What is Asian Handicap Betting

Football bettors have never had it so good in terms of the number of options available. From the traditional Match Result, First Scorer, and Correct Scorer odds to Bet Builders and all manner of stats markets, the choices are almost endless.

Despite being with us for quite some time now - first becoming widespread in the very early 21st Century - Asian Handicap betting remains among the lesser understood of the modern bet types. The name sounds a little exotic, whilst the betting options themselves may initially appear slightly confusing. However, as with many things in the betting world, whilst it does take a little getting used to, it isn’t quite as complicated as it may first appear. Let’s take a closer look.

What is a Handicap Bet

First things first, a handicap bet is a bet in which the underdog for the match is given a theoretical head start in terms of goals.

Taking a Manchester City vs Southampton match as an example. The handicap for this game may be Manchester City -1, Southampton +1. In this instance backers of Manchester City -1 would collect should Manchester City win the game by More Than one goal and lose on any other result. Backers of Southampton +1 meanwhile would win so long as Southampton did not lose by More Than 1 goal i.e. if the Saints either Won or Drew the game.

Asian Handicaps vs Traditional Handicaps

The key difference between a traditional betting handicap and an Asian Handicap is that in Asian Handicap betting it is not possible to bet on the handicap draw.

Turning again to the Manchester City -1, Southampton +1 example - in a traditional Handicap betting market there are three options available to the bettor. The first two are Manchester City -1 and Southampton +1 as explained above. The third option of the Handicap Draw would then pay out only if Manchester City were to win the game by EXACTLY 1 goal.

In Asian Handicap Betting, both the Manchester City -1 and Southampton +1 options would be available and function in the same way, but there would be no odds available for a Handicap Draw. In this instance, should Manchester City win by exactly 1 goal, all stakes would be refunded to backers of both Manchester City -1 and Southampton +1. This process of refunding stakes is commonly referred to as a “Push”.

Types of Asian Handicap Bets

When turning to the Asian Handicap markets for any given game, bettors will commonly be faced with three types of bet, known as Full Goal Handicaps, Half Goal Handicaps, and Quarter Goal Handicaps. Let’s take a look at how each works in turn.

Asian Handicap Full Goal Lines

The Manchester City -1, Southampton +1 market discussed above is an example of a full-goal handicap. Depending upon how heavily or how little one team is favoured over another, full goal handicaps may be expressed in any number of goals, ranging from zero in a very even game, to +4 or more in a one-sided contest. The table below shows a selection of full goal handicaps, and the win, lose and stake refunded results for each option.

Asian Handicap Half Goal Lines

Half-goal handicaps essentially take the draw out of the equation entirely, as it is clearly impossible for any team to win a game by half of a goal.

Backing a side with a -0.5 handicap is therefore exactly the same as backing that team to win the game. The +0.5 handicap is then the equivalent of a double chance bet whereby you back a team to either win or draw the game.

Half-goal handicaps are again available for the whole range of goal margins depending upon the disparity between the teams. The table below provides examples of half-goal handicaps and their various outcomes.

Asian Handicap Quarter Goal Lines

And last but not least, the Quarter Goal Handicap e.g. Newcastle United -0.25, Aston Villa +0.25, or Liverpool -0.75, West Ham United +0.75. This is the option which understandably creates the most confusion amongst bettors.

What Quarter Goal Handicaps do is take your total stake and split it in two. Half of your stake is then placed on the handicap a quarter point (0.25) BELOW the listed value, with the other half being placed on the handicap a quarter point ABOVE the listed value. This process is best illustrated through the use of an example.

So, for example, if you placed a £10 bet on the Newcastle United -0.25 option mentioned above. What you would end up with is one £5 bet on Newcastle United -0.5, and one £5 bet on Newcastle United 0. Consulting the charts above, you will see that you will win both sides of the bet should Newcastle win the game. If the game ends in a draw, you will lose the Newcastle United -0.50 side, but have your stake returned for the Newcastle United 0 half. Of course, should the mighty magpies suffer defeat, you will lose both sides of the bet.

Taking a Quarter Goal betting option essentially provides a little insurance in comparison to a half-goal bet, as if you are almost right, but not quite, you will, at least receive half of your stake back. The first table below shows examples of how your stake is split for a selection of common quarter goal handicaps, with the second table illustrating the various outcomes.

Hopefully that explainer has made this type of bet a little less confusing. Now next time your placing your football bets and you come across a game which is a complete mis-match, instead of having to take some very slim odds or just ignoring the match altogether, you can consider an asian handicap bet and still have an interest in the match.

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