Asian Handicap is a way of betting that comes from Indonesia and is mainly used in football. It’s a type of betting similar to hockey's puck line or run line in baseball. It’s a kind of betting that gives the advantage to the lesser team and removes the draw option for bettors, which offers a better winning chance to the underdog team.

Asian Handicap betting may seem complex at first, but once you get to know the concept, it is actually pretty easy to understand and can be a great market to gain some extra profits.

What is Asian Handicap Betting?

In typical football betting, you need to pick the overall winner of the game or if the match will end in a draw. This gives you three options to choose from, which are win, lose or draw.

There are usually few differences perceived between the two opposing teams. The differences of these teams are determined by a few dispositional and situational factors like:

  • The team’s performance history
  • The team’s form
  • The team’s financial strength
  • The team’s player availability (whether their team members have suspensions or injuries)
  • Home advantage

Bettors use these factors to represent the playing team’s chances of success with odds and their probability of winning the match. These factors alone can show considerable differences between the two teams, which leaves little value on the favourite and minimal returns on the standard 1x2 markets.

However, in Asian Handicap, a team only needs to reach a certain margin to be considered a winning bet, without focusing on the team’s abilities and removing the ‘draw’ option, which results in better odds.  It is basically football’s version of spread betting, which is a bet based on a margin of victory.

Let’s look at the examples and possibilities in football matches to learn more about Asian handicap markets.

Asian Handicap in Betting

How Asian Handicap works? As Asian Handicap works differently from traditional football betting, its market also looks a bit different.  For example, in a match between Arsenal and Brentford, the probabilities of a draw, lose or win would look like something below:

  • Arsenal  2.50
  • Brentford  2.50
  • Draw 3.00

Without the draw, the basic probabilities will look like this:

  • Arsenal: -0.0 , odds: 1.90
  • Brentford: +0.0 , odds: 1.90

A football match with the Asian Handicap at 0 shows that the game consists of two evenly matched teams. Whichever team you’re betting on needs to win to claim your winning bet. Since Asian Handicap betting removes the draw out of the game, if a match ends in a tie, your bet is refunded.

This refunded bet is called a PUSH

Handicap 0.25

Asian Handicap - 0.25 - For example, let’s say that Chelsea is playing with Manchester United with a handicap of 0.25. the odds will look like the example below:

  • Chelsea: -0.25, odds: 2.00
  • Manchester United: +0.25, odds: 1.85

This means that the favoured team (Chelsea) is one-quarter of a goal behind the underdog (Man U). These bets on a “quarter bet” let you minimize your risks as it guarantees that even if Chelsea fails to win and the match ends in a draw, you will only lose half of your invested amount.

If you wager on the Blues at -0.25 and win with at least 1-0, then you win the bet. However, if the match ends up in a draw, then your bet will be considered as a “half lose,” and the original half of your bet will be returned to you.

Handicap 0.5

Asian Handicap 0.5 - This taking type indicates that a team is half a goal ahead of the other.

  • Barcelona -0.5, odds: 1.90
  • Real Madrid +0.5, odds: 1.85

These odds show that the favoured team must simply win the game to cash your bet. But a bet for the underdog is a win if they are victorious or in a draw.

By using the La Liga example shown above, Barcelona will need to win the overall match for it to be considered a winner for the one who bet the favourite. But as Real Madrid has the half-goal advantage, bettors can receive their payouts during the case of an outright win or a draw.

Handicap 0.75

Asian Handicap 0.75 - This may be the most complicated kind out of all the Asian Handicap betting. Below is the example of Handicap 0.75:

  • Liverpool -0.75, odds: 2.00
  • Manchester City +0.75, odds: 1.80

If you bet on Liverpool as the favourite and end up winning by two or more goals, then your bet is the winner. However, if Liverpool wins by only one goal, you’ll only receive 50 percent of your wager back while the other half will be considered a winner. You’d lose your bet entirely when the favourite results in a draw or a loss.

On the other hand, Manchester City as the underdog, will have different results for the bettors. If the match ends up in a draw, then you have a successful winning bet. However, if they lost by one goal, then you’ll receive half of your money back, with the other 50 percent considered a loss. If Man City loses by two goals or even more, then your bet is a loss as a whole.

Handicap 1.0

This Handicap is when a team is a goal better than the other. This is how the Asian Handicap 1.0 looks like:

  • Juventus -1.0, odds: 2.10
  • AC Milan +1.0, odds: 1.75

The bettors who wager on Juventus (the favourite) will need to win two more goals to be considered a winning bet. If Juventus only wins by one, it’s regarded as a draw and your bets will be refunded. If they didn’t score a goal or lose the game, then the bet is a loss.

On the contrary, AC Milan bettors can win their bet if the end result is a draw or win and receive a PUSH if Milan loses by one goal. Your bet is a loss when the underdog team loses by two or more goals.

European vs Asian Handicap - The Perks and Downsides of the Different Handicaps

It can be confusing to differentiate handicaps in football betting, as there are so many of them and each one works differently. For example, European handicaps work just like a single handicap. On the other hand, Asian handicaps are something entirely different and involve split stakes.

Asian handicaps are considered the more advanced strategy and safer as they are a little more niche. However, European handicap predictions are usually available for any bettors who want to take advantage of their bets. You can consider both handicaps in your betting strategy to win more bets, as they are both excellent options as long as you’ve managed your risks accordingly.

Advantages of The Asian Handicap Betting

Even though it may seem complicated at first, Asian Handicap can be a great way to minimize your risk when you get to understand the game. As the traditional bets give bettors a 30:70 chance of winning, the Asian Handicap lets you have an even 50:50 chance of winning and get some profit.

These Handicap odds are available on most betting sites and you can bet on the bigger championships like the Champions League or the Liga MX.