Asian Handicap Betting
At 88goals.com, we believe that all bettors should have the opportunity to learn. We want to help educate our players and assist them when it comes to learning about various different online betting terminology.
Moreover, we also want to aid our sports betting customers so that they fully understand some of the more complex types of betting markets.
In this article, we’re here to talk about a very specific betting market indeed. A betting market that is popular but also confusing, especially for the newcomer or novice bettor.
We’re referring to the Asian Handicap betting market, which has long been a popular betting market amongst gamblers who like to bet on football. The Asian Handicap market is quite an involved market and it takes some getting used to, so we’ve put together this guide to help you along.
What is an Asian Handicap?
Let’s start with the basics and look at what an Asian Handicap is. There is often a perceived disparity between two teams ahead of a football match. In a nutshell, Asian Handicap betting is a type of betting that is designed to level the playing field between two teams.
In other words, the Asian Handicap bridges the perceived gap in quality between two teams. If one team is considered to be better than their opponents, they will be given a negative Asian Handicap to overcome. Conversely, the other team is given a positive Asian Handicap, which can be thought of as a head start.
This can all seem quite confusing to start with, but once you get to grips with it, Asian Handicap betting is relatively straightforward.
With Asian Handicap betting, you have lots of options. You can bet on teams to overcome a handicap and win by at least a certain margin, say two goals, or you can bet on teams to defy the Asian Handicap and either draw or lose by less than a certain number of goals.
Full lines, half lines and quarter lines
Before we go any further, it’s important to note that there are three primary types or categories of Asian Handicap bets. You have full Asian Handicaps, half Asian Handicaps and quarter Asian Handicaps. These are also commonly known as lines, so full lines, half lines and quarter lines.
Full Asian Handicaps
Let’s first take a look at some examples of full Asian Handicap bets below.
- 0 Asian Handicap
- -1 Asian Handicap
- +1 Asian Handicap
These are known as full handicaps. Let’s begin with the 0 Asian Handicap. If you bet on either team in a football match with 0 Asian Handicap, you are betting on that team to win, but the 0 means that you get the insurance of a refund should the game end as a draw. Let’s say you bet on Manchester United’s 0 Asian Handicap against Arsenal. If Manchester United win, you win the bet. If the game ends in a draw, you get your stake refunded. And if Arsenal wins, you lose.
Now, let’s say you bet on Arsenal -1 Asian Handicap. For you to win this bet, Arsenal would need to win by two clear goals. In other words, they’d need to cover the handicap. If they win by two or more goals, you win the bet. If they win by just one goal, or the game ends in a draw, you lose. And if they lose, you also lose.
If you were to bet on Manchester United +1 Asian Handicap, you would win the bet as long as Manchester United won or draw. If Arsenal wins, you lose the bet. Betting on a team with a +1 Asian Handicap effectively means that the team starts the game one goal in front. From that position, they only need to draw for you to win. Betting on a team with a -1 Asian Handicap essentially means that you’re betting on that team to start a goal down. Therefore, to win the game, they need to score twice and win by at least a two-goal margin.
Full Asian Handicaps start at 0 before going right up to 2, 3 and even 4. The above principle remains the same regardless of the full Asian Handicap number. So, if you bet on a team -2 Asian Handicap, to win the bet, that team would need to win by three clear goals, thus covering the deficit.
Half Asian Handicaps
Here are some examples of half Asian Handicaps:
- -0.5 Asian Handicap
- +0.5 Asian Handicap
- -1.5 Asian Handicap
- +1.5 Asian Handicap
The above examples are known as half handicaps or half lines. If you bet on a team -0.5 Asian Handicap, you’re betting on that team to start half a goal down. Of course, this half-goal deficit isn’t real, but for betting purposes, it is. In this case, you’ll need the team to win the game, be that by one goal or four goals, they simply need to win for you to win your bet.
If, however, you bet on a team +0.5 Asian Handicap, to win your bet, you’ll need them to simply avoid defeat by either winning or drawing. In this case, you only lose your bet if they lose the game.
Let’s kick it up a notch. If you bet on a team -1.5 Asian Handicap, you’ll need that team to win the game by at least two goals for you to win the bet. Why? Because they’re effectively starting 1.5 goals down, and to cover that, they need to score at least two more goals than their opponents.
On the other hand, if you bet on a team +1.5 Asian Handicap, then they’re getting a 1.5 goals head start, so for you to win, that team can either win, draw or lose by a single goal. In this instance, you only lose if the team loses by two or more goals.
Quarter Asian Handicaps
Here are some examples of quarter Asian Handicaps:
- -0.25 Asian Handicap
- +0.25 Asian Handicap
- -0.75 Asian Handicap
- +0.75 Asian Handicap
- +1.25 Asian Handicap
- -1.25 Asian Handicap
Now, this is where things get slightly more complicated. With quarter Asian Handicaps, there are more eventualities.
If you were to bet on a team -0.25 Asian Handicap, you’re betting on that team to start an imaginary quarter-goal down. If the team wins, you win the bet. Nice and simple. However, if they draw, you only lose half of your stake. If they lose, lose.
The reverse of that situation would be to bet on a team of +0.25 Asian Handicap. That team then effectively starts with a quarter-goal lead. If they win the game, you win the bet. If the game ends in a draw, you win half the amount you would if the team had won. And if the team loses, you lose.
Now, for .75 Asian Handicaps, it’s a little different. If you bet on a team -0.75 Asian Handicap, the team needs to win by two clear goals for you to get a full win, though if they win by just one, you’ll receive a half win. If they draw or lose, you’ll lose the bet.
Should you bet on a team +0.75 Asian Handicap, you will win the bet if that team either wins or draws the game. If they lose by only a single goal, you will lose half of your stake and receive a refund for the other half. If they lose by two clear goals, you will lose the bet entirely.
Why choose Asian Handicap betting?
As we can see from the examples provided above, Asian Handicap betting provides punters with more choices and more opportunities than typical Match Result (Winner) betting.
Asian Handicaps offer bettors the chance to bet on a wider range of match outcomes, while there’s also the opportunity to either avoid or limit losses when things don’t quite go to plan.
For example, if you bet on a team to win a game via the traditional Match Result market, you’re not getting anything back should they lose or if the game ends in a draw. In contrast, if you bet on a team to win via a 0 Asian Handicap, you’ll get your money back if they don’t quite get over the line.
If you fancy a punt on an outsider, but you want a little bit of insurance, Asian Handicap betting can provide this. At the end of the day, sometimes, you want to take on the favourite without having to simply bet on just the draw or the outsider to win. Again, there are numerous Asian Handicap markets that allow you to get this balance just right.
Basically, Asian Handicap betting opens up the possibilities for the footballer bettor looking to bet on the outcome of matches. It allows them to go into a game knowing that they have more options than simply winning, losing or drawing. The lure of getting a refund, achieving a half-win, or even limiting the defeat with a half-loss is what makes Asian Handicap betting so appealing.
Asian Handicap Betting Tips
Asian Handicap (AH) betting is a popular form that originated in Asia and is now available on many betting platforms worldwide. Here are some general tips for Asian Handicap betting:
- Understand the concept of Asian Handicap: Asian Handicap betting eliminates the possibility of a draw by giving a handicap to the underdog team. This means that the underdog is given a virtual head start, while the favourite is handicapped by overcoming that deficit to win the bet.
- Study the teams: Before placing an Asian Handicap bet, it’s essential to research the teams involved, their form, and their recent results. Check their head-to-head record, the players’ injuries and suspensions, and the team’s tactics.
- Analyze the odds: Analyzing the odds is crucial in Asian Handicap betting. You should look for value bets that offer good odds and assess the probability of a particular outcome.
- Avoid big handicaps: It’s generally best to avoid big handicaps in Asian Handicap betting as they are riskier. Instead, look for smaller handicaps that are more manageable for the underdog team to overcome.
- Manage your bankroll: Like all forms of betting, it’s important to manage your bankroll when placing Asian Handicap bets. Set a budget and stick to it, and don’t chase losses by betting more than you can afford.
- Bet with reputable bookmakers: Lastly, it’s crucial to bet with reputable bookmakers who offer fair odds and pay out winnings promptly. Read reviews and check their licensing and regulation before placing a bet.
Asian Handicaps at 88Goals
We offer lots of Asian Handicap betting options at 88goals.com. Whether you’re looking to bet on the UEFA Champions League, the English Premier League, the German Bundesliga, Spain’s La Liga or Internationals, we’ve got no end of Asian Handicap betting markets for you to enjoy.
To find out Asian Handicap offerings for any given match, from the main menu of our website, simply head to the Sports section, before finding the game that you wish to bet on from either the Popular Competitions or main Football sections.
Once you’ve found your chosen game, simply click on it to open the full selection of odds and scroll down until you find the Asian Handicap odds. For most fixtures, we will have a full selection of full, half and quarter Asian Handicap lines. To place an Asian Handicap bet, simply add your chosen selection to your bet slip, from which you can double-check the odds, enter your stake and strike your bet.