers.
What Sports Can Handicaps Used:
Soccer is not the only game to use handicap betting. Here are some game examples and how handicap points work for those games. Apart from the below-mentioned games, handicap points apply in basketball, badminton, sprinting, etc. Some bookies offer handicaps even for racing events.
- Soccer: Soccer, being one of the most-watched and most predictable sport has its hand in handicap betting more often than any other sports.
- Rugby: Similar to soccer, one team starts with a point advantage. The points are higher since the scoring is also more in rugby.
- Golf: Punters can place a handicap on the number of shots required for a player to complete one shot.
- Tennis: Punters place handicap bets either on the sets or the number of games in a match.
Calculating Betting Results and Payouts:
Calculating the payouts for a newbie might feel complicated. But it is a very simple process, trust us on that.
- In case you win the bet, you can multiply the initial stake amount by the odds in which you won. For example, if the initial stake amount was $10 and you won at an odds of 1.75, then your price would be 10*1.75= $17.5, and $7.5 is your profit.
- If in case you lost the bet, then you receive nothing.
In the case of split betting, things get a little complicated. There are two scenarios here:
- If you lose half and the other half refunded, you get half of your stake back.
- If you win half and the other half refunded, you have to use the formula to calculate
- ((STAKE / 2 * ODDS) + (STAKE / 2))
