What is handicap in sports betting? Get to know this market better | OneFootball

Many Corinthians fans enjoy and make sports bets every day. But there are still people who don't understand all the terms, for example, what is a handicap. The final result and the total number of goals are still the most popular, but many prefer not to risk the handicap, and do you know why? Simply because they don't understand how it all works. Therefore, it's worth paying attention, as the handicap is a margin of advantage or disadvantage, not necessarily real, that is attributed to the teams before a match.

The idea is to balance the odds and bring good betting opportunities. Look, with a handicap of -1, this means that Corinthians starts "losing" by 1 goal. So it's easy to see that the bet will be considered a winner if Timão wins by 2 or more goals difference. Winning by 1 goal, the bet is returned or lost. In a case of clear favoritism at Neo Química Arena, for example, this market can bring great potential for earnings.

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What is Asian handicap?

To understand how the Asian handicap works, it's worth going back to the example above. If the final result is 1 goal difference for Corinthians, this could mean the return of the bet. But this doesn't happen in the Asian handicap, as it was created precisely to avoid returns. In the Asian version of the handicap, you can only lose or win, no returns.

This happens because the numbers are presented fractionally, like 0.5, 1.5, 2.5, and there is rarely a "half" in sports betting, at least not in football. Considering a handicap -1.5, the following possible results would be:

• Corinthians wins with 2 goals difference: Victory (because 2 is greater than 1.5);

• Corinthians wins with 1 goal difference: Loss (because 1 is less than 1.5).

If the game ends with more than two goals difference for Corinthians, it will always be a victory. If it ties or loses, the bet will be lost. To understand what happens at the end of the match, the idea is to add the result to the advantage or disadvantage assigned at the beginning of the match. If the handicap was -1, the team starts with 1 goal less for the final count.

Remember that the result of the match alone doesn't matter for the bet (as you saw in the second example). You need to consider the handicap that was assigned before. The concepts of the bet are exactly the same, with advantage or disadvantage at the beginning of the match, but in the Asian handicap the numbers are fractionated and, therefore, there is no return of the bet.

Asian handicap 0.5: how does it work?

Even after understanding what Asian handicap means, many bettors still have difficulty when the handicap is 0.5. After all, is this worth zero or not? The answer is no! The number is "broken" to never be worth zero. The idea is to be able to "nail" the result of the bet: 1 goal is always more, and 0 goal is always less than 0.5.

Considering a handicap +0.5 in a Timão game, this means that Corinthians will start the game "winning" by half to zero. Here are the possible results in case of a bet of this type:

• Corinthians wins by 1x0: Victory (final score "1.5 x 0");

• Corinthians ties 1x1: Victory (final score "1.5 x 1");

• Corinthians loses by 0x1: Loss (final score "0.5 x 1").

In short, the ".5" only serves to not generate doubt in the result, and this applies to any Asian handicap. If it were pure 0, there would have to be a return in case of a tie, as the final result with the handicap would be the same.

What is European handicap?

The big difference of the European handicap is that in this one whole numbers are used. It doesn't matter if they are goals, cards, shots or corner handicap, the number is always whole, and here the returns of bets are more common. The system is exactly the same, but the final result doesn't always indicate a victory or defeat, and that's why there is a return.

The example now is a handicap - 1, where Timão would start "behind" by one goal difference. Understand what are the possible outcomes of the bet at the end of the match:

• Corinthians wins by 2x0: Victory (final score "1 x 0");

• Corinthians ties 1x1: Loss (final score "1 x 2");

• Corinthians loses by 0x1: Loss (final score "0 x 2");

• Corinthians wins by 1x0: Victory (final score "1 x 1").

In the last example, the bet would be returned, after all there was no winner at the end of the match with the disadvantage assigned at the beginning. But don't worry, at least 1x0 is still a victory for Timão!

In the case of handicap +1, the return of the bet would be in case of loss by 0x1. Everything is very similar to the Asian model, but here the return can happen, which is an advantage for the bettor.

Tips for sports betting

Now that you know what handicap is in sports betting, it's time to learn how to get the best results. There is no perfect formula, as it will always involve a bit of luck, but here are some tips that can help a lot:

Work in known markets. No "Sauditão" or Chinese championship, if you don't know the leagues, the teams, and the general context, don't bet. Focus on the championships that Timão participates in and the leagues that you really know around the world;

Study the match. The general scenario of the match is very important for any decision. Understand the value of the confrontation for both teams, the history, the absences, and the rivalries. Everything that can influence the motivation of the players;

Explore the live market. Many platforms offer handicap in live bets, which means you can "feel" the match before making a decision. It's worth following in real time to know which odd seems the most interesting;

Apply bonuses and promotions. Whenever possible, apply promotional values, free bets, and everything that can reduce the risk of loss. Bonuses and promotions allow you to compete for prizes without risking your bank;

Practice responsible gambling. It doesn't matter if you work in bets or in any other sport, it's important to act with awareness. Separate your betting budget very well, control your playing time, set victory and loss goals, don't play in sequence to recover losses, and don't treat bets as an official source of income.

These tips serve not only for the handicap, and not only for football betting, everything is also valid for any other type of market in sports betting. Besides the issue of responsible gaming, which is extremely important, any strategy should be taken seriously, with discipline and maturity.

FAQ

How to bet on the Asian handicap?

To start, you have to enter the match and choose the handicap as a betting market. Usually, the main handicap options appear among the most popular, but some houses bring specific sections of the market. Define your odd and set the entry amount.

What is handicap in bets?

It's a fictitious advantage (which can also be a disadvantage) inserted before the match starts to bring balance in the chances between the teams. Many sports modalities have this type of bet, but football concentrates the largest volume of bets.

How to make money with handicap?

Many bettors work in the handicap market because it presents a greater balance in the odds. This means that it's easier to find value bets on favorite teams and also on "underdogs".

Asian and European handicap, what's the difference after all?

In Europe, whole numbers are used and the bet can generate a return depending on the result at the end of the match. In Asia, fractions are applied to the numbers to avoid ties, like "handicap +1.5", for example.

Where is there handicap in football?

The most common is the final result handicap, considering the total number of goals at the end of the match, but there are other options that also work in the handicap system, like corners, cards, fouls, shots on goal, finishes. This will depend on the variations that the betting portal offers.

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This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.