A handicap in soccer is a great leveller. This is so because a handicap effectively means that a football team with superior gaming techniques is given a goal handicap. Thus a team with a goal handicap of -1, needs to win by scoring more than one goal. This is done to:
- Counter any perceived difference in the quality of two competing teams,
- Make sure that the betting odds on the favourite team provides minimal returns and
- To counter any perceived bias arising from
- Historical dominance,
- Good financial backing and
- Situational factors like player injuries and availabilities, home field advantage etc.
Types of handicap
There are generally three types of handicaps that one needs to be aware off when entering the field on online sports betting. They are:
- Level handicap wherein no handicap bias is accorded to the teams and they start off with 0 goals each.
- Single handicap wherein the perceived ability differences between two teams competing against each other results in the superior team being given an apt goal handicap and
- Split handicap wherein due to a very small difference in the abilities of two competing teams, the stake placed can be split over two handicaps.
Asian handicap odds
In any standard bet, any outcome has a 33% chance of happening but in Asian handicap any outcome resulting in a draw is completely eliminated. This accords the underdogs an early lead even before the actual game starts. However, football is a game of goals whereby one single goal can work for or against any bet placed. Hence in order to bet proficiently in the Asian football leagues, it is necessary to understand the Asian handicap lines.
- Asian handicap 0:0: here no team receives any advance and the game starts at 0-0. It is also known as level ball or draw no bet.
- Asian handicap .25: herein the underdog team is awarded a quarter goal even before the kick off of the game. In this instance a win or a loss entails the person betting to win or lose half of the staked amount.
- Asian handicap .5: here the underdog team is given a half goal in advance. Since there is no money back option in this handicap, the person betting either stand to win or lose his staked money.
- Asian handicap .75: it is just like the Asian handicap .25 option but with a slight difference which depends on the number of winning goals required to be scored.
- Asian handicap -1: here the underdog team is given a 1 goal advance before kickoff .
It can thus be rightly said that the popularity of the Asian handicap odds id due to the fact that it offers more winning possibilities than any other handicap odds. The rules and regulations might seem difficult in the beginning but understanding them is worth the pain and the gain.