Asian handicap betting has become incredibly popular over the last few years. It continues to gain momentum as more bettors look for exciting and profitable ways to place their bets.
Yet there are still a large number of bettors who don’t understand asian handicaps and therefore don’t use them in their betting strategy.
If that’s you, you’re missing out big time!
In this explainer guide we’ll look at what Asian handicap betting is, the different options available and how you can profit with bet365 and other popular bookmakers.
Let’s jump right in.
Asian handicap explained
For those of you who are new to handicaps, we’ll start right from the beginning.
Asian handicap betting is relatively new in the world of sports betting. As you guessed, it originates from the Asian betting market where handicap betting on football is very popular.
However, it’s not just Asia where handicap betting is popular. Bettors in other parts of the world, especially the UK and Europe love placing Asian handicaps on football fixtures.
So what is asian handicap betting?
Handicaps are betting markets that are designed to give an underdog a virtual head start.
The weaker of the two opponents is usually given a head start in terms of points or goals. In football, an underdog may be given a head start by two goals (+2.0) for example.
A minus symbol (-) is given to the favourite team giving them a disadvantage and a plus symbol (+) is given to the underdogs, giving them a virtual advantage.
With Asian handicaps, bookmakers aim to reduce the advantage a team may have by levelling the playing field and making the outcome harder to predict.
If your selected team lose the match, your Asian handicap may still be profitable depending on the advantage your team were given. This makes handicap betting far more exciting especially if the underdog wins with a handicap.
Asian handicaps eliminate the possibility of a draw so there are only two potential outcomes. If your bet ends in a draw, your stake will be refunded. The bet is essentially void and cancelled by the bookmaker.
Different Asian handicap lines
Before you start placing any bets, it’s important to understand the different handicap lines and how they work.
There are various types of Asian handicap including:
- Whole goal handicaps such as +1.0
- Half-goal handicaps such as +0.5
- Quarter goal handicaps such as +0.25
Here’s a few examples.
We’re going to use two Premier League teams, Arsenal and Notts Forest. At the time of writing, Notts Forest are sitting bottom of the table and Arsenal are top.
We’ve got a clear underdog and favourite heading into the fixture.
Whole goal handicap
Arsenal (-1.0) v Notts Forest (1.0)
Notts Forest are starting the game with a one-goal advantage.
- If you’re backing Notts Forest, you win the bet if they win or draw the match.
- If you’re backing Arsenal, you win the bet if they win the match by two or more goals.
- If the result ends in a draw once the handicap has been applied your stake is refunded.
Half-goal handicap
It’s important to note there are no refunds in half-goal handicaps as there’s always a clear winner.
Arsenal (-1.5) v Notts Forest (1.5)
Notts Forest are starting the game with a 1.5 goal advantage.
- If you’re backing Notts Forest, you win the bet if they win or draw the match.
- If you’re backing Arsenal, you win the bet if they win the match by two or more goals.
- If the match ends in a draw and you’re backing Arsenal, you lose the bet.
Whilst handicaps are different from more traditional markets like Win/Draw/Win, they offer more excitement and better value odds especially on favourites.
Two-way handicaps
You can also bet on two-way handicaps where your stake is split in two. Half your stake goes towards one handicap and the other half goes to a different handicap.
If you’re just getting started I suggest you stick to basic Asian handicaps and build up from there.
What sports can handicaps be used for?
You can place handicaps on any sport where a points advantage or disadvantage can be given. Some good examples of sports that bettors like to use handicaps on include:
- Golf
- Tennis
- Rugby
However, the majority of bettors wager handicaps on football matches where there is usually a clear underdog and favourite.
An Asian handicap is the term used to describe handicap betting on football games.
How to profit from Asian handicap betting
Now for the exciting bit – how to profit with Asian handicap betting.
As with most betting formats, if you know what you’re doing you can make a great profit betting on Asian handicaps with bet365 and other popular bookmakers.
The most important part is to do your research before placing any bets. There’s no point placing bets on gut instinct. You’ll only lose money to the bookies.
You need to know your sport inside out, whether that’s football, golf or rugby.
Placing winning bets on Asian handicaps requires the same level of effort and commitment as other betting formats.
Some of the key stats and information you should check out include:
- Team news
- Current form
- Head to head results
With this amount of knowledge, you should be able to find value in handicap bets and make your betting more exciting in the process.
Placing Asian handicaps at bet365
Bet365 are one of the most popular bookmakers out there so it’s no wonder bettors consider placing Asian handicaps at bet365.
But is it a good idea and do bet365 offer good value on their Asian handicap markets?
In short, yes bet365 is a great choice for placing handicap bets.
They have a huge range of different Asian handicap lines and offer great value odds when compared to other bookmakers. As bet365 is one of the world’s leading betting platforms placing Asian handicaps along with other bets is very easy.
To place your Asian handicaps at bet365 follow the process below:
1. Head to the event you want to place your handicap bet on
2. Select the ‘Asian Lines’ market
3. Pick your Asian handicap. You can also find more handicaps under the ‘Alternative Asian Handicap’ section.
Are Asian handicaps worth it?
The question a lot of you will be asking is whether Asian handicaps are worth it.
Yes, they are a definitely worth adding to your betting strategy if you don’t use them already. You can often find some great value by betting on underdogs with handicaps and they make the whole betting process far more exciting.
Most online bookmakers offer this betting format meaning you’ve got plenty of opportunities to place your bets.