3-Way Handicap in Rugby Betting
Rugby is played in over 120 countries in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. There are more than 8 million registered players across the globe. Watching and playing rugby is at an all-time high. Rugby is only behind sports such as soccer and tennis in terms of global popularity amongst fans.
Not only watching and playing rugby is popular. Betting on rugby matches is extremely popular as well. Punters have the chance to bet on high-quality rugby fixtures across Union and League throughout the year. Like soccer, rugby is played all year-round.
Fans can bet on the Rugby Union during autumn, winter, and spring months. The Rugby League is played during the summer, allowing bettors to wager on League fixtures, while Union matches are played in the offseason. There are also top-notch international fixtures, including the Six Nations and Rugby World Cup.
Rugby betting has never been so abundant, and bettors can use the 3-way handicap to place rugby wagers. What is the 3-way handicap? Let’s explore this bet type to understand how it works.
What is a 3-Way Handicap?
A 2-way handicap is a traditional way to place wagers on rugby. The 2-way handicap is a bet on either team to win the match and it eliminates the possibility of a draw. The 3-way handicap goes one step further, allowing bettors to back the handicap draw.
When placing a 3-way handicap, the bettor has three potential outcomes to bet on: a home win, a draw, or an away win. The 3-way handicap market gives one of the teams a head start in the score. The other team is handicapped. The team that is handicapped is the favourite, as the underdog is given the advantage.
A handicap is used in betting to even the playing field when there is a gap in quality between the two teams. The handicap draw also attempts to even the playing field.
How to place a 3-way handicap bet on rugby games?
The 3-way handicap is easy to understand, especially if you have used handicap betting before. A 3-way handicap focuses on the same outcome as a 1x2 bet (home win, draw, away win). The rugby match doesn’t start with a nil-nil score, however. This is the big difference between the 3-way handicap and 1x2 bet. The advantage one team has over another could make a major difference in the outcome of the bet.
Let’s look at some examples of 3-way handicap rugby betting.
- Team A vs Team B
Team A +6; Draw; Team B -6
The final score is 12-0 for Team B
Team A were given a six-point head start. When the one-goal head start and the final score are added together, Team B won the match 12-6. Team B is the winner of the line.
In the second example, the line on the teams is slightly different.
- Team A +7; Draw; Team B -7
The final score is 10-9 for Team B
Team A’s seven-point head start needs to be added to the final score. This gives us a 17-16 score for the handicap line. Team A would be the winner on the handicap although they lost the actual match. Bettors can back a rugby team to win, but lose the bet if their selection wins. In addition, a bettor can win a 3-way handicap rugby bet by backing the team that loses the fixture. Handicap betting is more focussed on the number of points a team wins or loses by.
The above examples can occur in both the 2-way handicap and 3-way handicap. Now, let’s look at an example which includes the teams drawing.
- Team A +1; Draw; Team B -1
The final score of the game is 10-9 in favor of Team B.
Team B wins the match, but Team A had a +1 on the handicap line. Adding the scores together produces a 10-10 score. This means the score of the rugby match ended in a draw on the handicap line. If punters backed a 3-way handicap rugby draw, they would win the bet.
This is the unique nature of the 3-way handicap. Despite Team B winning the match, they haven’t covered the handicap. Team A didn’t hold their handicap advantage to win the match. Handicap betting is more centered on points than on actual outcomes.
What is a 2-Way Handicap?
The 2-way handicap bet has two possible results: a home win and an away win. An advantage is given to one of the two teams. The advantage is displayed in half points, using negative or positive numbers. The 2-way handicap removes the possibility of a draw in a rugby match.
The underdog is given the advantage over the favourite, granting them a slight advantage. The idea behind the handicap is to even out the playing field between two teams. Bookmakers use handicaps to generate more excitement in matches in which bettors may lack interest due to the significant difference in the teams’ strengths.
Using other types of handicap bets in rugby betting
2-way and 3-way handicap betting on rugby matches relate to the results of matches. This type of bet provides punters with more value than a straight-up ‘to win’ selection.
Bookmakers also offer alternative 2-way handicaps for rugby matches. An alternative handicap line comes with additional betting options in terms of the head start. For example, the regular 2-way handicap may offer Toulon +6 for their match against Bristol, which would mean a -6 handicap for the latter team. The alternative handicap gives punters the chance to choose a different margin, such as +1, +1.5, +2, and so on.
In addition, there are markets for first-half 3-way betting and second-half 3-way betting. These markets are also available for 2-way betting.
The 3-way handicap for rugby betting includes the option to select a draw. The 2-way handicap eliminates the draw. Handicap betting is aimed at the number of goals scored in a rugby fixture, which reduces the gap between both teams, and thus delivers attractive options.