Handicap Betting in Football

What does a handicap in football really mean? A handicap in football is a handicap where one team has a certain number of goals in advantage from the beginning of the match. It is most often practiced in matches in which we have one clear favourite who has one or more goals to their advantage (depending on the type of handicap). There are two types of handicaps: European and Asian. Let us discuss these two types in detail and provide examples so we can understand it even better.

European Handicap

What is a European handicap in football betting? The European handicap is a handicap where a certain team has an advantage of several goals in a match. It is most often practiced in matches in which one team is a clear favourite and expected to win by a large goal difference, so in that match, we subtract a certain number of goals from he favourite, -1, -2, while the underdog has a different kind of handicap, so we add a certain number of goals to them, +1, +2. Let’s take a Chelsea-Hull City match as an example.

In this case, Hull City is handicapped at the start with 1 goal advantage, which means that +1 goal is added to Hull City at the beginning of the match. If you bet on Chelsea, you bet that Chelsea will win against Hull City with at least a 2-goal difference at home. This means that the results that make your bet win are all results with two goals (or more) in favour of Chelsea such as 2:0, 3:1, 3:0, 5:0, 5:3, etc. If the match ends in a draw, or with a possible victory for Hull City, with this handicap, you will lose your bet. Furthermore, if Chelsea wins with a single goal difference, such as 1:0, 2:1, etc., this bet will also lose because in this case, the winning combination is a draw. We can also play a handicap with more goals, say, -2, + 2, where we bet that the winning team will be Chelsea and that it will win with a difference of  3 or more goals (3:0, 4:1, 4:0, etc.). Here, too, we can have a situation with Chelsea winning by two goals (2:0, 3:1, etc.), so the bet will be lost again. The winning bet is a draw.

With the help of the table below you can get a better understanding of when a bet is won and when it is lost.

Asian Handicap

What is an Asian handicap in football betting? The Asian handicap is a very popular and profitable way to bet. Any handicap that is half or a quarter (e.g. Liverpool -1.5, -0.5, -0.25) is in fact an Asian handicap. We can consider the Asian handicap an expansion of the European handicap in terms of possible bets. What are the benefits of the Asian handicap? The advantage of the Asian handicap is that there are only two bets, H1 and H2, so the chance of winning is higher since there are only two possible outcomes. It is interesting that if the handicap is an integer, we have a possible return of the deposit even when the bet is not won. If the handicap is a quarter or three quarters, all sorts of combinations are possible.

The rules for the Asian handicap in football are universal and are very applicable. Several facts are important:

The Asian handicap has only two outcomes, Home (H1), Away (H2), the victory of the favourites (for example, Chelsea), or the victory of the underdog (Hull City). There is no draw (HX). A stronger team is given a negative handicap, for example, -0.5, -0.25, -1 and so on. On the other hand, the weaker team is given a positive handicap in football, for example, + 0.5, + 0.25, + 1. Let us give examples of the Asian handicap in football.

Asian Handicap 0 – Draw no bet.

If the match is a draw there are no winnings but that is why you get your money back which means there is no loss for you! In case the team you have placed your bet on won, your bet would be considered winning.

Asian Handicap 1 (or more than 1).

With this Asian handicap in football, the favourite is handicapped with -1 goal. This practically means that if you bet on the favourite to win, with an Asian handicap of -1, it is necessary for the favourite to win with a difference of at least 2 or more goals in order for your bet to be winning and for you to make a profit. In case of the win of the favourite with 1 goal difference, a draw or an outsider winning, the bet is lost.

Asian Handicap 0.25

With this type of handicap, half of the payout is placed on handicap 0 and the other half on handicap 0.5. For example, if we bet on the favourite (Chelsea) -0.25, with the victory of the favorite, your bet is won. In case of a draw, half of your bet is lost. If you decide to bet against the favourite (Chelsea) on the outsider (Hull City) with +0.25, then, in case of a draw, the win is counted on half of the stakes and a half is returned.

Asian Handicap 0.5

The Asian handicap with this limit gives the weaker team a “half goal” advantage (+0.5), handicapping the favourite in the match for “half a goal” (-0.5). This means that any victory of the favourites makes the bet a winning one. A draw or an outsider’s victory results in losing a bet. An example is given in the table below:

Should You Place Handicap Bets on Football?

Yes, you should absolutely try handicap betting in football. It is best to start with a European handicap because it is much simpler than the Asian one. If you have experience in betting and you are certain of a convincing victory for your team, you should bet on winning with as many goals difference as possible.

Odds in Football Handicap Betting

If you believe in the victory of your team, by increasing the handicap you will greatly increase your odds and potential winnings. Nevertheless, always be aware of the risks this may carry.

When to Place Football Handicap Bets

For a European handicap in football, it is most practical and best to bet on those matches that have one clear favourite (Chelsea-Hull City). In such matches, convincing victories of the favourites are expected, so this betting model can bring great results and potential winnings. As for the Asian handicap, you can bet on matches with no clear favourite because in certain bets you can return the whole bet or a part of it.

Football Handicap Betting Tips

If you have decided on handicap betting, you need to pay attention to the following:

1. What is the competitive significance of the match you are betting on? This will greatly impact the motivation of the players, and in some cases, a goal difference in a win is required so that the team moves forward with the competition.
2. Check how many goals the teams have scored in their last matches. Some teams have a history of wins in exciting matches with many goals scored.
3. Check the current forms of both clubs you are betting on. A team on a winning streak is more likely to score more goals and is, thus, a likely candidate for a handicap bet.
4. Be sure to be informed about team lineups, player transfers and any possible injured or suspended players. An injury or a sudden transfer can greatly impact a team’s ability to play efficiently.
5. Inform yourself about the odds on time and consider the risks they bring. Visit 4rabet.com to keep yourself informed about upcoming matches and the handicap odds offered. 

Concluding Remarks

Handicap betting in football is an exciting way of betting for several reasons. Firstly, the potential winnings are higher than those in traditional betting. The variations in which you can place bets are also much higher. Even though it may be intimidating at first, it teaches players the importance of researching teams and their match histories leading to further appreciation of football itself. 4rabet.com website and its blog is definitely the right place to find all the information you need to dive into handicap betting in football.