People choose to bet on football for various reasons, but one of the primary reasons is that it’s not that complicated. Those who bet for recreational purposes, or those who bet for fun, especially enjoy the number of simple betting options. They usually shy away from things they don’t easily understand, which suits them perfectly.
Also, recreational bettors generally don’t care if they win or lose. Of course, they like to win but want to have fun. While they can learn some simple betting systems and strategies to increase their chances of winning, they usually need to learn advanced techniques to take their betting to the next level. I don’t want to spend time and effort on that level. We also tend to avoid the more complex betting options available.
It is absolutely why most recreational bettors ignore Asian Handicap betting. For most people, this appears to be a very confusing way to bet on the result of a game in soccer. And, to be fair, it’s probably one of the most complicated options available. It’s nowhere near as confusing as it seems, though, and it doesn’t take long to figure out how it works.
We think it is worth spending the time to learn more about it. Asian Handicap soccer betting can be a very profitable way to bet on soccer if you know what you are doing. Did you know that many successful bettors bet on the Asian Handicap? It is a great way to find additional market value and manage risk exposure.
It will tell you everything you need about Asian handicap betting. First, we’ll explain exactly how it works and how the results and payouts calculate. We provide some general tips for betting this way and also detail our recommended Asian handicap strategies. We cannot promise that you will start making money immediately, but the information and advice we provide will ensure you in the right direction.
Explanation of Asian Handicap Betting
Asian handicap betting is very similar to standard handicap betting and point spread betting. However, you’ll quickly see that there are some key differences. The basic idea is to give each team a goal handicap so that the outcome of the soccer match is 50/50. Favorites are goals that are ‘deducted’ for betting purposes, and underdogs are goals that are ‘awarded.’
A great way to explain how this works is with an example. It is the Asian Handicap Market for matches played in the English Premier League.
| Leicester -1.5 | 1.80 |
| Crystal Palace +1.5 | 2.00 |
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Leicester vs Crystal Palace Asian Handicap |
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If we choose to back Leicester here, we need them to win by at least two goals. If they only win by one goal, after applying the -1.5 handicap, they are actually in a losing position. If we choose to back Middlesbrough, we can still win our bet even if Middlesbrough loses by one goal. Why? Well, once the +1.5 handicap is applied, they are in a winning position.
You create a “virtual result” by applying the relevant handicap to your support team. That virtual result is to determine whether a bet wins or loses. So if we back Leicester and they beat 3-1, the hypothetical result is 1.5-1, and we win. But if they only won 2-1, the theoretical result would be 0.5-1, and we would have lost.
So far, this is very similar to standard handicap betting. One of the significant differences in the Asian Handicap is what happens if the hypothetical outcome is a draw. Obviously, with a handicap of -1.5, this will not happen as the team cannot score half the goals. However, this can occur when the handicap is an integer, as in the example below.
| Chelsea -1.0 | 1.91 |
| Tottenham +1.0 | 1.91 |
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Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur Asian Handicap |
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We see Chelsea as the goal favorites and Tottenham as the goal underdogs. The hypothetical result is a draw if Chelsea wins by one goal difference. At the standard handicap line, a Draw is a loss, no matter which team you favor. It is because you also have the option to revert the draw with the same handicap applied.
However, there is no option to undo the draw at the Asia Handicap Line. You have to help one team or the other. Your stake will refund in full if the hypothetical outcome is a draw. It is a considerable advantage of Asian handicap betting and one of the reasons we love it. In games where a handicap is a whole number, this usually gives you extra insurance.
Things are about to get a little more complicated, so I hope it was easy for you to follow along. It’s time to start talking about split handicapping.
A split handicap is also known as a quarter handicap. +1.25 or -1.75 are two common examples. They combine two faults to create one Fault. A +1.25 handicap is a combination of a 1.00 handicap & 1.50 handicap, & -1.75 handicap is a combination of a -1.50 handicap and a -2.00 handicap.
Still confused? Please do not worry. It is the part most people struggle with. Explaining this in detail should make it easier to understand.
With a split handicap, the wager split into two separate bets. Let’s use another example to give a better example.
| Arsenal -1.25 | 1.91 |
| Bournemouth +1.25 | 1.91 |
| Arsenal vs Bournemouth Asian Handicap |
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|---|---|
If we decided to back Arsenal here, we would put half our stake on Arsenal at -1.00 and a half on Arsenal at -1.50. The following results are possible.
- Arsenal loses or draws. We both lost our bet.
- Arsenal won by one goal. Our bet at -1.00 means that the virtual result is a draw, so half of our stake is returned to us. Our bet at -1.50 means the virtual result is a defeat for Arsenal, so half our stake is gone.
- Arsenal won by two goals or more. Both bets mean the virtual result is a win for Arsenal, so we both win our bets.
It’s safe to say it’s not as complicated as it looks. In short, you just made two bets on two different handicaps. The only difference is that you place a bet with one wager, which splits between two handicaps.
The next section of this article explains how betting results and payouts calculates when betting on the split handicap. But before doing that, we need to say a little more about Asian handicap betting. In particular, we need to explain what the Alternative Asian Handicap is.
Asian handicap alternatives are the same as what they sound. It gives us some alternative handicaps to consider. For example, going back to Arsenal’s game against Bournemouth, we see the following options available:
Arsenal -1.50 / Bournemouth +1.50
Arsenal -1.75 / Bournemouth +1.75
Arsenal -2.00 / Bournemouth +2.00
Arsenal -1.00 / Bournemouth +1.00
Arsenal -0.75 / Bournemouth +0.75
Arsenal -0.50 / Bournemouth +0.50
The first three options on this list increase the number of goals conceded by Arsenal and the number of goals conceded by Bournemouth. A bet on Arsenal will be harder to win, and a Bet on Bournemouth will be easier to win. The odds have adjusted accordingly, longer for Arsenal and shorter for Bournemouth.
The second three options on the list underperform the number of goals given to Arsenal and the number of goals given to Bournemouth. So they are counterproductive. A bet on Arsenal would be easier to win.
A Bet on Bournemouth would be harder to win. The odds adjust in the opposite direction.
These additional options allow you to ‘customize’ your bets and balance your risk/reward ratio. Both the size of the handicap and the potential payout could increase if Arsenal seems more likely to beat Bournemouth. If you think they can win by a minimal margin or even draw, you can reduce the handicap size for a safer bet. You will win less money overall, but your chances of winning are higher.
This level of flexibility is another great advantage of Asian Handicaps and another reason why we love Asian Handicaps. In our thought, this makes it easier to find suitable betting opportunities.
Now that we have finished explaining how Asian Handicap betting works, we should probably mention that there are other Asian Handicap markets in addition to those based on the result of a game. We have listed them for you below.
- Total goals
- Number of yellow and red cards
- Number of corners
- Number threw in
While we think it’s essential for you to be aware of what’s available, we don’t think they’re worth your time. Better to focus on game result markets.
Betting Results and Payouts Calculation
When first betting on the Asian Handicap, it can be difficult to predict what events will cause a bet to win or lose. It becomes more complicated when betting on split handicaps, where half of your Bet will have a different outcome than the other.
It is something that gets easier over time. If you are new to Asian Handicaps, however, the following chart will be handy for you. It shows you exactly how your Bet will turn out based on the relevant handicap and the game’s outcome.
As you can see, there are five possible outcomes when betting on the Asian Handicap.
- win
- loser
- Stake refunded
- Get Half Price / Half Price Refund
- half loss/half refund
Let’s see how to calculate each possible outcome’s payout.
Calculating your winning payout is easy as it is the same as a regular bet. Multiply the decimal odds by your initial bet. Here is an example.
| Stake: $10 | Odds: 1.91 |
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| Payout: $19.10 ($10 x 1.91) | |
| Profit: $9.10($19.10-$10) | |
Calculating your winnings when you lose is easy. As with standard bets, you receive nothing. You were calculating payouts when a wager return is easy, as the entire wager can return.
Things get more complicated with the following result: If you want to win half and refund the other half, you should apply the following formula:
| Stake: $25 | Odds: 2.00 |
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| Payout: $37.50 ($25 / 2)* 2.00(Stake/2) | |
| Profit: $12.50($137.50-$25) | |
You only get back half of your stake when half is lost, and half is refunded.
While we understand how confusing this can be, we can assure you that it isn’t difficult to realize in practice. Once you’ve placed a few Asian Handicap bets, the necessary calculations will soon become second nature to you.
Asian Handicap Betting General Tips
We encourage you to try Asian Handicap betting as we believe it is one of the best ways to bet on football. However, it recommends being careful. This bet offers a great chance to make money, but one or two small mistakes can cost you money, especially while you’re still getting used to it.
We recommend only betting small stakes when you first start to minimize the amount you lose. Also, make sure that you fully understand what describe here. It is one of the most complicated betting methods, and it may take several readings to understand what it is all about. Don’t be afraid to reread the section a few times to ensure the information penetrates.
Once you’ve started, the following five tips can help increase your chances of making money.
- Use proper and reputable betting sites
- shop at the best price
- Scoring record of the research team
- Check the current form
- always think about motivation
It would be best if you ALWAYS used proper and reputable betting sites, so this tip is not unique to the Asian Handicap. It is essential here, though, as the number of options available is quite limited. Not all sites offer Asian Handicap betting, and only a few are high-quality. If you are serious about pursuing this form of gambling, please choose your size carefully.
Ideally, you want accounts of at least two or three sites that offer Asian Handicap betting, as this will allow you to follow our second tip. If you compare the odds and handicaps on different Sites, you will quickly see that not all sites offer the same prices. Searching for the best prices will help you get the most value for your bets. Just getting an extra half-goal can be the difference between winning and losing, and having slightly better odds can have a significant impact on your results in the long run.
The third tip is an important tip to follow. The purpose of placing an Asia Handicap bet is to predict a team’s goals that will likely score. It cannot do without knowing and studying the team’s scoring record. Information is easy to find, so there’s no reason not to get the latest.
The current form of the team is equally important. That’s why I put that tip as number four. Unless you know how well the two participating teams are playing, don’t expect an accurate prediction of the match’s outcome. There’s no guarantee the team’s current form will continue, but it’s undoubtedly a helpful indicator of future performance.
Our last tip will help you to gain an advantage. Many bettors, and even some bookmakers, do not pay attention to the motivation of the teams. It is an essential factor in betting, especially when trying to predict the likely winning margin of a game.
If a team is highly motivated, you can expect them to perform strongly from kick-off to the final whistle. However, they may not put in the same effort if they are not mainly motivated. The motivation levels of both teams will have a considerable impact on the outcome of the game. It is especially true if a team has a lot to play for while their opponents don’t.
Although these tips are relatively easy to understand, they still represent good advice. We promise you won’t be disappointed if you choose to follow them in addition to implementing some solid Asian Handicap betting strategies.
Asian Handicap Betting Strategies
There are countless strategies you can use to bet on the Asian Handicap. I could list them all here, but I don’t want to overload you with information. In any case, the best strategies to use are the ones you develop. Once you have experience with the Asian Handicap, this doesn’t seem daunting.
In the meantime, however, there are two specific strategies you should consider using. These are our recommended strategies that have proven successful over the years. They are pretty simple, making them ideal to use while you are still familiar with this form of betting. The goal is to use them correctly and at the right time.
Backing big favorites at -1 or -1.25
It is an excellent alternative to betting on the big favorites the traditional way. One of the most significant drawbacks of backing an extensive choice in a win-win market is that the odds are usually very low. While we can expect to win a lot of bets, the low odds mean any profits can easily be wiped out by a surprise loss or two.
We want to reduce this risk as much as possible. Realize that backing the big favorites at -1 or -1.25 means we will use the Asian handicap alternative for lower odds. We can still get relatively low odds because getting a choice at -1 or -1.25 usually means using an Asian handicap alternative and therefore getting lower odds.
However, the odds will be better than simply backing them to win, and there’s a good chance we’ll still win many bets. However, it is important that we choose our positions carefully and only bet when we are sure that the favorites will win by at least two goals.
Backing Small home underdogs at +1.75
We use this technique a lot. Typically, we look for home underdogs at +1.0 or +1.25 on the Asian handicap. We then send them back to another Asian handicap, slightly lowering the odds in exchange for a different hemisphere. It gives us a high chance of winning or at least getting half of our stake back, as Small home underdogs rarely lose by two or more goals.
While we have successfully used some more advanced techniques, these two give us the most consistent returns. Don’t expect to make a fortune from them as the risk is low and the reward is low. They are still a good starting point for Asian handicap betting, and there is no reason why you cannot profit from using them.
One last point to mention before we wrap up is that Asian handicap betting can also be played in-game. It opens up more opportunities to find high-value bets. The advice in the following article will help you get the most out of them.