Asian Handicap

Placing asian handicap wagers can eliminate the chances of the bet ending in a draw and makes matches between teams with significant skill gaps much more thrilling to bet on. 

This guide will dissect everything you need to know - from the difference between standard handicap bets and asian handicaps, to expert strategies and sport-specific advice.

What is Asian Handicap betting?

The aim of any handicap bet is to level the playing field by giving the front runner an imaginary disadvantage or ‘handicap’. For instance, by adding goals (e.g. +1, +2) to the weaker football team or subtracting goals from the stronger team (e.g. -1, -2) the bookie mathematically evens out the perceived difference in ability between the two. It makes betting on games where one team is a heavy favourite more viable, more exciting and therefore more enjoyable. Some betting sites combines live betting and asian handicap.

To understand asian handicaps, you must first understand how standard handicaps, otherwise known as European handicaps, work

The bookmaker will set a ‘line’ which presents the handicap odds. Whole number increments (e.g. +1, -2) are used when it comes to creating standard handicap odds and these bets accept three possible outcomes to the match: ‘win’, ‘lose’ or ‘draw’ (frequently called the 1X2 bet). Because the match ending in a draw is an option, your stake will generally never be returned (unless the match doesn’t go ahead or something goes wrong on the bookies’ end).

On the other hand is asian handicap betting, where in certain scenarios, whole number bets (sometimes referred to as ‘draw no bets’ or ‘full goal’) end in a ‘push’ and your stake is refunded.

Standard handicap betting

Let’s say Manchester City play Burnley and you bet on Burnley +1 in a standard handicap market:

• If Burnley wins the match, your bet wins.

• If the match ends in a draw, your bet wins because Burnley has an imaginary extra goal. 

• If Burnley lose by two or more goals (e.g. 2-0 or 3-1) your bet will lose because the imaginary extra goal isn’t enough to make up the difference.

Whole goal Asian Handicap betting

Unlike with a standard handicap, asian handicaps eliminate the possibility of a draw, with advantages or disadvantages coming in the form of whole, half and even quarter points. 

In whole goal asian handicaps, teams are given whole goal advantages or disadvantages, where either one team will win or the other. If the real score of the game combined with the handicap results in a draw, your stake will be refunded. 

If you were to place an asian handicap bet on Manchester City -1 against Burnley, this is how it would play out: 

• Manchester City wins by two goals or more: Your bet wins

• Manchester City wins by one goal: The result is a draw, your stake is refunded

• Burnley wins or draws the game: You lose your bet

Half goal Asian Handicap betting

Things get a little bit more complicated with half goal betting, which effectively removes the opportunity for getting your stake back at any point. This is because the presence of a half point means that the ‘match result’ will always go to one of the teams. 

If you were to place a half goal handicap bet on the same game, siding with Burnley +0.5, this is how things would play out:

• Burnley wins by one goal or more: Your bet wins

• The game is a draw: Your bet wins

• Manchester City wins by one goal or more: Your bet loses

Quarter goal Asian Handicap betting

The final bet type with asian handicap betting is placing quarter goal bets, which is where things get particularly tricky. 

Essentially, there are still situations where you can lose out when betting on half goal handicaps and there is a draw, so a quarter goal bet looks to rectify that. To do this, your bet effectively splits into two, a bit like an each-way bet, to cover more permutations. 

If you were to place a quarter goal handicap bet on Manchester City -0.25, against Burnley, your bet would be split like this: 

• Half of your stake would go on Manchester City +0, with a draw resulting in a refund and a victory for City winning this portion of the bet. 

• Half of your stake would go on Manchester City -0.5, which would mean a draw in the game would lose this half of the bet and only a City victory would lead to a win.

Let’s break the game down in full, assuming we have bet £5 on Manchester City -0.25 at evens:

• Manchester City wins the game: You win the game and your bet returns £10

• The game is a draw: Half of your bet is a loser and half is refunded, giving you £2.50

• Burnley wins the game: Your whole bet is a loser

Where to place an Asian Handicap bet?

While asian handicap betting can be challenging to wrap your head around, actually placing the wagers is a straightforward process. Here’s a quick step-by-step guide:stra

• Find your preferred bookmaker and select the event you’d like to bet on.

• Navigate away from the standard ‘1X2’ (Home/Draw/Away) market to the section usually labeled ‘Asian Lines’, ‘Handicaps’ or ‘Asian Handicap’.

• Choose the line you wish to bet on by clicking on the odds of your option.

• Enter the amount you’d like to wager in your betslip and confirm your choices to finalise the bet.

You can place this kind of bet at licensed physical betting sports and online, but it’s worth noting that not every bookie has a large-scale asian handicap market or offers this wager in the first place. These are some reputable sites worth exploring if you’re interested in this sort of betting: 

Asian Handicap bets on bet365

When it comes to asian handicaps, bet365 is a leading bookmaker in the UK. The site has a really helpful page dedicated to explaining handicap betting and its various types. Plus, bet365 allows you to place asian handicap wagers on a few different sports, such as basketball, rugby, cricket and tennis. Ofcourse - you as a new player - could use thier welcome bonus to try out asian handicaps.

Its most extensive options are concentrated around the football betting sector. These include 1st half asian markets, alternative 1st half goal line, alternative asian handicap, asian cards, asian corners and asian handicap & goal line. The alternative options give bettors greater flexibility with their choice of betting, which is something that many bookies don’t provide. With bet365, you can add asian handicaps into accumulator (‘acca’) bets and also place them as in-play, live bets. 

>Go to bet365

Asian Handicap bets on Betfred

Betfred’s interface has been designed with ease of use in mind, which makes it a more beginner friendly bookmaker. Asian handicap wagering is somewhat limited, however, being available mainly on football matches, major basketball events and a couple of virtual sports. 

However, if you are a keen football punter, the vast assortment of permutations on offer gives players plenty to explore while preserving their risk appetite. It’s also possible to include asian handicaps in accumulator bets, so veteran punters have ways to enliven their sports betting site experience at Betfred.

>Go to Betfred

Asian Handicap bets on Unibet

Unibet stands out for its detailed betting guides on numerous kinds of bets, specific sports and casino games. The site’s asian handicap betting explanation is excellent and makes this wager significantly easier to comprehend. 

This bookmaker has been noted to have some of the most competitive odds when it comes to handicaps and there’s a solid selection of lines to suit a range of preferences. Football comes out on top once more when it comes to the number of choices, but basketball, American football, tennis and darts are other viable options for asian handicap wagers. Unibet have a great selection of moneyline bets everyday!

Why should you place Asian Handicap bets?

There’s a multitude of reasons why asian handicap betting is on the rise; more versatile wagering options, the absence of draws, reduced potential losses and better balance between teams. However, as with any specific type of bet, there are factors that bettors should be aware of.

Pros: 

• Flexibility

• Removes the draw 

• Competitive pricing on strong favourites

Cons:

• Complex

• Limited availability at many sportsbooks

• Lower possible returns compared to 1x2 bets

Asian handicaps come with multiple line selections, meaning that bettors are free to choose odds that reflect their desired level of intensity, either increasing or decreasing the level of competitiveness. 

Many bettors find traditional 1X2 betting frustrating because of the draw, but asian handicaps resolve this issue through pushes and partial wins. Whether you place a whole asian handicap bet, a half, or a quarter, the risk of a total loss is reduced compared to 1x2 bets. 

Additionally, by bridging the imbalance between teams of varying strength, uninspiring matches become significantly more compelling to watch and engage with. 

However, fully grasping and mastering asian handicap betting is tough. Many punters find the results confusing because the actual outcome of the event doesn’t reflect the success of your bet.

Finding sportsbooks that offer asian handicaps can also prove difficult, particularly ones with a broad range of odds or sports other than football. Due to this restriction, you’re more susceptible to the bookmaker’s attentive pricing and finding genuine value in lines can be a demanding and tedious task.

What’s more, while your wager is somewhat protected with asian handicaps, you sacrifice greater returns compared to traditional match betting. Knowing there’s a chance bets may be refunded, bookies keep smaller profit margins on this type of bet. Split bets, for instance, reduce your chances of losing, but can simultaneously lower the amount you could have won. 

Asian Handicap strategies

There are a few betting strategies bettors can employ to heighten their chances of winning asian handicap bets and sufficient research is at the forefront. 

Here are some aspects worth paying attention to:

• Past performances of both teams (goal margins) 

• Head-to-head statistics if the teams have previously faced each other

• Recent player injuries and suspensions

• Situational factors (is a team determined to fight relegation, are they tired from playing a lot of high intensity matches in a short amount of time)

• The league and country where the event is taking place 

Identifying situations where the bookies’ odds are higher than your own assessment will heighten your chances of winning. Likewise, backing the underdog with any +0.5 handicap is a good idea if you think their defence is on point and that they’ll play ambitiously.

Betting on a 0.0 asian handicap (i.e. a whole number like +1.0) is a well-founded choice when you’re unsure of the outcome of the match but confident your team won’t lose. If a win or lose bet feels too daunting, this gives you the safety net of your bet being returned if the score is a draw after applying the handicap.

Winning margins are crucial with split handicaps and quarter lines. Your research must be thorough. This sort of asian handicap bet gives you the assurance of multiple bases being covered and it’s a great option when the odds are close or the score margin is slim.

It’s vital to remember that no form of betting ever guarantees a win. To keep sports betting enjoyable, stay mindful of your budget and practise responsible gambling.

Common mistakes to avoid with Asian Handicap bets

There are several factors which should be taken into account before partaking in asian handicap betting. Above all, you must ensure you understand what asian handicap betting is and know how it differs from european handicaps; european handicaps do not have half (0.5) or quarter odds (0.25) and there are no pushes - so if your bet ends in a draw, it’s a loss. Placing bets on markets that you don’t fully understand is a straightforward way to hand advantage to the bookmakers. 

If you aren’t prepared to conduct copious amounts of research, asian handicap betting might not be for you. Staying updated with team news provides pivotal context for making these wagers. A tip is to specialise in a specific league to maximise your knowledge of the teams and their history. 

Another mistake punters make is settling for any bookmaker. Shop around for the best odds on the event you’re looking to bet on and compare the lines you see along the way to inform your research.

Emotional betting is a blunder many stumble over. Do not place wagers if your rational judgement is compromised. Doing so usually leads to loss chasing behaviour or betting based on what you want to happen, rather than what the research indicates and will likely result in serious losses.

Placing Asian Handicap bets on different sports

Football is the clear leader as the most popular sport for placing asian handicap bets. However, more and more sports are establishing themselves as exceptional options like, cricket, ice hockey, tennis and rugby, or basketball and netball which typically have very large point totals.

I’ve gone into more detail about some of these sports:

⚽Football

As mentioned under ‘Asian Handicap bets on bet365’ there are more asian handicap options for football than any other sport. These include:

• Asian goal line 

• Alternative asian goal lines 

• 1st half asian goal line

• Alternative 1st half asian goal lines

• Asian cards (applies handicaps to the total number of yellow and red cards in a match)

• Asian corners (applies handicaps to the total number of corners in a match)

🏀 Basketball

The elevated scoring volume in basketball can make placing asian handicap bets on a game a truly gripping experience: 

• Asian point spread

• Alternative point spread

• 1st half asian point spread

• Alternative 1st half asian point spread

🎾Tennis

The key difference in tennis is that a match never ends in a draw anyway so asian handicap betting is almost identical to regular handicap wagering. 

• Asian handicap game 

• Alternative asian handicap game

• Asian handicap set

• Alternative asian handicap set

Conclusion

Engaging in asian handicap betting is an effective choice if you want to step up your sports betting game, provided you maintain safe gambling habits. Indulge in a more tactical and adaptable way to wager, with better safeguarding of your funds (in some cases) and no annoying draws, but beware of misunderstanding how this bet works or misinterpreting your research.