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Handicap in Sports Betting: Features of the Asian and European Handicap
A handicap is a bet that allows the punter to hedge his stake by giving the weaker team a theoretical advantage. Handicap was created not so long ago, but it is actively used by players in all sports on Indian online betting sites.
Handicap was first used in horse racing when a weaker horse was placed a couple of centimetres ahead of the other horses to have this stake as an advantage. Today, such a bet is particularly popular in football.
Asian Handicap in Betting on Sports
Asian version staking is quite different from the European one, although it sounds similar.
Asian handicap staking consists of two classic forfeits. When you place a bet, the bookmaker divides it equally for both. It is written in the format (+0.25), (-0.75), (+1.25), (-1.25), (+1.75). The “plus” or “minus” sign indicates advantage or disadvantage, respectively. And “quarters” denote which two nearest European forfeits the bet will be split into. The winnings are calculated for each half of the stake.
Advantages of the Asian version:
- Possibility to use bets with a handicap and safety net.
- Wide range of risking options within one market.
- Large coverage of markets: Asian version bets are accepted on statistics.
Disadvantages of the Asian version:
- Need help understanding the betting scheme.
- Lower odds compared to a stake without insurance.
- The Asian one is not available in all BCs.
European Handicap in Sports Betting
This type of stake has been a success with European bookmakers, which is where the name of the stake mark comes from. It comes from the English term “3-Way Handicap”, which means “handicap with three options of outcomes”.
An example of a European version is 1:0 P1. Both parts of the record are important for calculating the bet: the score (1:0) and the outcome (P1). The score will be added to the actual result of the match. And if, in this case, the outcome will correspond to the handicap stake (P1), the bookmaker will pay the winnings.
Advantages of the European version:
- The ability to bet on favourites at more favourable odds or to increase the odds of outsiders.
Disadvantages of the European version:
- Presented predominantly in the football line.
- Few risking options within one market.
- It is present in only some bookmaker’s offices.
Handicap in Football and Other Sports
The football line has the largest selection of such bets, not only on the result of the match but also on periods and popular statistics such as corner kicks or fouls.
In other sports, the following situation is observed:
- Hockey. The best in hockey is offered only on the result of the match.
- Basketball. Handicaps are seldom used. Instead of them, European ones.
- Tennis. The same as in basketball. They are widely used.
- Volleyball. Three-way stake is not common in volleyball.
