Examples of handicap in betting. What does handicap mean in betting? Find out more about the meaning of handicap betting |1xBet
What is Handicap in Betting?
Handicap in betting is a method used by bookmakers to make a sporting fixture more attractive for the users by making it more even in terms of the odds they offer.
This method is generally used for fixtures that are expected to yield one-sided outcomes, where one team is far superior to the other team playing in the contest. Bookmakers offer a price on the superior team that makes them start at a theoretical disadvantage, mainly to make the odds more attractive to bet on for the users.
It can be approached from the opposite side as well, where the weaker team is offered at a shorter price so that they start the match ahead of their superior opponents.
Handicap Betting Explained
The best way to understand how handicap works in betting is to explain it with the help of an example. Let’s consider a cricket match between India and Zimbabwe for instance, where India are priced at odds of 1/5 to win. That’s not an attractive proposition for anyone as it suggests that India are the favourites to win the contest and the bookies are playing it safe so that they don’t lose a lot of money on it.
So what they do is something different to make the price more attractive. They give you a handicap of -50 on India. That means if India score 210 in the match, they would have to beat Ireland by a margin of more than 50 runs for you to win the wager.
Inversely, they can give Ireland a headstart of +50 in the match as well. You can land a wager on this even if Ireland lose, but the losing margin has to be less than 50 runs.
To understand handicap meaning in betting in a better way, we can use another example from football. Suppose Manchester City are going to play Leeds United in a match. Now bookies have priced City at odds of 1/10 and Leeds United at 20/1. City’s price is so short that it isn’t expected to attract that many wagers.
To make the price more attractive, bookies might introduce a handicap of -3, which means City start the game three goals down. In this case, you can only land a wager if City wins by a margin of at least four goals.
Inversely, a handicap of +3 can be introduced on Leeds United and that effectively means Leeds United start the game three goals ahead. You can still land a wager in this case if Leeds lose by a margin of less than three goals here.
What is Asian Handicap in Betting?
Asian Handicap, as the name suggests, originated in Asia and it is a form of betting that eliminates the chances of a draw in a match. So only two outcomes are possible in this form of betting and it is mainly used in football.
We can use an example to understand Asian Handicap meaning in a better way. Suppose Manchester City are backed to win against Crystal Palace and they have been handed a handicap of -1.75 goal in the match. Crystal Palace, on the other hand, have been handed a handicap of +1.75 goals in the match.
A handicap of -1.75 goals necessarily means that the stake is divided into two equal bets and placed on outcomes of -1.5 and -2.0. City must win the match by a margin of at least three goals, which is more than both of its listed handicaps, for the bet to be fully paid out at the listed odds. In case City wins by a margin of only two goals, the bet will be partially won. There will be a full payout on the -1.5 part and a refund will be processed on the -2.0 part, as the outcome of that bet would be considered a tie. In case City wins the match by only a one-goal margin, the entire stake would be lost.
Things are pretty much similar for betting on Crystal Palace but in an opposite way. A handicap of +1.75 goals for Palace means there is a stake of two equal bets with outcomes of +1.5 and +2.0. To take a full payout on bets placed on Palace, they should either win the match, the match has to finish in a draw or they should not lose by a margin of more than one goal. If they lose by a margin of exactly two goals, the bet will be partially lost with a refund on the +2.0 part and a loss on the +1.5 part.
Handicap betting can be one of the most fun and engaging forms of betting if you have studied the strengths and weaknesses of the teams playing properly. In case you are interested in Handicap betting, you can visit 1xBet as they offer one of the best odds in the market. To use handicap in 1xBet, you just need to register on the website with some personal details and can start playing once that is done.
