Rules of Handicap Betting

Handicap betting, also known as Asian Handicap, remains one of the most favored types of bets across various sports. Players appreciate it for the balance it brings, giving both the favorite and the underdog a chance to win. Therefore, bookmakers often offer a wide range of options within this category.

Therefore, bookmakers also favorably offer a wide range of bets within this category. Today, let's join https://wintips.com/ to learn how to play handicap betting in football for maximum effectiveness.


Although it's one of the most popular bet types, let's review the rules for those new to sports betting.

Handicap betting in football can be understood simply as one of the over/under bets comparing the goal difference between the favorite and the underdog with the bookmaker's odds.

If the goal difference is higher than the bookmaker's figure, the favorite wins the bet. Conversely, if it's lower, the underdog wins the bet.

Example of Handicap Betting in the Vietnam vs Indonesia Match

Let's take the example of an Asian Handicap bet from the recent World Cup qualifier match between Vietnam and Indonesia.

Vietnam is considered significantly stronger than Indonesia at the moment, so the team is labeled as the favorite by the https://wintips.com/bookmakers/ . In this scenario, Vietnam's name would be highlighted in red, indicating the favorite for this match.

In the black box are the odds provided by the bookmaker for the handicap bet. There are two options for players to choose from: Vietnam -1 to -1.5 and Vietnam -1.5. The figures on the right side of the handicap represent the payout odds for each team if they win.

Specifically, in the -1.5 handicap, if Vietnam wins, you would receive a payout of 2.09 times your initial bet, whereas for Indonesia, it would be 1.72.

Types of Handicap Betting in Football

Now that we understand the rules, let's delve into the specific types of handicap bets.



1. Handicap 0 – Draw No Bet

When the handicap figure presented by the https://wintips.com/australian-bookmaker/ is 0, and neither team is highlighted in red, it's called a 0 handicap, or a draw no bet.

There are instances when it's challenging to determine the stronger team in a match. Therefore, in matches where the teams are evenly matched, a 0 handicap, meaning neither team has an advantage, is common.

Example: Wales vs Switzerland Match

Let's consider another recent example, the match between Wales and Switzerland in Euro 2020.

In this match, the bookmaker set a 0 handicap, and as shown in the image, neither team is highlighted in red.

If Wales wins, players who bet on them will receive a payout of 2.53 times their initial bet. For instance, if you bet 100 points on Wales and they win, you would receive 253 points.

On the other hand, if Switzerland wins, players would only receive a payout of 1.53 times their initial bet. If the match ends in a draw, known as a draw no bet, players get their initial bet back regardless of which team they bet on.

Calculating Winnings/Losses for Half Handicaps

When players win or lose half a handicap, calculating the payout becomes slightly more complicated than winning/losing a full handicap. In this type of bet, when players lose, they only lose half of their bet, and when they win, they only win half of the bet.

For example, if a player bets 100 points and loses half a bet, they will lose half of their bet. If they win half a bet, they will only win half of their bet.