Are you familiar with asian handicap soccer term? Nowadays betting sites allow players to place a plethora of different bet types at a diversity of soccer events. However, in a couple of years, many of them decided to add Asian handicap bets to their offering. It has become one of the most popular, especially among soccer bettors, but you can also find some offers for other sports.
Let’s check how Asian handicap betting works and highlight the best possible ways to implement the best strategies for this form of sports betting. Just to clarify something before we start with explanations – Asian betting is an advanced bet type, so it requires certain betting experience. Also, it requires players to follow soccer matches regularly.
What is Asian Handicap Betting?
We will try to explain Asian handicaps as simply as possible to ensure that all the information is clear after reading our guide.
In general, Asian handicap gives the underdog team a so-called “head start” regarding goals. These small advantages can even be expressed in half- or quarter-goals. That means the players need to predict the final score difference. Besides that, it is also worth mentioning that Asian handicaps eliminate the possibility of a draw at the end of the game.
Believe it or not, Asian Handicap betting has a very interesting history. The first Asian handicap markets were invented in the late 90s by Joe Lee. The Malaysian bookmakers were the first to release this form of soccer betting. The goal of the “inventor” was to eliminate the possibility of drawing results and reduce bookmakers’ advantages.
Although this form of betting is advanced, people like it because it increases their chances of winning. Today, you can find alternative Asian handicap markets all around the world. They are available in Europe and the United States.
How Asian Handicap Works
We know that quarter and half goal handicaps seem confusing at first, so we need to give explanations that will make things clear. Before everything, we need to analyze the so-called Asian handicap lines, which will probably make things a lot easier. Let’s go one by one.
Asian Handicap Full Lines
People commonly think that Asian handicap betting has only one goal – to make some sort of balance between two teams competing against each other. In other words, they assume that Asian handicapping lowers the odds of the favorite and brings higher odds for the underdogs.
That’s not quite correct! Asian handicap full lines are, as the name itself tells, odds supported by round numbers, such as 1, 2, 3, etc. The favorites in the match always have a negative Asian handicap, while the underdogs have a positive one. For example, in a soccer match between Liverpool and Brighton, Liverpool can have a -2 handicap, and Brighton, in that case, would start a match with 2 virtual goals ahead.
So, how would Asian handicaps influence our imaginary match? Here is how it would look:
- Liverpool (-1.0): Win by two goals or more, you win cash, win by 1, bring your money back, draw or lose, you lose the bet
- Bournemouth (+1.0): Win or draw will bring money, losing by one returns the initial bet back; losing by 2 or more – you lose money.
Asian Handicap Half Lines
The two most confusing Asian handicap lines are half and quarter ones. So, read this and the next section with full attention.
Asian Handicap half lines are different from the full lines because they introduce the half-goal advantage/disadvantage. For example, the underdog in the soccer game can have a 0.5+ advantage, which means they have a half-goal lead before the game even starts. On the other hand, if the stronger team has a +0.5 decimal odds, it starts the game with half of the goal in deficit.
So, let’s translate this into outcomes:
- If the favorite wins the game (and you placed a bet on it), you win; if the result is a draw, you lose money; and if the favorite team loses, the outcome is the same as the previous one.
- On the other hand, if you bet on the underdog with an Asian handicap of +0.5, the situation is different. You win cash if that team wins or the final result is a draw. If the underdog loses (even with 1 goal difference), you lose money.
Asian Handicap Quarter Lines
Asian Handicap soccer betting also lets sports enthusiasts place a wager on quarter lines. In this case, you have two options in front of you – .25 and .75. This Asian handicap bet variant opens another possibility – half loss and half win of your initial wager.
We know that this may seem confusing, so let’s use examples to explain everything. Let’s start with .25 positive and negative handicap:
- If you bet on a winning team with a -0.25 handicap, that team has to win with at least 1 goal difference. In case the match ends in a draw, you half lose money. Logically, if that team loses, you end up with nothing.
- In case you place a bet on an underdog with +0.25, that team needs to win with a 1+ goal difference to ensure you a win. In case the end result is a draw, you win half, and if that team loses, you get nothing.
With .75 Asian handicaps, things are slightly different, but the point is almost the same. This time, larger goal differences are present:
- Betting on a team with -0.75 odds brings you money only if they win in the end with 2+ goal difference. If they win by just one (1:0, 2:1, etc.), you get half of the money. Ultimately, if the end result is draw or lose, you lose.
- If you bet on a weaker team with a +0.75 Asian handicap, any win or draw result brings you money. If they lose by 1, you lose half, and if they lose by two or more goals, you stay out of winnings.
+0 and -0 Asian Handicaps
Last, but not least, +0.00 and -0.00 Asian handicaps are very popular among sports betting enthusiasts. These betting options also disclude the possibility of a draw result. Also, you will get more balanced odds for both the underdog and favored team.
Outcomes are always the same. If the team you bet on wins, you win; if it loses, you lose. Yet, if the soccer match ends in a draw, you get your money back.
Advantages of Asian Handicap Betting
There are two amazing advantages of the Asian handicap market we would like to highlight:
- Reduced risk: Since the draw outcome is eliminated, you have a higher probability of winning.
- Increased engagement: During the match, you will be much more engaged since you need to follow every situation on the field.
Asian Handicap Strategies
Although the risk is reduced, that doesn’t mean the winnings are guaranteed. Here are strategies that you need to implement before placing a wager:
- Research both teams: Analyze every important aspect, including h2h stats, injuries, form, number of goals scored and conceded and so on.
- Get familiar with Asian handicap spread betting options: Be curious and research all the betting options. It is crucial to understand them well.
- Organize your budget: Never spend more than you can afford. Risk only if your balance allows you or if you have gained a lot of experience.
- Find the best odds: Research different online betting sites and find the best odds for Asian handicaps.
Betting on Soccer at Evo.io
Since one of the main Asian handicap strategies is finding the platform with the best odds, we invite you to check out the offering on evo.io.
Evo allows registered users to place bets on Asian handicaps for various soccer leagues. Enjoy more entertaining sports betting and have fun!