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Complete Guide To Asian Handicap Betting | LeoVegas

The Ultimate Guide to Asian Handicap Betting: Strategies, Mechanics, and Mastery

Summary: Asian Handicap is a form of betting on football that originated in Indonesia and gained popularity in the early 21st century.

It provides a more balanced and fair way to bet on soccer matches, as it considers the relative strengths of the two teams.The system involves handicapping teams according to their form so that a stronger team must win by more goals than the handicap for a bet on them to be successful.

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The growth in popularity has a very understanding reason; it adds somewhat of a safety net when you bet on a handicap. This factor separates it from a 3-way handicap. In this guide, we will guide you through the information you need to take advantage of the opportunities in this exciting market.

What Is Asian Handicap?

The Asian Handicap is a form of betting that originated in Indonesia in the late 1990s. It eliminates the possibility of a draw by adding a handicap to level the playing field between two unevenly matched teams. This innovative approach quickly gained popularity worldwide, as it offers more balanced odds and increases your chances of winning.

Originally, Asian Handicap was primarily used by bookmakers in Asia. Over time, however, it spread globally and has now become a staple betting market worldwide. Asian Handicap gives you a higher probability of winning by reducing the risk of losing bets due to draws. It also encourages more strategic decision-making, as it requires a deeper understanding of each team's strengths and weaknesses. By minimizing risk while enhancing strategy, the Asian Handicap has become a favourite among bettors.

The Unique Appeal of Asian Handicap

The standout feature of Asian Handicap betting is that it eliminates draws, which drastically changes wagering dynamics. In traditional betting systems, a draw often results in a loss unless you specifically bet on that outcome. However, the Asian Handicap eliminates this possibility.

For example, a stronger team might start with a -1 goal handicap, meaning they need to win by more than one goal for the bet to succeed. Conversely, the weaker team might start with a +1 goal advantage, so they can either win outright or lose by less than one goal for a winning bet.

This method gives you a clear outcome for each match, making the betting process far more engaging while also adding strategic elements. Eliminating draws allows you to focus on the strengths and weaknesses of the teams rather than the unpredictability of a draw.

The Asian Handicap also offers more balanced odds compared to traditional betting systems. By adding in the handicap, you can fine-tune the odds to better reflect the true probabilities of a match's outcome.

Understanding the Mechanics of Asian Handicap

The Basics: How Asian Handicap Works

Asian Handicap betting shakes things up by adding a virtual advantage or disadvantage to the teams involved in a sports bet. This system ensures a more balanced wager by theoretically levelling the playing field. The handicaps are generally expressed in goals and can be either positive or negative.

The Role of Goal Handicaps in Levelling the Playing Field

In essence, goal handicaps are used to remove the disparity between a stronger team and a weaker one. By giving a head start to the underdog or placing a goal deficit on the favourite, the gap in team strength is narrowed.

Positive vs. Negative Handicaps: What They Mean

Positive handicaps are given to the weaker team, and these appear in positive figures such as +1 or +1.5. This means, if a weaker team is given a +1 handicap, they get an initial one-goal advantage. On the other hand, negative handicaps are assigned to stronger teams and these are shown as negative figures like -1 or -1.5, meaning the team must win by more than one goal for the bet to succeed.

Key Terminology in Asian Handicap Betting

Half-Goal Handicaps: Decoding 0.5, 1.5, etc.

Half-goal handicaps are not whole numbers; instead, they are displayed as 0.5, 1.5, 2.5, and so on. So, if a team is given a -0.5 handicap, they must win the match outright for the bet to be successful. Similarly, a +0.5 handicap given to an underdog means that a draw or a win would result in a successful bet. Of course, teams can never score half a goal, so these handicaps are set to influence payouts.

Quarter-Goal Handicaps: Understanding 0.25 and 0.75

Quarter-goal handicaps add another layer of complexity and precision by offering betting figures like 0.25 and 0.75. These handicaps effectively split the bet into two separate wagers, each with half the original stake. For example, a -0.25 handicap means half the bet is placed on the team with a 0 handicap (draw no bet), and the other half on a -0.5 handicap.

If the match ends in a draw, the 0 handicap portion is refunded while the -0.5 portion is lost. This approach minimizes risks and opens the door to partial returns, making it a popular option if you’re looking for a more fine-tuned betting strategy.

The Push Outcome: When a Bet is Refunded

A push occurs when the match outcome exactly matches the handicap, resulting in a refunded bet. This situation typically happens in full-goal handicaps, with figures such as 0, +1, -1 and so on. So, if a team is given a +1 handicap and loses by a single goal, the bet is considered a push, and the original wager is refunded. The push outcome makes sure you don’t lose your money in scenarios where the match result aligns perfectly with the handicap.

Types of Asian Handicap Bets

Asian Handicap Table

Full Goal Handicap Explained

In full-goal Asian Handicaps, you encounter whole number figures such as 0, +1, or -1. These are the most straightforward bet types because if the handicap is met exactly, your stake is refunded.

This means that if a team is given a -1 handicap, they must win by more than one goal. If they win by exactly one goal, the bet ends in a push, and the stake is refunded with no additional winnings. On the other hand, if a team is given a +1 handicap, a draw or win results in winning the bet, while losing by one goal results in a push.

Let’s say you’re betting on FC Barcelona with a -1 handicap vs. Valencia CF. In this scenario, if FC Barcelona wins by two goals, the bet wins. If they win by one goal, it's a push. Alternatively, if you bet on Valencia CF with a +1 handicap against FC Barcelona, the bet wins if Valencia CF draws or wins. If they lose by one goal, it results in a push.

Half-Goal Handicap: Adding Precision

Half-goal handicaps, which come in figures like +0.5 or -0.5, add precision by eliminating the possibility of a draw. In practice, a -0.5 handicap means the favoured team must win, while a +0.5 handicap means the weaker team can win or draw. This removes a push result from the equation, so half-goal handicaps ensure there is a definitive result, giving you a clear win-loss scenario.

Quarter-Goal Handicap: Fine-Tuning the Advantage

Quarter-goal handicaps, such as +0.25 or -0.25, fine-tune the betting advantage even further by splitting bets into two halves.

In this case, a +0.25 handicap divides your stake between +0 and +0.5. This means that if a match ends in a draw, half the bet (the +0.5 part) wins, and the other half (the +0 part) is refunded, minimizing your risk. Conversely, a -0.25 handicap splits into -0 and -0.5, meaning that a win by one goal results in half the stake winning and the other half being refunded.

Strategic Applications of Asian Handicap

How to Evaluate Team Strengths for Asian Handicap Betting

Several critical aspects must be considered when evaluating team strengths for Asian Handicap betting.

Chief among these is the team’s performance history and current form. Analyzing a team's past results, particularly from the most recent seasons, provides a clearer and more consistent picture. This includes examining win-loss records, goal differentials, and performance in home or away scenarios. The team’s current form, reflected by the most recent performances, is just as important. This includes streaks of wins, draws, or losses, and other factors like injuries, suspensions, or management changes that could impact performance.

Analyzing head-to-head matchups gives even more insight. This involves reviewing past encounters between the two specific teams in question and noting their patterns. Some teams may consistently perform well against specific opponents because of specific tactics or historical rivalries.

Advanced Betting Techniques

Asian Handicap betting can be particularly helpful during live betting, where odds and handicaps change dynamically based on the game’s progress. If a favoured team concedes an early goal, the live handicap might change, offering more favourable terms for betting on a comeback.

You can also combine Asian Handicap bets with other types of wagers to diversify risks and improve the chance of potential returns. So, you could integrate Asian Handicap bets with over/under goals markets to create a more balanced betting portfolio.

If you anticipate a high-scoring game but are uncertain about the exact outcome, placing an Asian Handicap bet on the underdog, together with an over/under bet, could lead to improved potential returns. But always make sure you have a deep understanding of both bet types and can analyze several aspects of the match simultaneously.

Practical Examples of Asian Handicap Betting

Case Studies: Successful Asian Handicap Bets

Learning from real-life betting scenarios can help you get a better understanding of Asian Handicap betting.

Let’s consider the 2021 UEFA Champions League match between Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, specifically when the two teams met during the group stage and Paris Saint-Germain hosted the match. The match ended in a 2-0 win for Manchester City, so in this case, placing a bet on Manchester City with a -1.5 handicap could have resulted in a win since the winning team went well over the handicap level.

Practice Exercises for Beginners

Rather than using Asian Handicaps for the first time in high-stakes matches, it’s ideal to start by betting on simple matches. Consider a match between two uneven teams in a friendly game or a league game during a low-stakes period.

A good example can be a game between Liverpool and Crystal Palace, where Liverpool is the strong favourite. By placing a bet on Liverpool with a -1.5 handicap, you are betting that Liverpool will win by at least two goals. If the match ends with a scoreline of 3-1 in favour of Liverpool, you win the bet since Liverpool won by a margin of more than 1.5 goals.

These exercises are a great way to better understand how handicaps influence potential outcomes.

Asian handicap: Quiz questions

The table you just studied, is reason enough to bookmark this page - you will probably need it during the next couple of weeks, just as a safety.

Test your knowledge with these questions

  • Bet example 1:* You place a bet for the home team to win with a -1.25 Asian Handicap. You get 2.00 in odds and your stake is $10. The outcome of the game is 3-2. How will your bet be settled?

Bet example 2: You place a bet for the home team to win with a -1.75 Asian Handicap. You get 3.00 in odds and your stake is $10. The outcome of the game is 3-1. How will your bet be settled?

Bet example 3: You place a bet for the home team to win with -1.00 Asian Handicap. You get 1.50 in odds and your sake is $10. The outcome of the game is 1-0. How will your bet be settled?

Answers:

Example 1: You will be refunded 50% of your stake ($5)

Example 2: You get your stake back + 50% of profit ($22.50)

Example 3: You will be refunded 100% of your stake ($10)

Asian Handicap FAQ

Benefits and Drawbacks of Asian Handicap

Why Punters Choose Asian Handicap Markets

There are several great reasons to use Asian Handicap markets, including better odds and a chance for a fairer outcome. Traditional betting formats can offer skewed odds, especially in matches where one team is heavily favoured. Asian Handicap eliminates this bias by levelling the playing field and offering more balanced odds.

Asian Handicap markets also give you the chance to get more strategic, and this can appeal to bettors with strong analytical skills. By offering different lines, such as -0.5, -1, or -1.5, you can fine-tune your wagers based on your understanding of a team's performance and matchup specifics. This opens the door for more nuanced betting strategies, where you can mitigate risks and maximize returns.

Challenges and Limitations

Although it has several benefits, Asian Handicap betting still comes with its fair share of challenges and limitations.

Firstly, they can have a strong learning curve for beginners. Unlike traditional betting formats, Asian Handicap has complex scoring adjustments that might be confusing for newcomers. You’ll need to be sure you understand the system’s nuances, such as quarter-goal bets and the implications of different handicap lines. Asian Handicap betting also has limited availability in certain matches. While it's very popular in major football leagues and tournaments, it may not be offered for less popular events or sports.

Asian Handicap FAQs

Why is it called ‘Asian’?

In the far east, Asian Handicap betting, which has its roots in Indonesia, is a well-liked sports betting option, especially for soccer. According to some accounts, journalist Joe Saumarez Smith first popularised the term "Asian handicap" in 1998 to describe the "hang cheng" betting strategy many Asian bookmakers employ.

As you probably understand, Asian Handicap is all about giving yourself a small safety against losing with the smallest margin possible. We hope you have found this educative and have found some inspiration to test a bet on Asian Handicap.

What is the difference between a handicap and Asian handicap?

A handicap bet and an Asian handicap differ in a few ways. One of them is the usage of half-line and quarter-line bets in Asian handicap wagers as opposed to standard handicap wagers. However, both make use of whole line bets. Additionally, unlike conventional handicap bets with three possible outcomes, Asian handicap bets only have two.

What does +1.5 Asian handicap mean?

The team with the +1.50 receives a one and a half goal start to the game. If you bet a team at +1.50, your wager would be successful if your side won, tied, or even lost by no more than one goal during the match.

What does Asian handicap +2.0 mean?

You lose your bet if they win by a single goal, draw, or lose the game. Contrarily, if you bet with a +2 handicap, your team must lose by precisely one goal, draw, or win the match for your wager to be deemed a winner. Your stake will be returned if your team loses by two goals.

Which sports are the best for Asian handicap?

Asian handicap is mostly used in soccer betting.

What is the difference between Asian Handicap and European Handicap?

Asian Handicap uses half or quarter numbers, while European Handicap only uses whole numbers.

How do Quarter-goal Bets work in Asian Handicap?

Quarter-goal handicaps offer either a head start or a deficit of a quarter of a goal with figures like 0.25 and 1.75. In these scenarios, the 0.25 Asian Handicap bet works just like an each-way bet, splitting it between the two closest half intervals.

Can I use Asian Handicap for other sports besides football?

Although it is most popular in football, Asian Handicaps can be used in other sports too.

What happens if the match ends in a draw?

If the match ends in a draw, your stake is refunded.

Are Asian Handicap Bets suitable for beginners?

Asian Handicap bets require more advanced analytical knowledge, so they aren’t ideal for beginners.

Learn more about sports betting in our guides