Brief Punters Guide to Asian Handicap Betting

While it might have a name that links it to a geographical area, Asian handicap betting is popular throughout the world and is enjoyed by punters across all continents, as well as online.

If you have ever wagered on sports, you would be aware that betting correctly on the outright winner of a race or a match is just the tip of the iceberg.  When you visit a sportsbook, you have the choice of betting on point total, money line, spread as well as various forms of prop bets.

Asian handicap betting is used universally by bettors and is one of the most straightforward betting styles to understand.  It also adds excitement to irrelevant matches and helps bettors improve their earning potential.

Understanding Asian Handicap Betting

When betting on soccer games, handicapping works like traditional spreads, focusing primarily on the marking of victory instead of an outright winner.  Handicaps also eliminate ties, thus simplifying the wagers.  

Handicaps can be both negative and positive, allowing your team to start a match with a virtual goal deficit or get a head start of added goals before the game commences.  Handicaps are also more prevalent when one team has an obvious advantage over another on the field.  

Half and Whole-Line Asian Handicaps

The most popular Asian handicap is a half-line handicap, which eliminates the possibility of a tie or a draw.  The other significant type of handicap is a whole-line handicap.  Imagine Canada plays against England, and you are tempted to bet on the English at -1.  For you to come through, England will need to win by more than a goal.   

If England wins by a score of 4-2, then the adjusted handicap score will be 3-2, in which case you will win.  However, if England won 3-2, the adjusted score would be 2-2, which results in a tie.  The outcome of this would then be a push, with neither you nor the bookmaker winning, so you will get your money back.

Split Line Asian Handicap

When you place a split line wager, that wager will be divided across two bets, a half and a whole-line bet. For example, in a game between France and Mexico, you might find a handicap line of Mexico -2.5, -3. Here, half of your wager will be placed on Mexico winning by at least 2.5 goals and the other half will be wagered upon them winning by at least three goals. If Mexico wins by a final score of 5-1, then you’ll win both halves of your wager.

However, if Mexico wins by a score of 4-1, then the adjusted half-line and full-line scores would be 1.5-1 and 1-1 respectively. As you can tell, you would win the half-line bet but the full-line bet would be a push. It’s also possible to lose both bets.

Level Ball Bets

Most sites make use of Asian handicaps to eliminate the probability of losing on a tie.  Watch out for draw-no-bets or level ball.  Here, for a draw, your original stake gets returned to you, as if you never wagered in the first place.  If you place draw-no-bets as part of a parlay, a tie is treated as if you never betted on a match, with the rest of your card carrying on. 

In-Play Betting

Asian handicap betting doesn’t necessarily have to end at kick-off, with many sites offering live and in-play betting options.  This allows you to take money off the table, hedge your bets, or even double down, depending on how your game is progressing.  In-play betting is also not limited to handicaps, and you can bet on anything from team scores to individual player performance.

Pay Attention to Odds

Remember always to consider both the payouts and the margins of victory.  For example, when agreeing on a favourite, you can split your cash between some handicap bets with improved payouts and an outright winner, depending what’s more worth your while.

Asian handicap betting is simple to grasp once you get the hang of it and allows you added flexibility with your wagers.  We trust that our guide has made this betting style easier for you to understand. Good luck!