Asian Handicap Betting

With the World Cup now underway, we thought it a good idea to briefly explain to you one of the most popular forms of football betting in the world.

Whilst not all that prevalent in Australia, Asian Handicap betting has taken off as a worldwide betting form over the last half-decade. It is popular because it nearly always ensures a result as the draw is taken out of the market.

This is what differentiates Asian Handicap betting from the more prevalent three way market, usually called the 1 x 2 market. As a result, you’re winning chances on a football game increase from 33% to 50%.

At its most simple form, Asian Handicap betting is just betting with a start. Football teams are assigned a handicap to theoretically make each match an even money bet. If you back the favourite, you back that particular side minus the handicap. If you back the outsider, you back that particular side plus the start.

If the start is a half-number, there will always be a winning result. If the start is a whole figure and scores plus and minus the handicap result in a draw, all monies are refunded.

Of course, this information isn’t new to most. This is just a rehash of the fundamentals of basic handicap betting for other sports where draws are less customary.

Where Asian Handicap betting differs from the normal style is that often markets offer a quarter-number as the handicap. This is often represented as follows:

(0, 0.5) 0.25
(0.5, 1) 0.75
(1, 1.5) 1.25
(1.5, 2) 1.75

When placing a bet on an Asian Handicap at the quarter-number, you are essentially having two bets. The first half is on the low-side of the quarter-number, the second on the high-side.

Example:

Brazil -0.25
Germany +0.25

If Ted Thompson has $200 on Germany +0.25 at $2.20, he has in essence had two bets. The first of these is $100 on Germany straight out (at 0). These second of these is $100 on Germany +0.5.

If Germany win 1-0, Ted Thompson collects $440 ($100 x $2.2 and 100 x 2.2) for a profit of $240.

If the result is a scoreless drawn, Ted Thompson collects $220 ($100 x $0 for the straight out bet and $100 x $2.2 for the +0.5) for a profit of $20.

So, there it is. Not nearly as daunting or confusing as most first think and it does make football contests easier to grasp and as a result, easier to make a profit on.

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