Handicap Betting 101: Understanding How it Works in Football

Everything you need to know about Handicap Betting at Housebets, including tips and guides. 

Betting can be simple and also complicated at the same time, especially if you have no idea of the markets. 

For example, it is easy to understand the moneyline market because it has just two options or three in the case of some sports like football. 

In all sports, the easiest thing to bet on is the winner or sometimes a draw in the case of football/soccer. 

But while it is the easiest market to bet on, it is not necessarily the most profitable because the odds may not be something you want. 

For example, If Barcelona are backed at 1.12 to beat Espanyol, you will need to put a lot of money on Barcelona for a reasonable profit, which is not a wise decision because there is no guarantee that Barcelona will win even if the odds favour them. 

In this case, the risk is greater than the reward, which is not something you want to do as a bettor. 

For this reason, online casinos and sportsbooks like Housebets have different markets for customers or users, which makes betting fair. 

One of those markets is the Handicap market. The Handicap, unlike the over and under market, is one of the most difficult markets to understand in betting. 

Nonetheless, we will try to break it down in this piece. 

What is Handicap Betting?

Handicap betting is a situation where one team is given an advantage by a goal/point/set because the player/team is playing a far superior opponent expected to win. 

It is simple. In sports betting, there is always the favourite and the underdog. But the issue as I explained above is that the favourite always has a higher chance of winning, meaning the odds given to the favourite winning are super-low most times. 

But to level the playing field, knowing smart bettors will likely not put big money on super-low odds, online sportsbooks like Housebets give bettors the option of giving the underdog a goal/point/set advantage.

Still confused? Let’s use a practical example, using the same teams from above. 

Barcelona (-1) vs Espanyol (1) 

If Barcelona are backed at 1.12 to beat Espanyol, it means they are the massive favourite but with a super-low odd. 

However, a bettor knowing Barcelona would likely win by a two-goal margin could take the option of giving Espanyol a goal ahead before the ball is kicked and still back Barcelona to win. 

This means for the bettor to win his bet, Barcelona has to win by a two-goal margin- 2-0, 3-1, 4-2. 

If Barcelona wins by a goal margin, the bettor will lose the bet because he/she had already given Espanyol a goal up before the ball was kicked. 

Although the result says Barcelona won by a goal margin, the bet would count it as a draw because Espanyol was given a goal ahead. 

However, it’s important to note that because you gave Espanyol a goal ahead, you would get a higher odd for Barcelona to win by a two-goal margin instead of the 1.12 odd you would have gotten if you had placed a moneyline bet on them. 

Meanwhile, you should also note that it works the other way if you back Espanyol. For example, if Espanyol were given an odd of 12.10 to win the game normally and you give them a goal ahead hoping they do not lose, the odd for Espanyol would reduce. 

However, the difference is just that all you need to win the bet is for Espanyol to avoid a defeat, meaning any form of draw (1-1, 2-2, 3-3..) is enough. 

Even though the final result is a draw, it is a winning bet for you because you gave Espanyol a goal ahead before kickoff. 

Types of Handicap Betting 

There are two major types of Handicap betting- European Handicap and Asian Handicap. 

European Handicap: The European handicap has a three-way result, just like the three-way outcome when betting on the moneyline in football. 

For example, let’s say Manchester United are given 1.30 to beat West Ham, with the draw pegged at 3.30 and West Ham given 7.60 to cause an upset. 

Under the European Handicap Market: Manchester United (-1) means Manchester United to win by a two-goal margin. 

Draw (-1) means Manchester United to win by a goal margin

West Ham (+1) means a draw or West Ham win. 

Asian Handicap: The Asian Handicap, unlike the European Handicap, eliminates the draw option and it is mainly decimal. 

Eg: If Liverpool are given 1.20 to beat Southampton, with the draw pegged at 4.45 and Southampton given 11.20 to cause an upset. 

The handicap market under the Asian Handicap will look like Liverpool (-1.5) and Southampton (1.5)

Liverpool (-1.5) means Liverpool has to win by at least a two-goal margin. Any other thing than that outcome means you lose the bet.

In contrast, Southampton (1.5) means they must not lose two goals, meaning a defeat by a goal margin or any draw will see you win your bet. 

Sports that have Handicap Betting 

• Tennis 
• Basketball
• Rugby 
• Football 
• Cricket 

A few other sports also have handicap betting and you can all find them on Housebets. 

Handicap Betting Tips and Strategies

• Research: It is important to do your research on both teams before you decide to place your bets. Find out if they have all players available and who is the home side as that could also play a role. 
• Head-to-Head: It’s better to know the history of the head-to-head of the teams you are betting on. Find out if their matchup is always a cagey affair. For example, if it’s a derby game, handicap betting may not be a suitable option. 
• Be sensible: Oftentimes, football fans especially, tend to bet with their hearts, not their heads. Just because you support a team does not mean you should bet on them, especially if they have no chance against their opponent. 

Advantages of Handicap Betting 

• Odd Boost: Given favourites have super-low odds, handicap betting helps a bettor to get higher odds, thereby making the reward equal to the risk. 
• On the other hand, it also helps you get good value if you are betting on the underdog. For example, if you feel there is no chance of the underdog losing by two goals, you can bet on that option. 
• Accumulator: If you are the type of bettor that plays an acca, handicap betting can help boost your overall odds. 

Does Housebets have a Handicap Market?

Yes, Housebets have a handicap market- both the Asian and European handicap. It is important to note that the market is also available in other sports like Tennis, American Football, Baseball, Rugby and many other sports. 

How do I bet on Handicap at Housebets? 

To bet on Handicap at Housebets.com. Go to the Housebets website, log into your account or sign up if you do not have an account. Afterwards, deposit any of your preferred currency into your account.

Once your deposit is confirmed, go to the Sportsbook section and select any of the sports you want to bet on. Click on the Sport and go to the Handicap section to make your pick.

So what are you waiting for? Go to Housebets.com and start playing.  Create your account today and start betting. 

Why should you choose housebets? 

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