Asian Handicap Betting Explained – The Ultimate Guide (2024)

When it comes to the world of betting, there are a lot of different betting markets. Out of all these, Asian handicap betting has gained a lot of popularity and remains a favourite with professional bettors♏. In this article, we break down Asian handicap betting, along with its various types and numerous examples, to help you understand how it works.

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1. 1 Asian Handicap Betting Explained
2. 2 Asian Handicap Betting Tips & Strategy
3. 3 Asian Handicap Betting Types
4. 4 Asian Handicap vs European Handicap
5. 5 Asian Handicap Table
6. 6 Other Common Betting Terms
7. 7 ThePuntersPage Final Say
8. 8 Asian Handicap Betting FAQs

Asian Handicap Betting Explained

The Asian handicap is an advanced type of betting as compared with traditional betting with the best football betting sites. It eliminates the chance of a draw in football matches to leave only two possible outcomes: win or lose.🍬 The aim of Asian handicap betting is to provide a level playing field for two opposing clubs varying in form and performances (favourite vs underdog). 

🔜 The underdog is given an advantage in terms of ‘virtual’ goals even before the game starts. For example, if Liverpool is playing against Fulham, who are given a handicap of 0.5 goals by the bookmaker, this essentially means that Fulham will start the match with an advantage of 0.5 goals over Liverpool.

If Liverpool scores one goal only to be equalised by Fulham at the end of the game, the game would have ended in a draw; however, the underdog Fulham started the game with a 1/2 handicap goal, so the final results will be Liverpool 1 – 1.5 for Fulham. Although Liverpool has drawn the game, on the Asian handicap market, it's Fulham who will be considered as the winner.

When placing a betꦉ, the Asian handicap gives the bettor a lot of options to look at before making a final decision on his wager. Asian handicap betting can result in a rare win-win situation, though whether you win or get your stake refunded depends on the nature of the bet you've placed. 

♈ Check out our table below for a detailed insight into the different types of Asian Handicap bets.

Asian Handicap Betting Tips & Strategy

The Asian handicap market thrives on giving ‘virtual’ leads to the supposed weaker team, as explained above. You can also place Asian Corner Handicap bets,for more detail on this,check out our dedicated page for Asian Corners.

🎃 If you carefully analyse what's at stake and choose the right betting strategy, you are likely to win more bets or even get half or full refund of your stake. Pay attention to the following when placing your bet.

Balance The Win/Loss/ Draw Odds

One of the best strategies in Asian handicap betting is always to be guided by bookmaker prices. The bookies always prefer betting oddsꦕ for teams based on their performances and likelihood to win a game.

🐽 For example, let's imagine that Watford is hosting Liverpool at home and the bookies offer odds 5/7 and 2/5 respectively for Watford and Liverpool, meaning Liverpool are more likely to win the game. In a bet like this, a -1 Asian Handicap on Liverpool is the most suitable option. 

This strategy requires comparing the odds with the statistics🤡 of the teams involved for a better judgement. The statistics to look out for are the average goals scored and conceded by both teams (home and away) per the current season, as well as previous meetings and history of the match venue, unless they are a neutral grounds. For example, it's more unlikely for Chelsea to lose by a two-goal margin at Stamford Bridge, compared to the chances of Bournemouth losing by a two-goal difference at the Vitality Stadium.

For the best football statistics online, check out our list of the most useful sites for football betting.

Winning and Losing Margins

A team's winning and losing margin is a highly crucial factor in Asian handicap betting. You should check the winning rate and goals scored of top teams whenever they are up against underdogs, and bet on their winning margins. This strategy is more applicable when a supposed ‘big' team has a high scoring rate coming up against a weaker side.

🉐 For example, if Manchester City tend to score a lot of goals against weaker opponents, it might be a good idea to bet on them at -1.5 goals, because the odds will be higher.

Asian Handicap Betting Types

🐎 Asian handicap betting may seem complex and confusing to some, but it has various sub-types that will help you break it down into basic betting. The types are have been created to give you a better understanding from basic Asian Handicap permutations, along with examples to help clarify things further.

𓃲 Let's take a closer look at the types of Asian handicap bets below.

Level Asian Handicap Betting

This type of Asian handicap betting is preferred when there is no perceived difference in the strengths of two teams; consequently, both teams start the game with 0 goals. Broadly speaking, you are betting on the overall winner of the game, as the difference (being a draw) has been removed. This Asian handicap type is similar to Draw No Bet🐽, as your money is refunded when the game ends in a tie.

Market Example:   0.0 Asian handicap

♐ Barcelona (odds 8/11) vs Atletico Madrid (odds 4/5)

🍷 You stake £50 on Barcelona on a 0.0 Asian Handicap pairing. This means that:

Single Asian Handicap Betting

✅ The ideal scenario for single Asian handicap betting is when there is a relatively wider difference between the two teams concerned. In this case, bookmakers give the supposed weaker team a lead ahead by goals even before the game starts for betting purposes. This type of Asian handicap is very popular with bookies, and some of most common Asian Handicaps they offer are: -0.5 (1/2 ball), -1 (full ball) , -1.5 (1 & 1/2 ball), and -2.5 (2 & 1/2 ball), and so on. 

Market Example 1:  0.5 AH ꦑ(the best Asian handicap bet for the underdog team)

Juventus (odds 4/6) vs Fiorentina (odds 4/5)

🌳 If you stake £10 on Juventus to win on a -0.5 (-1/2 ball) AH pairing, this means that:

OR

♕ If you stake £10 on Fiorentina to win on +0.5 (+1/2 ball) Asian handicap pairings, this means that:

Market Example 2:   1 AH (the best AH bet for the favourite team)

Chelsea (odds 8/13) vs Everton (odds 5/6)

♕ If you stake £10 on Chelsea to win on -1 (full ball) Asian handicap pairings, this means that:

Split Asian Handicap Betting

🎉 This type of Asian handicap betting is designed for when the two teams involved are at par in terms of strength and performance. This kind of bet is usually favoured in derby games or big matches, which are very difficult to bet on. The bookie allows you to split your stake for your favourite team on a win or draw basis. It is this type of AH that's referred to as a Asian handicap bet. In essence, it is a combination of two AH permutations on a single bet. For example: (0.0 & -0.5= -0.25 AH), (-0.5 & -1= -0.75 AH), (-1 & -1.5= -1.25 AH) and so on.

Market Example 1:  0.25 (1/4 ball) AH

𒅌 Chelsea (odds 10/11) vs Manchester United (odds 4/5)

💟 If you stake £50 on Chelsea to win on -0.25 AH pairing, this means that:

OR

💮 If you stake £50 on Manchester United to win on +0.25 (+1/4 ball) Asian Handicap pairing, this means that:

Market Example 2:      0.75 (3/4 ball) AH

🦂 Juventus (odds 10/11) vs Real Madrid (odds 10/11),

ꩲ If you stake £50 on Juventus to win on +0.75 Asian Handicap pairing, this means that:

Asian Handicap vs European Handicap

A lot of bettors are familiar with the traditional European handicap betting,ౠ which is designed to level the playing field between two opponents of differing abilities through a point advantage or disadvantage.

𝔍 The key difference between European handicap and Asian handicap systems is that the European version offers a third option: drawn game. The Asian handicap market offers only two outcomes: win or lose. With Asian Handicap betting, should a match result end in a draw, then the bet is deemed a no-bet, and the bettor’s stake is returned.

⛄ On a wider note, most consider the European handicap to be is more straightforward and easier to understand when compared to the Asian handicap. And in European Handicap betting, fixed odds provide better odds for underdogs in contrast to Asian handicap betting.

Asian Handicap Table

♛ The Asian Handicap table below features the various types of Asian Handicap bets, along with the results you'd need to win.

Other Common Betting Terms

Forecast betting

How does matched betting work

Cash out betting sites

What is value betting

What does draw no bet mean

ThePuntersPage Final Say

The Asian handicap system has gained a lot of popularity in the last decade, and can be found on almost all of the top UK betting sites꧒. The majority of bookmakers offer in-play betting features for AH just as other football markets. This means you get pre-match and in-play benefits, making it more suitable for Asian handicap to increase your chances of winning the bet.

Asian handicap betting markets are ideal for football bettors looking for an alternative to the standard Win/Draw/Win markets, and often offer more value, thus increasing long-term profit. This is often why so many professional gamblers focus heavily on Asian handicap markets. You can also check out our detailed article on Betting Terms & Definitions.