Handicap bets are a great way to bet on match-ups that may seem unfairly weighted. We’ve offered examples of handicap odds, explained in simple terms.
What does handicap mean in betting?
Handicap betting is a way for bookmakers to make a sporting fixture more even in terms of the prices they offer.
Handicap odds are generally offered when one team is far superior to their opponent (i.e. they’re offered a short price to win). To make them a more attractive proposition to back, bookmakers will offer a price on them to start at a theoretical disadvantage.
The opposite is also true, whereby the supposed-inferior side are often offered at a shorter price to start the match ahead of their opponents.
Handicap betting explained
The best way to explain how handicap betting works is with an example:
Imagine Manchester City are to face Barrow at home in an FA Cup match – you would expect the hosts to be overwhelming favourites to win.
Because of such a pronounced gap in quality, Pep Guardiola’s side could be priced around 1/20 to win, while Barrow are 30/1. Given that Manchester City’s price is so short, it’s unlikely to attract many or any customers looking for value.
To make their price more attractive, we could instead back City to win the game by at least four goals. To do this, we would take them on at a -3 handicap – effectively, they start the game three goals down.
Conversely, we can also bring Barrow’s price down by backing them to start any number of goals ahead. If we were to back them on a +3 handicap, as far as this bet were concerned, they would start the game three goals ahead.
For that bet to win, they would have to not lose by more than two goals because a three-goal defeat would mean the match were level from the perspective of the handicap bet.
Handicap odds explained in different sports
Handicap betting can be applied to many sports and markets, to enhance your returns:
How does handicap betting work in football?
The above example is the most popular way to get involved in handicap football betting, but ante post outright handicaps are also available before a season starts.
These bets are only offered before the season starts as they rely on each team being given a specific handicap based on how likely they are to win the league before anyone has any points on the board.
This would work with the pre-season favourites for the title being given no handicap and each team below them being given a higher points handicap based on their outright price to win the league.
Looking at Premier League betting: Let’s say Manchester City are given no handicap, whereas Fulham were given a 47-point head start. You are betting on the team to accumulate the most points over the course of the season. If Manchester City finish on 100 points, Fulham would need to finish on 54 points (54+47=101).
How does handicap betting work in NFL?
Handicap betting in American football is the most popular way to bet on the sport, and is very easy to master. An individual handicap will be worked out by the bookmaker for each match based on the quality gap between the two sides playing.
They are then available to back, at the positive or negative handicap, at the same price. This is called a point spread. For example, if the New England Patriots faced the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Patriots might be expected to win by at least seven points.
In this case, they would be offered at a -6.5 handicap, while the Jaguars would be offered at +6.5. For a bet on the Jaguars to land here, you would need them to keep the margin of defeat down to six points or fewer.
How does handicap betting work in rugby?
Handicap betting on rugby union works in much the same way as it does in the NFL, where you’re given odds of one team winning or losing by a certain amount of points.
If England were given a handicap of -5 against Scotland, a bettor would need them to win by five points or more for it to land. Scotland, on the other hand, would need to lose by no more than four points for the converse bet to come in.
How does handicap betting work in basketball?
Similarly, handicaps work the same way in basketball betting. Both sides will be given the same price to overcome a pre-determined points gap, which will be positive or negative depending on their status as the favourite or underdog.
How does handicap betting work in cricket?
Handicap cricket betting follows the same principles as other sports, in that it reduces the perceived gap in quality between two sides in order to extract greater value from a market, but does so in a slightly different way.
In cricket, the handicapped outcome is the total number of runs scored by a particular team.
For example, if England were playing Bermuda in a T20 match, you would expect them to be short-priced favourites. They go on to set a total of 215 runs in their 20-over innings – a hefty run chase that shortens their price further.
In this example, you would be able to apply a handicap to Bermuda’s run chase, reducing the amount they need to score for the wager to land.
What is Asian handicap betting?
‘Asian handicap’ gets its name from a betting technique that is popular in Asia. It is a type of football betting market and has the exact same principle as the standard handicap markets – to level the playing field.
The difference with Asian handicap markets is that there are only ever two outcomes – win and lose. This is done by offering the number of goals a team starts with in increments of 0.5. In practice, this means that a handicap bet on a team to win by -3.5 would land if they won 4-0, but would lose with any smaller winning margin.
What are the advantages of handicap betting?
Handicaps make for a more balanced betting experience when one side is much more likely to win than the other. They typically offer more favourable odds than other methods when betting on clear favourite teams. Plus, you can still make a return on a losing team through a closely contested game rather than requiring an upset victory.
Some bettors may also prefer the challenge of a handicap matchup, as they can allow for big earnings in the event of an upset. Alternatively, if you’re placing multiple bets, you may instead prefer to cast a wide net with a Yankee bet or a Heinz bet, or to choose an accumulator for a chance at continued success!
Before putting any money down, make sure you understand the terms of a handicap fully and weigh up any alternatives. You can read our guide on how to read betting odds for a simple explanation of your options, or use a betting calculator to add up your possible earnings.
To place a handicap bet with Betway, simply find the match you want to bet on using our sportsbook, and scroll through the markets on offer to find the ideal handicap odds for you. Or, stay ahead of the game with the Betway Sports app! Download it now from the Play Store or the App Store to enjoy live betting, real-time updates, and exclusive offers right at your fingertips.
