HANDICAP BETTING
Handicap betting is a process where bettors give one of the teams some kind of imaginary disadvantage. With it, the team that’s most likely to win then becomes “handicapped”, so to speak. Therefore, the team that was most likely to lose has now better odds against their opponents. In essence, it is a means of evening the playing field in order to make it into a more favorable and interesting betting contest.
The term also refers to the quantification and prediction of the results of a sporting match through various methods by spectators. This type of wager is popular all over the world. It is quite prevalent in football and other sport types.
How does it work?
Let’s assume there was a match between Real Madrid and Cadiz. In such match, it could be said that the home team (Real Madrid) would have a preferential edge against the other. Therefore, it would be possible to apply a handicap to even the game out. A bookmaker would present you with something like this: Real Madrid CF (-2) – Cadiz CF (+2).
The “+2” means that the team considered the underdog in the match is given an advantage. While the minus two means that the other team has to score a lot more goals in order to win the bets placed. So if the results were something like this: Real Madrid CF 3-0 Cadiz CF; then those who placed bets in favor of Real Madrid would have won.
Asian Handicap
This is a type of spread betting that has started to become increasingly popular, especially in Asia. The twist here is that the number of possible outcomes is reduced to just two. This is done by eliminating the draw option. Therefore becoming easier for bettors to calculate their optimal wager.
No Draw Handicap
This type of handicap means that instead of a full line like the one before (-2, +2) it is instead represented in decimals. So in order to win the bet, one of the teams has to have more points than the other teams total. At its core, it is a means of ensuring the match has a winner, by adding the point decimal to a team’s overall score.
Sports with Handicap Betting
While Football is the main sport for the Handicap betting market, there are quite a few others where it also would apply. Like:
Rugby Ice hockey Baseball
Tennis Volleyball Golf
Basketball Handball Chess
For Tennis, these work when a recognized player of great skill, like for example Djokovic or Nadal faces off against a qualifier or in a match against a relatively unexperienced player in major stages; here it applies to points, sets and outcomes. In Golf, similar conditions apply as in Tennis.
In Rugby this would mean that one of the teams starts with a point disadvantage which they have to overcome.
Conclusion
Overall, Handicap betting is a great means to achieve an even playing field and a more thrilling betting experience, while adding a layer of unpredictability. All modern betting services provide handicap offers nowadays. Choose any!