What is Asian Handicap Betting?
Football backers are often put off by Asian Handicap because it looks too complicated. As they don’t understand the odds, and the fact that those same odds are in decimal form can also be confusing. However, it is all quite simple and, when used properly, can be a valuable betting medium.
Decimal Odds Explained
Decimal odds can be confusing to those used to the standard fractional version but are easier to understand. The only real difference if we compare the odds types is that decimal odds include the original stake.
For example, odds of 2.0 means that a £10 winning bet returns half a stake of £20 or the original stake multiplied by 2.0. Likewise, that £10 bet at 1.5 would pay out £15.
Shorter Prices Explained
The Asian Handicap system is there to give each team an equal chance of winning by giving the supposed weaker of the two a head start be it one goal or half goals or more.
The result is that any given Bet is generally priced at in and around even money.
A Push Explained
While the odds are not as big as backing a team to win minus one goal in a traditional handicap, there is at least one great thing about the Asian Handicap. By its very nature, that is, there cannot be a full draw outcome.
This means that should your selected team end up on level, despite a plus or minus Asian handicap bet, the stake is refunded as it would be in a “draw no bet” situation. In Asian Handicap betting, this is known as a “push”.
The Most Popular Types of Asian Handicap
Asian Handicap explained range from an advantage of ¼ of a goal to three and, rarely, more goals.
The most popular markets are for whole goal handicaps of 0 and 1, which are equivalent to traditional handicap markets with the bonus of having the stakes refunded if your selection fails to win with or without the selected handicap.
Half-goal handicaps are also very popular as a draw is impossible and the chances of winning are better than those in the whole or negative goal handicap markets. Better to win half and lose half than don’t win at all.
One Goal Handicap
Selecting two handicaps for a team to win either a -1 or +1 goal is quite a common bet for regular football backers.
However, the Asian Handicap markets have the bonus of refunding the stakes if the selection fails to beat the handicap.
So the Asian handicap odds are shorter than standard handicap markets but the safety net of receiving the stake money back is often worth the lower price.
Half Goal Handicap
Since no team can score half a goal, there can never be a draw (or “push”) in any match.
Backing a team to win with a handicap of 0.5 will pay off if the selected team wins or if the actual game finishes as a draw.
Again, the odds are lower but the chances of one team winning are now two out of three.
Quarter Goal Handicap
This is the bet that confuses most newcomers to Asian Handicap quarter lines Betting. Figures such as -0.25, -1.25, +0.25 etc besides the team’s name can be difficult to get to grips with at first, but all they represent is an each-way bet.
If, for example, you back Team Blue with a -0.75, called Asian handicap, then half your stake money goes to Team Blue at -0.5 and the other half at -1.0.
In Asian handicap bets such as these, it is possible to win both bets, lose one and win one and even win or lose one with the other being a push.
The cash out will be at Asian handicap betting reduces depending on the outcome of your bets, but a small return is better than nothing if only one of your bets comes up.
Is There a Difference Between Asian Handicap Betting and Spread Betting?
Asian Handicap is a form of spread betting but tailored for games that can be won or lost by a single point or goal and where draws are the possible outcomes.
It is ideal for football where a single goal can decide the outcome, whereas spread betting is more suited for games where scores are in multiple points, such as American football and basketball. These games can be won by tens of points which are covered by half your bet, in “spreads”.
Very few soccer matches end up in victories by huge margins regardless of the two teams in opposition.
Is There a Difference Between Asian Handicap and European Handicap?
Although Asian Handicap lines betting is growing in popularity, it is still some distance behind traditional or European betting.
Apart from the comfort of the bets using a familiar system, European handicap betting offers bigger odds. But, of course, the chances of being right, and consistently right, are smaller. Backing the winning team to win at odds of 1/2 would yield a profit of 50%.
This is an excellent investment return but often not enough to please the backers.
+9 
+12
+4
+1
+4
+10
+4
+3
+4
+7
+7
+12
+5
The obvious thought is that if the team is good enough to be short-priced favourites then why can’t void bet they can win by a couple of goals?
Therefore, why not back the team to win minus one goal at bigger odds of 7/5? Fine, if it works out but a football game is never easy to predict and the chances of losing the bet increase with each goal you add to the handicap.
Asian Handicaps are there to make both sides equal and create as near as possible, a 50/50 scenario. The draw sees half of your stake refunded along with increasing your payout, which combined with a betting bonus, makes almost your win certain.
The downside is the fact that the best odds you will get are generally in the region of even money. However, if you want to experience live betting with a near 100% return on your investment, then the Asian Handicap market is the better choice.
Asian Handicap Betting FAQ
What is a +1.5 Asian handicap?
+1.5 in Asian handicap betting uses a half goal line, meaning that the team with the +1.50 allocation gets a ‘one and a half goal start’ to the game.
What does 0.75 Asian handicap mean in betting?
A 0.75 bet essentially gives your selected team a three-quarters of a goal head start (+0.75) or deficit (-0.75).
