What is handicap betting?

In a world of bet builders, accumulators and specials, handicap betting remains a popular way to bet for fans of points-based sports such as football, rugby, basketball and more.

Handicap betting is available on a variety of sports markets, and is essentially a way for betting sites to turn a match into an even money contest by giving one team or player a virtual advantage or disadvantage to level the playing field.

The chosen team is given a virtual deficit to overcome, with your selection deemed the winner if the score is greater than the opponents’ score once the deficit (handicap) has been applied.

Handicap betting may seem confusing at first, so we’ve compiled a guide to explain this type of bet, from useful information and tips, to an explanation of the difference between handicap and regular betting.

So what is handicap betting? In simple terms, a handicap bet is still a wager on which team, or player, will win a match, except one of the participants is given a virtual handicap by the bookie.

This handicap will level the playing field, giving one team a virtual deficit to overcome, so whichever team you bet on starts the match with that value added or subtracted from the starting score. You are betting on which team will win with the handicap taken into account.

Handicap betting is often referred to as ‘the spread’ or ‘points betting’ too.

For those asking ‘how does handicap betting work?’, it is slightly more confusing than traditional betting, but a simple breakdown will suffice to explain.

For example, if Manchester United were playing Manchester City, you may see handicap odds on betting apps displayed as so:

If you wager on ‘Man City -1’, you’re betting that Man City’s score will still beat Man United’s score after the handicap of minus one goal is applied. Therefore, if City were to win 3-1, your bet would win. If they won 2-1. the score with the handicap applied would be 1-1, so your bet would lose.

If you were to back ‘Man Utd +1’, you would be betting on Man Utd’s score to be greater than City after the handicap has been added, so if the match itself finished as a draw, you would win in this case.

If you bet on the handicap draw, you’re wagering on the winning margin being equal to the handicap offered – one goal, in this case.

This type of bet can make a market more exciting, especially when there is one overwhelming favourite. Creating a handicap bet is often straightforward, as they are offered on a dedicated sub-section of each relevant event on a betting site.

Remember that the handicap is only applied to your chosen selection, not both sides. In addition, the handicap must be covered for the bet to be successful.

Handicap betting is popular across a range of sports such as football, rugby, basketball and more - usually, it’s used on sports where points are scored.

The most common market for handicap betting is a match result (or goal) market, whereby punters place the virtual handicap on the team of their choice. This is common for matches in football, rugby and other sports.

No draw handicap betting eliminates the possibility of a handicap draw – teams are given a half handicap advantage, such as +4.5, so after the handicap has been applied there is no possibility of a tie.

Handicap league betting is a similar concept but applied over a league season. The favourite starts with a handicap of 0 and every other team is given a virtual points lead – at the end of the season, all the teams’ handicap scores are added to their actual points total to determine a ‘winner’.

As well as ‘normal’ handicap betting, there are two other popular types – Asian handicap and European handicap.

For European handicaps, your bet requires a team to not only win a match, but win by a certain clear margin of goals. It is the common form of handicap used in European markets, and is essentially the same as what we in the UK would just call ‘handicap betting’.

Asian handicaps are similar to no draw handicap betting, in that no draws are possible, though they also offer the possibility of split handicaps. This is where your selection can have one handicap that is a whole number, and one that is a half number. Your stake is applied equally between the two handicaps – meaning a £10 bet would be £5 on each handicap.

For example, imagine football betting sites offered these odds: Manchester City (-1, -1.5) vs Manchester United (+1, +1.5).

City need to win the match by two clear goals in order to win here. If they win by one goal, they lose the -1.5 market and draw the -1 market, so half your stake is returned. If City lose, United win both handicaps.

Football handicap betting is one of the most popular handicap betting markets, with selections available on leagues and individual matches.

Individual matches, such as those given in the examples above, are the most common market, though you can also bet on handicap league betting, where the favourite starts with a handicap of 0 and every other team is given a lead of a certain amount of virtual points (based on how likely they are to win the league in the first place). At the end of the season, all the teams’ handicap scores are added to their actual points total to determine a league ‘winner’.

There are plenty of handicap betting tips to consider.

Firstly, remember to do your research – look at the form of both teams, any relevant player statistics and recent performance trends.

A good knowledge of the relevant teams is important too – is their best striker likely to start if they’re overwhelming favourites? Take things like this into account.

It is also worth looking at head-to-head records and any other qualifying factors. For example, is this a derby game? Never underestimate home advantage either.

Remember to compare odds across online bookmakers to find the best value. If you are confused, a handicap betting calculator can help.

Finally, remember to look for value in matches where the handicap might not reflect the true difference in quality between the teams or players.

The main difference between handicap and regular betting is that handicap betting levels the contest by giving one team an advantage or disadvantage through adding virtual points (or goals etc.).

While regular betting involves straightforward win, loss or draw outcomes, handicap betting involves giving one team or player a virtual head start or deficit.

Using a handicap bet means you are betting on that team to win or lose after the chosen handicap has been applied.

The most important thing to remember when gambling – whether handicap betting or otherwise – is that you should never bet more than you can afford to lose. Gambling is only a form of entertainment and never a surefire way to make money, even if you’re exceptionally knowledgeable about the sport.

Sports betting can be addictive, so please take steps to remain in control of your budget. Make use of responsible gambling tools offered by betting sites, such as deposit limits, loss limits, self-exclusion and time-outs. These can be often accessed through a tab on each page of the site.

The same applies whether you’re using betting sites, casino sites, slot sites, poker sites or any other form of gambling. It’s particularly important not to get carried away by free bet offers or casino offers, both of which are available in abundance on gambling sites, but must be approached with caution.

Should you wish to seek help for gambling-related issues, there are several charities and healthcare providers who offer support and information:

It is useful to have handicap betting explained, as it can form another type of betting to add to your repertoire, especially if you’re betting on a match where there is a clear favourite.

In short, handicap betting involves giving one team or player a virtual head start or deficit – you are betting on that team to win or lose after the chosen handicap has been applied.

Handicap betting is a useful way to bet on markets with underdogs, and you can find value in certain deficits depending on the fixture or league.

Handicap betting is offered across the board on some of the UK’s most trusted bookmakers and a host of popular new betting sites, so it can be an exciting way to differ from more standard ways of betting.

Nevertheless, remember to gamble responsibly, even if you’re using free bets, and stay in control of your budget if you do decide to take on handicap betting.

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