What is European Handicap and What's The Difference with Asian Handicap?

There are many terms in football betting that can confuse new bettors and make them lose track of the best betting options.

Handicaps are incredibly confusing as there are so many of them and that they work differently from other types of bets on a betting site. Handicaps don't just focus on a team to win, as other factors at play make these bets even more complicated.

The two most common handicaps are Asian handicaps and European handicaps, which are favourites among bookmakers. This article will tell you everything about them and their differences, as getting to know the basics of Asian and European handicaps can give you another way to score some consistent wins in the world of sports betting.

The Difference between Asian and European Handicap

Before we go further to these differences, let us look back at what exactly is a handicap and how they work on the bookmakers.

A handicap is a means of positive and negative points goals that are given to teams during a league or championship. So, when you bet on a match, one of the teams can have a head start by using a handicap. Asian and European handicaps are pretty different from each other and you'll want to know the difference between them before you start putting your money on any of these options.

Let's look at the European handicap first. It's a handicap that offers three potential betting outcomes: home win, away win, and a draw. On the other hand, Asian handicaps do not offer a draw, which means that bookmakers can give better odds to their users, who will also receive more value from their bets.

Asian handicap betting usually consists of decimals such as 0.00, 0.25, 0.50. 1.00, 1, 25 and so on, so keep an eye out for these.

While European handicap bets offer the traditional win or lose outcome in every situation, the option of having no tie in Asian handicap bet gives a chance for a bet to be "pushed" and the stake returning to the player in the event.

How do These Handicaps Work?

European handicap works just like a single handicap. Bookmakers sometimes refer to European handicaps as a three-way handicap or a 1X2 match result bet.

Handicap bets work well in football games or any other team sports. For example, if a team is a big favourite to win a match, they are offered significantly lower odds. In this case, smaller values are gained from them because of the low returns on the line. However, handicaps can give you more ways to win more bucks.

So, what are bettors for in a bookmaker when placing a European handicap bet? We will answer this question in the next section.

The Structure of European Handicap

Let's pick some of the biggest teams from the premier league, a match between Manchester United vs Chelsea as an example for our European handicap.

European handicap betting benefits users to back up a strong home team so that they win the game. If they are a short-priced favourite in a match, the handicap can help gain more value, increasing the potential winning results. If you're confused about the system's odds, a European handicap calculator is available and you can check it to show the possible returns during this betting type.

These are the basics of the European handicap and how it works. Let's move on to the Asian Handicap.

Asian Handicap in Football Betting

As we have mentioned earlier, the only difference between the European handicap and the Asian handicap is the no tie option.

The decimals are used to show the available options of Asian handicaps to the sports bettors. It is important to note that not all bookmakers have Asian handicaps as an option. The 0.00 represents a draw on the Asian handicap or also known as the no bet or DNB. So, if you wager on Arsenal at 0.00 and they win the match, then you've also won the bet. The game ending in a draw in this situation will return the stake. And, of course, when Arsenal loses the match, then you would also lose the best as well.

If we step it up to -0.50, the bet on Arsenal is only considered a winner if they win the game. If the result ends up in a defeat or even a draw, then the bet is lost.

There are also -0.25 and -0.75 in options which can be a little more complicated. The bet here is split into two parts once it is placed and comes with an even stake on the adjacent amount, in other words. Half of the stake can be returned to the player, which is better than not receiving anything at all.

Final Thoughts

As we have mentioned earlier in the article, the European handicap is the same as a single handicap. In contrast, the Asian handicap is a different betting type that involves split stakes.

Asian handicap can be considered a more advanced betting strategy as European handicap predictions are generally available for those who feel like taking advantage of their wagers. However, the Asian handicap is a bit more niche despite its fast-growing popularity.

Both Asian and European handicaps can be an excellent option for your betting strategy, but remember to do your own research and manage your risks when browsing at these options for your next wager.