European, Asian, 2-way, 3-way… Handicap bets have become commonplace at betting sites and garnered popularity among the punters who look for some alternative bets and, also, ways to prove their betting mettle.
What is handicap in betting, how to make these bets, and are they worth it? This is what we’ll be discussing today in this article. Let’s dive in!
Handicap Betting Explained Simply
A handicap in betting is a point difference given by a bookie to two sides of a sports match. One team gets a titular handicap, a deficit in score, while the other gets the score advantage. Typically, this is done to equalise the two teams, so the underdog gets a head start, while the favourite starts with a handicap.
A team given a handicap will start with a negative score, while the other team starts with a positive score. You’ll see this clearly marked in betting lines with + and - signs.
Depending on your selection at the handicap betting sites, your team will either need to win by a score difference, or they’ll need to maintain a score difference for your wager to turn a winner. Basically, the handicaps apply to the final score of the match, and then the bookie determines which one of the selections is the winner.
How Does Handicap Betting Work in Practice?
This all might sound confusing in theory, and you’ll probably wonder about the meaning of handicap in betting and determining whether a selection has won or not.
Let’s say Barcelona is meeting Real Madrid at their home stadium, Camp Nou. They have a home advantage and were generally in good form, so the bookie gives them a -2 handicap, while Real gets a +2 handicap. Effectively, this means the match starts with a 0-2 result.
For Barcelona to win this, they’ll need to surpass their handicap, winning by at least a 3-goal difference. Meanwhile, Real needs to maintain a 2-goal differential, and they’ll be declared the winner of this bet, even if they lose the actual match. Most sports betting sites introduce the third outcome - a draw - in case the favourite wins by exactly 2 goals.
To continue our analogy, let’s pretend you put a wager on Barcelona at -2 handicap. The match ends with Barcelona winning 2-1. Were you to simply bet on Barcelona to win, you’d take the cash. But, the handicap means they’re not considered a winner by the bookie, since they haven’t covered the point spread given by the initial handicap.
Key Concepts to Know About Handicap in Betting
The reason for introducing handicaps in betting is to offer a level playing field, at least perceived, and thus giving alternative bets and odds to bettors. This is especially evident in matches with a clear favourite, where regular betting lines do not give good value for betting on that team.
Handicaps can be presented in different ways and introduce more sports betting types. So far, we talked about 2-way handicaps (no-draw), where there’s no tie result. But, handicaps can also go 3-way, meaning that there’s a possibility of the third outcome, which either you can bet on, the bookie considers a loss, or you even get your wager back. Finally, Asian handicaps are set at half-point scores; they’re very common, and they only have two outcomes.
Like with all other types of bets, handicap odds are set based on factors like the team’s form, home advantage, head-to-head history, and player injuries or suspensions. Additionally, the bookie will account for the ability of the team to score a certain number of goals/points.
Why would you place a handicap bet instead of a regular bet? Again, this is mostly due to better odds on handicap bets than on 1X2. Especially if you’re certain that a team can win or lose by a margin. Picking a handicap bet gives you better value on your slip.
Handicap Betting Across Different Sports
As we’ve already mentioned, it’s also simple when we talk about handicap bets in theory. In this section, we’ll go over several popular sports that typically have handicap betting lines offered at online sportsbooks.
Handicap Betting in Football
Football is, typically, a low-scoring sport (some exceptions apply, of course). A team given just one goal handicap is a major thing. Asian handicap is more popular in football as it gives fewer possible outcomes, although you’ll likely encounter other handicap formats.
Handicap Betting in Basketball
Basketball is especially interesting for spread betting since matches regularly end with lots of points on both sides. It’s also a good choice at online sportsbooks, as you can bet on each individual period of the game, giving you more opportunities to turn a profit with your wagers.
Handicap Betting in the NFL
For American football and, thus, the NFL, handicap betting is often called line betting. The principle is the same - your bet needs to win at the end of the match with the handicap applied. NFL handicap bets typically have Asian lines. You ideally want the handicap to be under 7 points, as in less than a single touchdown.
Handicap Betting in Rugby
Rugby doesn’t differ much from other team sports when it comes to handicap betting. You’ll often find betting markets for the 1st and 2nd halves of the game, as well as alternative handicaps with more options. But, it all boils down to the same principles as described above.
Handicap Betting in Horse Racing
What does handicap mean in betting on horse races? Unlike in other sports, handicaps aren’t imposed by the bookies, but by race organisers themselves. Each horse is allocated a weight based on their racing ability in hopes of providing an equal chance of winning. You’ll see these races clearly marked on race cards and at sportsbooks, with the exact amount of carried weight noted.
Handicap Betting vs. Spread Betting: What’s the Difference?
Most bettors tend to easily confuse the handicap betting with spread betting when they start broadening their horizons beyond the simple moneyline bets. To further the confusion, bookies in certain markets tend to use these two terms interchangeably.
But, are they really the same? It may depend on the sportsbook you’re at. By definition, handicap betting is the same as spread betting. You’re betting whether a team will win by a certain score difference (covering the spread), or a team gets an advantage so their opponents need to score a certain number of points for their side to count as a winner.
There is one big “if” in all of this - this is only true if you’re betting at fixed odds. In a case where a bookie offers spread betting in terms of a point spread, then it is a completely different story. Instead of betting whether a team will win/lose by a point difference, your bet’s payout depends on the accuracy of your wager.
The more “right” you are, the bigger your win, but if you miss the prediction by a large amount, then you may lose more than what you initially staked. Obviously, these kinds of spread bets are very risky and should be avoided by inexperienced bettors.
Pros and Cons of Handicap Betting
We’ve already talked about some of the reasons why picking a bet with a handicap is a good choice. Usually, you’ll get better odds with handicap bets, meaning you’ll end up with a bigger payout when your selection wins. They’re especially a good choice when betting on the clear favourites, as they’ll get a better price than the moneyline bets.
But, you’ll need to understand the handicap meaning in betting, how it’s calculated, and whether the better odds are really worth it in each particular scenario. Maybe the team isn’t fully capable of covering that point spread after all. Or, maybe it won’t be a particularly eventful game, so there won’t be many points scored.
That’s where the excitement and challenge of these bets lie. You’re not just betting on a win or a loss, but also the point difference. Handicap bets require better knowledge, yes, while rewarding the bettors with bigger wins at the same time.
Even if you bet on a losing team, by predicting why and how they’ll lose, you’re already setting yourself ahead of rookies in the betting game. A great way to score on a one-sided match, of course, as long as you’re properly managing your bankroll and not chasing your losses this way.
