Most football leagues, tournaments, and cup competitions consist of different types of teams. Some teams are top-seeded, while others may fall lower in the pecking order. When two uneven squads face each other, the better squad is more likely to win. Since the outcome is a foregone conclusion more than roughly 75% of the time, bookies are incentivized to make betting on different effects more interesting. Sportsbooks do so by completing the probabilities of the outcome closer than they are. The popularity of handicap betting has grown in the last few decades. While the game’s origin is traced back to East Asia, they developed similar versions of the game with different names in Europe and other parts. Currently, handicap betting is one of the fastest-growing betting markets across Asia and the globe.
What Is Handicap Betting?
Handicap betting is betting with a handicap in place. A handicap wager is usually available when a superior and an inferior team are playing against each other. If both teams are evenly matched, then there is no incentive for a handicap wager. The unique team is given the handicap, and the inferior team is given an advantage before the game begins. An example of a handicap bet includes making a wager on Manchester City versus Bradford City. The odds of Manchester City winning are 1/25, and the odds of Bradford City winning are 25/1. A punter knows Man City is more likely to win the outcome; however, the payoff is minimal. A handicap wager would give Bradford City 3 or 4 goals at the start of the game; a handicap ManCity needs to overcome by scoring many goals to draw or more to win.
Types Of Handicap Betting
Punters can make handicap wagers on several sporting events outside football such as Esports gaming, the National Football League, the PGA, tennis, hockey, Australian rugby, cricket, boxing, MMA, and other sporting events. The three main types of handicap betting markets in football include:
- The Asian handicap betting market.
- The season handicap betting market.
- The no draw handicap betting market.
Asian Handicap
Asian handicap betting markets are the most popular in Asia, followed by Europe and Australia. Asian handicap bets are the same as regular handicap bets with the caveat of no draw outcomes. By using decimal numbers, the possibility of a draw outcome on an Asian handicap is removed. The regular handicap betting markets usually use whole numbers. A punter can then bet on either a team winning or losing without worrying about a draw as the third outcome. A player’s wager is returned in the event of a tie (or push), indicating no loss and no gain.
Season Handicap
A season handicap is also called a league handicap and is similar to a match handicap. However, a season handicap involves making an accurate prediction of a season’s outcome based on the league table at the end of the season. A team that is more likely to win the League will have a handicap to overcome, while the other groups will have a points advantage at the start of the season. At the end of the season, each team’s actual points are added to the handicap points to determine the winner of the season handicap.
No Draw Handicap
A no draw handicap gives a punter the advantage of betting on two outcomes (a win and loss). For no draw handicaps to be applicable, the sportsbook needs to offer decimal odds (a difference of 0.25 or 0.50) to either of the teams (not both) to remove any possibility of a draw outcome on a no draw handicap bet. In rare cases, punters may receive a draw for no draw handicap bets. However, any wagers on such bets are considered void and returned to the bettor.
Asian And European Handicap
The main difference between the Asian and European handicap betting markets is the number of possible outcomes. In European handicap bets, a punter can win, lose or draw. A draw or loss is considered a loss. In Asian handicap bets, punters can win or lose or draw and expect draws returned. Most Asian gaming and sports betting operators offer extensive Asian and European handicap betting markets. However, punters outside Asia may be restricted to a few Asian handicap betting providers.
