Read this article to know everything about Asian handicap meaning. In addition to a basic Asian handicap explained section, you will find examples, Asian handicap predictions, pros and cons, and much more.
One of the prerequisites for sports betting is to gain a solid understanding of the common betting terms. And among the common terms, there are some complex ones you need to study a bit harder. Asian handicap is one of them.
Asian Handicap Meaning in Betting
Handicap betting is one of the most interesting betting markets that exist today. That is because it is most relevant for matches where an incredibly strong team is pitted against a relatively weak team.
Traditionally, punters shied away from betting on such games. Because the odds are so stacked in favour of the stronger team that it simply did not make much sense.
Betting on the stronger team entailed negligible returns. Whereas, betting on the weaker team appeared too risky to even attempt. Even you may not want to bet on such matches because the outcome is considered to be a foregone conclusion.
But that is when handicap betting was devised to make betting on such games more appealing. A handicap, as the name suggests, involves placing an additional hurdle on the stronger team. In other words, the stronger team not only has to win but has to win by a certain predetermined margin. And only then would bets in their favour win.
Merely winning the game will not lead to bets in their favour to also win. So, as you can see, handicap betting levels the playing field between drastically unequal teams. As far as Asian handicap is concerned, it is simply a variant of handicap betting. The underlying concept is pretty much the same. But Asian handicaps and other handicaps have one crucial difference.
The difference is that there is no draw option in Asian handicap betting. The meaning of Asian handicap is that you can only bet on a home win or an away win. That makes Asian handicap betting even more interesting than simple handicap betting. The odds are betting, which means that the expected returns tend to be higher. But at the same time, you have to take a bigger risk.
What Are Asian Handicap Examples?
While the previous section has Asian handicap explained adequately, a few real-life Asian handicap examples can help further. For example, imagine that you want to bet on a match between Manchester City and Norwich City. But the odds are overwhelmingly stacked against Norwich City.
In this case, you can still make a meaningful bet if the sportsbook offers a handicap bet. At most sportsbooks, the handicap betting market will be expressed in the following manner:
- Norwich City: +1.50
- Manchester City: -1.50
The plus basically means that the weaker team starts the game with a 1.5 goals advantage. While on the other hand, the minus figure suggests that the stronger team starts the game with a 1.50 goals ‘handicap’ or disadvantage.
If your bet is on Manchester City, the team needs to win by two or more goals for your bet to win. Otherwise, your bet will lose. By the same token, Norwich City can draw the game or even lose by 1 goal, and still bets in their favour would win.
In case of a draw, the weaker team will win because it has the advantage to begin with. Therefore, assuming that you bet on Norwich City, what would your bet result be based on the potential outcomes of the match? Find out in the table below.
| Manchester City vs Norwich City | |
|---|---|
| Score | Bet Result |
| 0-0 | Wins |
| 1-0 | Wins |
| 2-0 | Loses |
| 0-1 | Wins |
Another simple way to think about Asian handicap is to add or subtract the handicap figure from the total score. So, for example, a 0-0 outcome would mean in handicap terms that Norwich City has 1.5 goals whereas Manchester City has none.
Handicap vs Asian Handicap Example
However, the Asian handicap betting market removes the possibility of a draw. As you saw in the previous section, you can bet on only a Manchester City win or a Norwich City win. But in this case, too, Manchester City must win by two or more goals for bets in their favour to also win. If you bet on Norwich City, you will still win if the team loses by 1 goal.
The table in the previous section remains valid for Asian handicap bets, too, but the draw option will not be applicable. Everything else remains the same. However, since there are only two outcomes, the odds are going to be higher. So, you can potentially make more money. But the risk is also greater, so you need to make a well-thought decision.
That is exactly what the next section of this Asian handicap article will help you decide. You will learn about the pros and cons of this type of betting. So, continue reading to find out if this sort of betting will be suited to your betting style.
Review
By now, you should have a pretty good understanding of Asian handicap. Just to recap, it is more or less the same as handicap betting. But there is a small but crucial difference. There are only two, instead of the typical 3, outcomes for an Asian handicap betting market.
As a result, some punters prefer Asian handicaps over simple handicaps. But should you be engaging in this popular betting market? That depends on a lot of things – your betting strategy, preferences, and the intrinsic pros and cons of handicap bets.
This section of our Asian handicap explained article will delve into the pros and cons of the market. You can find them summarised in the table below.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Makes betting on certain matches more interesting and worthwhile. | Asian handicap meaning is a bit difficult for beginners to grasp. |
| Increases odds of winning by removing a draw outcome from the equation. | Asian handicap bets can be riskier than many other betting markets. |
| You can win a bet even if the team you bet on loses. | |
| Predominantly used in football betting but can be relevant for betting on numerous sports. | |
| Good for inclusion in accumulator bets since there are fewer outcomes in the bet. |
Therefore, you should definitely get into handicap betting markets and take advantage. However, you need to learn about the meaning of Asian handicap and read Asian handicap resources.
Asian handicap, or just handicap, betting does not always come easily to beginners. So, you need to do your research, learn about the entire process, and only then engage in handicap betting.
FAQ
Get quick answers to common queries about the meaning of Asian handicap in the section below.
Asian handicap meaning in soccer, is that you can use this betting market to bet on matches where one team is the overwhelming favourite. The stronger team needs to win by a certain margin for bets in its favour to also win. That increases the odds in favour of the weaker team and consequently makes betting more interesting.
An allocation of +1.5 Asian handicap meaning is that the team has a 1.5 goals advantage. The stronger team in the match needs to defeat them by two goals or more. In other words, the weaker team can lose by 1 goal, and still, the bets in its favour would win.
Even though there are mathematical formulas to calculate Asian handicap odds, you need not worry about them. The sportsbook where you place your bets will tell you the odds and expected returns for every betting market.
Both of those will be clearly shown to you before you confirm your bet. After assessing the odds and potential returns, you can choose to make the bet or switch to another betting market.
You can bet on Asian handicaps by signing up for an account at a reputed sportsbook. Most of the best sports betting sites have Asian handicap betting markets. But do research the site before signing up.
Once you have created a betting account and understood Asian handicap meaning, you can place bets. All you need to do is select the matches, choose an Asian handicap betting market, and place your bet.
