Handicaps Sports Betting Guide
What is Handicap Betting? - Handicap Betting Explained & Guide
Whether you're a sports betting expert or a casual bettor, you can bet on both Asian and European handicaps on a wide variety of sporting events at Stake Sportsbook.In this guide, we’ll explain what handicap betting is and how to get started.
What is Handicap Betting?
Handicap betting is a popular type of betting that involves adding or subtracting a value from a team or the event’s final score. Some handicap markets level out the playing field and add value for a team to win or lose a match, completely changing the landscape of how you’re betting on a match-up.
A superior team may be short odds and realistically have a solid chance of winning the match. Therefore, you may find more value in using the handicap markets for the match, backing them to win over a certain betting margin to get more appealing odds.
How Does Handicap Betting Work?
Regular handicap markets are typically split into two. Some of them use whole numbers, and others use half numbers.
When using whole numbers, there are three outcomes. A win, a loss, or a push.
In this instance, a push (or a void) means you get your money back. If in a multi-bet, the leg gets taken out of the bet, and the odds are adjusted accordingly.
Different Types of Handicap Betting Markets
There are two main types of handicap bets: Asian and European (classic 3-way). Let's dive deeper into these two different forms of betting.
What is Asian Handicap Betting?
Asian handicap betting is the only form of handicap with quarter numbers, which can be quite confusing. Four outcomes can come from these bets: Win, loss, half-win, or half-loss. Bets can be placed on a quarter number, such as 0.25, 0.75, 1.25, etc., or bettors can place a split handicap, where the handicap is split into two separate bets. Asian handicaps should not be confused with Asian totals, which relate to total goals or points markets.
What is European Handicap Betting?
European handicap betting is a classic 3-way bet type (win-draw-lose). In European handicap markets, a whole number of points or goals is added to the underdog (weaker team) and therefore subtracted from the favourite (stronger team). Bettors also have a handicap tie option, which involves betting on a game with a win for the team that has received the deficit, by an exact winning margin.
Three-Way Handicap Betting Explained
The three-way betting market allows you to bet on either a home win, a draw, or an away win. With the three-way handicap bet, the selected line is added to the final score to determine the outcome of the bet.
No-Draw handicap Betting Explained
This betting market eliminates the option for betting on a draw, ensuring there’s a guaranteed winner. Half goal/point outcomes are used to ensure that draws are cancelled out, regardless of the final score.
Which Sports Use Handicap Betting?
You can place handicap bets on a range of sports, including the following:
Football Handicap Betting
Football handicap betting is better known as the spread, with the underdog given a point advantage and the betting favourite given a point handicap. For example, if the Dallas Cowboys are +2.5 against the -2.5 Cincinnati Bengals. If you bet on the Cowboys, they have to avoid losing by more than 2.5 points. If you bet on the Bengals, they’ll need to win by at least 3 points for your bet to win.
Soccer Handicap Betting
Let’s use Liverpool vs Manchester United as an example of handicap betting on a soccer match. If you’ve bet on Manchester United +1 goal handicap, you must add 1 goal to their final score. If they are winning after that goal is added, your bet wins. However, using this example, let’s say the outcomes below are taken at the exact full-time score.
Manchester United +1: If Manchester United wins or draws, your bet is a winner. If they lose by 1 goal, your bet will be voided (pushed), and you will get your money back. If they lose by 2+ goals, your bet loses.
Conversely, betting on Liverpool -1 means subtracting one goal from their score.
Liverpool -1: If Liverpool loses, your bet is a loss. If they win by 1 goal, your bet is voided. If they win by 2+ goals, your bet is a winner.
When half numbers are added to handicap markets, it simply eliminates the possibility of your handicaps resulting in a tie. This means the element of voiding or pushing a bet does not exist. Therefore, there will be two outcomes in this scenario.
Manchester United +1.5: If Manchester United lose by two or more goals, the bet is a loss. If Manchester United loses by 1 goal or draws/wins, the bet is a winner.
Liverpool -1.5: If Liverpool wins by 2+ goals, the bet is a winner. If Liverpool wins by 1 goal or draws/loses, the bet is a loss.
For the most up-to-date information, check out our ultimate soccer betting guide.
Rugby Handicap Betting
Fundamentally, rugby handicap bets are the same as soccer or football handicap betting. However, as point scoring is different, you will notice a difference in how rugby handicap bets are presented.
For instance, you might bet on England to beat Italy with a 13.5+ handicap. England would have to win the fixture by 14 points or more for your bet to be successful.
Golf Handicap Betting
As golf is an individual sport, the players within the field are handicapped accordingly. So, for instance, if you bet on Justin Thomas to win the US Open with a handicap of +3, he would need to win the tournament by at least three shots for your bet to be successful.
Note that golf handicap betting is different from having a handicap in golf!
Tennis Handicap Betting
In tennis, handicap bets can be presented as games or sets. If you back a player with a 1-set handicap, they must overcome this to win the match outright. However, if you bet on a player with a game handicap, they must overcome this deficit to win the set outright.
Horse Racing Betting
In horse racing, handicapping works a little differently. Horses are assigned a specific weight to carry, which is based on their previous performances and ability. Stronger horses carry more weight, in an effort to even the field and make the race less predictable.
You can also place handicap bets on other sports like Aussie Rules Football and high-profile matches in competitions like the UEFA Champions League.
What is the Difference Between Handicap Betting & Spread Betting?
A handicap bet is the same as a spread bet. The difference is that in the American betting market, handicap bets are typically referred to as spread bets or simply as “the spread.”
Benefits of Handicap Betting
Some of the benefits of handicap sports betting are as follows:
It’s a great way of wagering on the stronger team, as the weaker team is given a theoretical advantage in a handicap bet. This typically gives you better odds when making your selections.
A handicap is a type of bet that’s easy to understand. The number given indicates how many points or goals the team needs to overcome for your bet to succeed.
You can opt for Asian handicap bets (-1.5 goals, for instance) or European handicap bets (-1 goal, for example), depending on how you see the match going.
There are different types of handicap bets, such as three-way handicaps and draw handicaps, which you can incorporate into your sports betting strategy.
Live Betting with Handicaps
As well as upcoming sporting events, there are also several live betting handicap options to consider, tied to wagers like an outright winner and margin of victory. You can place live handicap bets on football matches, golf tournaments, and other sporting events as the action is taking place at Stake.com.
Handicap Betting Odds & Payouts
The odds are subject to change in the build-up to any sporting event. This is also true for live betting, so you need to be aware of the market’s potential fluctuation when making your selections.
You will earn a payout according to the odds you have been given should your prediction come true. So, for instance, if you bet 100.00 on Manchester City +1 to beat Arsenal and City win 2-0 at odds of +250, you would win your handicap bet and earn a payout of 250, plus your stake back.
If you're wondering if Handicap bets are right for you, use our guide to calculating expected payout values before you bet!
How to Deposit & Withdraw Funds for Sports Betting on Stake
Easily purchase and deposit crypto units into your account in order to place handicap bets and other sports wagers by following these simple steps:
Step 1 - Retrieve your deposit address, located in Wallet > Deposit.
Step 2 - Choose the method that suits your needs. Stake.com supports multiple cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Dogecoin (DOGE), Litecoin (LTC), and others. Local currencies are supported too, including Canadian Dollars,Japanese Yen, Turkish Lira, Vietnamese Dong, Argentine Pesos, Chilean Pesos, Indian Rupees and more.
Step 3 - Use your deposit address as the ‘send to’ location for your crypto wallet or crypto exchange.
Step 4 (Optional) - If you wish to make a deposit via fiat currency, you can buy crypto for Stake via Moonpay or Swapped.com .
Be sure to read our crypto security and crypto coin guides to learn more. Stake.com offers live support to customers via our support staff for help with issues regarding sports betting.
Moonpay supports multiple payment options , including Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and others, to buy cryptocurrency to place sports wagers. For a full list of supported payment methods, please refer to the Moonpay documentation.
You can process your winnings instantly at Stake.com and withdraw via your chosen payment method. Check out our supported deposit and withdrawal methods to help you get started. Once your funds are in your account, you can also store them in the Stake Vault for additional security.
You can find the full list of available cryptocurrencies, as well as our recommendations and guide for choosing the right coin for you on our blog.
Handicap Betting Tips & Strategies
Read through our sports betting guides - If you consider yourself a new sports bettor, or want to gain more betting knowledge, learn more with our sports betting blogs, or check out our elite tips to get started. Our sports betting guide also contains helpful information to help you pick winners throughout the season. Check out some of our more in-depth sports guides, including how betting odds work, explaining the vig, and even a list of the unique sports to bet on!
Manage your bankroll - Your bankroll is the amount of money you have available to bet with. Before you start, set a budget using our Stake Smart calculator, and ensure your bet sizes are sensible. You can also check out our guides to developing a sports betting strategy that works for you, like progressive betting systems or Kelly Criterion. You can also check out our guides to the 1-3-2-6 system, the Martingale strategy, the D'Alembert system, the Paroli system, the Labouchere method, the unit betting system, or Oscar's grind and find a strategy that works best for you!
Bet on sports you know best - It’s much easier to make winning bets when you understand the sport and the chances of each team. Make sure you stick to the sports you know best, and pay attention to the latest team news and stats. There’s no shortage of bet types on Stake.com. If you're looking for new betting options, read our guides to treble betting, teaser betting, and round robin betting.
Sports Promotions, VIP Club at Stake.com & Responsible Gambling
While placing handicap bets at Stake, you can also make the most of our exciting sports betting promotions, including the exclusive VIP Club. Become a member by setting up your account, and you can unlock rewards for betting on your favourite sports. Level up your account to earn regular rakeback and reload bonuses. You can have your own VIP host. Find out more about how it all works on the VIP Club FAQ page.
Sports betting should be fun, so gamble responsibly and bet within your limits. Follow our Stake Smart guidelines to stay safe while having fun placing bets. You can refer to our full terms and conditions for more information before placing handicap bets and other popular forms of bets at Stake.com.
