If you consider yourself to be part of the betting community, either via the internet or in your local bookies shop, you may have heard the word ‘handicap’ bandied about and wonder what the Dickens could that possibly mean?
In actual fact a handicap is a way of maximising your betting value by adding an artificial headstart (or obstacle) to one of the teams or players involved.
Confused? Not to worry. Read on for all the info you need on betting handicaps.
What is a Betting Handicap?
Think back to your school days (easier for some readers than others, presumably) and remember the old games of football you used to have on the playground. You probably got lined up and two captains picked the sides.
Inevitably, there would be a miss match and some folks would start whining. “The teams aren’t fair,” they’d say, “We’re going to get hammered.”
“Okay,” the opposite captain would say. “You can have a two-goal headstart.”
And right there, ladies and gentlemen, handicapping was born.
Types of Handicaps
There are two general types of handicaps: traditional and Asian.
Traditional Handicap
The traditional handicap is as described above; providing an obstacle for the more capable to overcome, or handing a headstart to the weaker party. It’s most common application is in football, although many sports can be wagered upon with handicaps including tennis (game/set handicaps), cricket (score handicaps), snooker (frame handicaps), darts (leg/set handicaps), American Football (the same principal as a handicap but known as the ‘point spread’), and many more.
The key thing to note is that the traditional handicaps are doled out in whole numbers; the reason why that is important will become clear soon enough.
Visually, handicaps are presented on betting coupons as follows:
The main ‘Handicap Result’ market is derived by bookmakers as the set of outcomes closest to even money. The ‘Alternative Handicap Result’ tab offers options for punters who like betting on dead certs (as if anything like that exists), long shots, or something in the middle.
But what do the plus and minus numbers actually mean?
+1 -> Here a team is given a single goal headstart, so if we bet on Arsenal vs Chelsea with a one goal handicap, Arsenal would hypothetically be 1-0 up as the first whistle blows.
So our bet would land if Arsenal win or draw the game. Let’s say the game ends 1-1:
Arsenal 1 vs 1 Chelsea -> Add the one goal handicap -> Arsenal now theoretically win 2-1 and our bet wins.
-1 -> This is the opposite effect, where a goal is taken away from the selected team at the final whistle. In order for the bet to land, our pick must win by two or more goals.
Let’s use the example above and say that Chelsea win 2-0:
Arsenal 0 vs 2 Chelsea -> Apply the handicap -> Chelsea now theoretically win 1-0, so our bet still lands.
With these whole number handicaps there are no ‘pushes’, e.g. stake refunds where the handicap means a draw is the outcome.
So if Chelsea win 1-0 and we have backed them at the -1 mark, the hypothetical result becomes 0-0. That means our bet loses.
Asian Handicap
The concept behind Asian handicaps is the same as their traditional counterparts, although the way to work it out is slightly different.
That’s because Asian handicaps introduce fractions into the mix. Most often it will just be +/- 0.5, 1.5, 2.5, etc. and in this case, it is still fairly simple, but then there are also 0.25 and 0.75 to contend with, and this is where it starts to get a bit confusing.
Well just stick with us and remember how traditional handicaps work. Now keep that in mind and have a look at the info below, which explains how Asian lines are calculated:
0.00 Asian Line
Match Result: Win | Bet Result: Win
Match Result: Draw | Bet Result: Stake Refund
Match Result: Lose | Bet Result: Lost
+0,+0.50 (often known as +0.25)
Match Result: Win | Bet Result: Win
Match Result: Draw | Bet Result: Half Win
Match Result: Lose | Bet Result: Lost
+0.50 Asian Line
Match Result: Win | Bet Result: Win
Match Result: Draw | Bet Result: Win
Match Result: Lose | Bet Result: Lost
+0.50, +1.00 (often known as +0.75)
Match Result: Win | Bet Result: Win
Match Result: Draw | Bet Result: Win
Match Result: Lose by 1 Goal | Bet Result: Half Lost
Match Result: Lose by 2+ Goals | Bet Result: Lost
+1.00 Asian Line
Match Result: Win | Bet Result: Win
Match Result: Draw | Bet Result: Win
Match Result: Lose by 1 Goal | Bet Result: Stake Refund
Match Result: Lose by 2+ Goals | Bet Result: Lost
And so on.
-0.00, -0.50 (often known as -0.25)
Match Result: Win | Bet Result: Win
Match Result: Draw | Bet Result: Half Lose
Match Result: Lose | Bet Result: Lost
-0.50 Asian Line
Match Result: Win | Bet Result: Win
Match Result: Draw | Bet Result: Lost
Match Result: Lose | Bet Result: Lost
-0.50, -1.00 (often known as -0.75)
Match Result: Win by 2+ Goals| Bet Result: Win
Match Result: Win by 1 Goal | Bet Result: Half Win
Match Result: Draw| Bet Result: Lost
Match Result: Lose | Bet Result: Lost
-1.00 Asian Line
Match Result: Win by 2+ Goals | Bet Result: Win
Match Result: Win by 1 Goal | Bet Result: Stake Refund
Match Result: Draw | Bet Result: Lost
Match Result: Lose | Bet Result: Lost
There are almost infinite options as far as Asian handicaps go, so if you expect a game to be a really one-sided affair then you can expect Asian lines of +/- 3.00 or even 4.00.
Handicap Betting Strategy
If you think about the nature of the beast, there are two ways in which handicap betting can be deployed to enhance the value of an event:
- When you think the favourite will win easily.
- When you think the underdog will outperform their odds.
Let’s take a look at each in turn:
Enhancing a Favourite’s Value
We’ve all been there; glancing down a list of fixtures and spotting what we consider to be an absolute banker of a bet.
Unfortunately, the bookmakers agree with you, and so they price up the event accordingly to basically put you off betting on the favourite.
So let’s say Manchester City are playing Swansea. Naturally, City are where the betting money is but their odds of 1/4 are untouchable for smart punters who seek out value.
And this is where the handicaps show their teeth.
If we put £10 on City to win the game against Swansea, then our total return will be £12.50 – that is not what we’re looking for.
So we can peruse the handicap markets and find a few ways to make extra money:
Manchester City -1 Handicap vs Swansea at 1/2 -> £10 returns £15.
Manchester City -1.75 Asian Line vs Swansea at 7/10 -> £10 returns £17.
So we’ve found a way to massage extra betting value from the game – increasing our risk admittedly – and while the payout doesn’t look much more in isolation, extend that to a whole season’s worth of betting and we can see how utilising handicaps when having a wager on the favourite can work for us.
Getting Behind the Underdog
In a reverse of the above scenario, sometimes we can flick through a fixture list and think ‘wow, I can’t believe so-and-so are that price against them.’
In these instances, punters have a number of options. They can bet the underdog to win the match outright (high risk, high reward), or use a ‘cover’ market to get them onside such as Draw No Bet or Double Chance (low risk, low reward).
The handicap markets offer a decent reward for minimal risk. Here’s an example:
Swansea +2 Handicap vs Man City at 13/10 -> £10 returns £23
Swansea +2.00 Asian Handicap vs Man City at 11/10 -> £10 returns £21
So let’s establish what we have here. We can more than double our outlay based on the assumption that Swansea might lose to Man City, but if it’s just by a single goal then our bet will still land.
As far as our Asian line is concerned, Swansea can lose by a two-goal margin and our stake will be refunded as the worst case scenario.
The key to handicap betting on the underdog is that it enables us to pursue our hunch that a so-called lesser team or player will outperform expectations, and yet from a financial standpoint still minimise our risk. And you can’t say fairer than that.
Handicap Betting: The Professional Approach
It would be simply outstanding if we could all turn our weekend betting into a full time job, but as we all know, adequately sourcing a consistent stream of winners is easier said and done.
Of the small band of ‘professional punters’ out there, the vast majority will have built their empire on Asian handicap betting.
Why? Because it enables those in the know to generate excellent returns as compared to those wagering on match winner, goals-based markets, etc. Where else can you bet on a team to lose by a single goal and yet your bet still wins?
Here are some quick pointers to maximise your own performance while handicap betting:
- Do your homework – fail to prepare, and you prepare to fail. Make sure all your picks are well researched: injury news, current form, head-to-head records – use all of the data available.
- Do consider all the parameters – consider the bigger picture when hunting down handicap selections. An example would be a team playing away in the Champions League on a Wednesday and then facing a tough game on the Saturday. They may well struggle at the weekend despite the bookmakers suggesting otherwise, and so taking a holistic approach to bet finding is advised.
- Don’t look at the odds first – this might seem a strange notion, but try it. Take a print-out of a set of fixtures and assign each with a scoreline that you think will play out. This should be the basis of your handicap selections; don’t go price chasing.
- Do find ‘faux favourites’ – sometimes the bookmakers get it wrong and price up a favourite at short odds even though they aren’t what we might consider a genuine favourite. The best way to oppose them is to back their opponents with a + handicap mark.
Are In-Play Handicap Markets Available?
They are, but here’s the thing; the handicaps are calculated according to the scoreline at that moment in time.
So if Team A goes 1-0 up then all of the handicap prices presented by your bookie will be based upon that scoreline. Don’t be fooled into thinking that you’re betting from a 0-0 line.
The key strategy here is knowing when to pull the trigger on your bet. Track the match(es) that you want to have a flutter on, and monitor the progress of the game. Who is in the ascendancy? Who is the more likely victor? Have there been any defining moments – injuries, red cards, etc?
The handicap lines are quite fluid in-play, and you will notice these fluctuate as the action unfolds. Timing is everything to ensure you get the very best value.
Can I Build Handicap Accumulators?
You can, and in many ways these are a safer proposition than standard match winner accas. As mentioned, you can manage your risk better with handicaps or alternatively generate better odds by backing the favourite with a minus line.
A note regarding Asian handicaps: these can include stake refunds or half wins/losses based upon your selections, so don’t forget that your accumulator payout can alter based upon these outcomes.