Handicap betting: a comprehensive guide towards winning

The adage “knowledge is power” counts for sports betting too. You can keep track of all the statistics about a sports team, but without knowing the types of bets, this pure sports knowledge won’t be of much use. The better your understanding of the available betting options, the better informed bets you can place. In turn, better informed bets can lead to increased chances of winning. In this article, we’ll zoom in on handicap betting, one of the more complex – but no less lucrative! – betting options available at Goldenpalacesports.be.

It may come as a surprise that the origin of the word “handicap” is specific to the betting context. As such, it predates the modern-day use in the sense of “disabled” by a few centuries. Betting on the result of an unequal event was regulated by the custom of “hand in cap”. Over the years, this evolved to handicap, indicating an artificial adjustment of (dis)advantage.

Handicap Bets: What Are They?

To put it simply: handicap bets are bets that give one of the sides of the bet an advantage or a disadvantage. A handicap bet is expressed in points and can be positive (an advantage) or negative (a disadvantage). Essentially, this means that the sports event has a virtual result already on the scoreboard before the event even starts.

By adding points to the underdog’s score or by subtracting points from that of the favorite, you can see how handicap bets serve to level the playing field. This adjustment through handicaps can make a potential walkover event still interesting to bet on. The final goal of handicap betting is to create a scenario in which both sides have a chance to win in the eyes of the bettors.

Handicap bets are always presented in the form of “side X” followed by the actual positive or negative adjustment. To make sure that the playing field is leveled, the underdogs (less likely to win) get the positive adjustment, while the favorites (more likely to win) get the negative one.

+2 means that you’re betting on the one side to win, with a head start of 2 points. -2 then means that you’re betting on the other to win, despite starting with 2 points less. The greater the “spread” (the amount of adjustment), the less likely the outcome, and the higher the odds.

Half handicaps

The easiest handicaps to understand, are the half handicaps, like +1.5 or -0.5. +1.5 means a side starts with 1.5 points more. For a bet to win, the side needs to at least do better than this advantage. As half points don’t exist, only points difference of 2 or more will result in a win. All other outcomes (a difference of just 1 point, a draw, a loss…) will result in the bet being lost.

Example: you bet on a basketball match with Team A to win with a handicap of +4.5. Team A loses 90 to 94. Counting the +4.5 handicap, that means 94.5 to 94, so Team A “won”, as did the bet.

Whole handicaps

Whole handicaps, like +0 or -2, work the same way as their half handicap counterparts, with the exception that a draw after counting the handicap points against the points made by the side that you bet on cancels the bet. In this case, the stake is wholly refunded. Is the result after counting the handicap points negative? Then the bet is lost. If it’s positive, then you’ve won.

Example: you bet on a football match with Team A to win with a handicap of +2. Team A loses 2 to 0. Counting the +2 handicap, that means 2 to 2, so Team A “drew”, and the stake is refunded.

Quarter handicaps

These handicaps, like +0.75 or -1.25, are also called Asian handicaps and are the hardest to get a grasp on. The best way to look at it, is that Asian handicaps split the bet between the two closest half handicaps. 50% of the stake goes to one half handicap, and other 50% goes to the other half handicap. If both halves are winning, you win fully, too. If only one half wins, you get the win for that half, but not the other. If both halves are losing, then the bet itself is fully lost.

Example: you bet on a tennis set with Player A to win with a handicap of +1.75. Player A loses 6 to 4. 50% of your stake goes to +2, and 50% goes to +1.5. The +2 is a draw, while the +1.5 is a loss. You will only win with the 50% that was correctly predicted.

Handicap betting chart

When to use handicap betting

Handicap betting is most useful when the 1X2 odds on a favorite or an underdog are too low or two high, respectively. Predicting that the favorite will win, despite starting at a disadvantage, can result in a bigger win, as you’re taking a greater risk. Conversely, a handicap bet on an underdog to win after getting an advantage can avoid unnecessary risks, while still getting a decent reward.

A smart practice to follow, is to compare the 1X2 odds against those for the different options in the Handicap section. It could very well be that the odds for the underdog to win with a small advantage are more feasible than those for a less likely straight victory without that advantage. Likewise, you can count on a favorite to win, regardless of a small disadvantage that makes more money.

Conclusion

Handicap betting is not the easiest form of betting out there. There is somewhat of a learning curve, especially when it comes to Asian handicaps. Once you get the general idea, though, you can start with half handicaps that are essentially 1X2 with an advantage for the underdog or a disadvantage for the favorite. Whole handicaps will be your next step, once you understand the inclusion of the situation in which your stake will be refunded. Asian handicaps should be last on your to-do list.

At Goldenpalacesports.be, you’ll find Handicap betting on virtually all sports, though it’s most popular on football, basketball, tennis. Before placing a simple 1X2 bet, you should at least take a look at the handicap betting offer, to see what’s up. You’re likely to find a better deal that minimizes your risk, while at the same time boosting your winnings.