The Sports Bookie Blog

Asian Handicaps – Improve Your Betting Returns

October 11th, 2007

As the Premiership season progresses, football bettors might benefit from reassessing their approach to gambling on the English top flight. In recent seasons Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Man Utd (‘the big four’) have widened the gap between themselves and the rest of the league as their financial strength has allowed them to consolidate their power, particularly at home.

Asian Handicapping is the natural antidote for the increasingly prevalence of one-sided football contests (for example a string of home game wins). Asian Handicaps level the playing field via a hypothetical goal bias, giving bettors the opportunity of backing Arsenal at better than even money at home to newly promoted Derby for example.

Asian Handicaps Explained
An Asian Handicap is a method of betting on soccer that eliminates the possibility of losing if a game ends in a draw after 90 minutes. Teams are ‘handicapped’ to offset any perceived difference in abilities, using a spread based on goal superiority which eliminates the tie.

There are three basic types of Asian Handicaps:

Level Handicap
Where there is no perceived difference in abilities between Team A and Team B, no handicap bias is assigned, and both start off (0) also known as pk, pick’em or scratch. To win a bet on either team, all the bettor must do is identify the team which scores more goals than their opponent; all bets are refunded on the tie.

Single Handicap
Where there is a perceived difference in abilities between Team A and Team B, the superior team will be given an appropriate goal handicap to level the playing field for betting purposes i.e. -0.5 goal, -1 goal, -1.5 goals etc.

For example, if you bet on Team A with a handicap of -1 goal, they must win by more than one goal to cover their handicap and for you to win your bet. If they only win by a goal, the result with the handicap applied is a draw for betting purposes, so your bet is refunded. If Team B draw or win, you will lose your bet on Team A.

Double or Split Handicap
Where the difference in two teams’ abilities is slight, split ball Asian Handicaps may be used splitting the stake into two separate bets. For example Team A might be offered (pk & -0.5). If you bet on Team A and they lose, you will lose both bets as they did not cover either handicap. If the match ends in a draw, half of your stake at (pk) will be refunded, and the other half at (-0.5) will lose. If Team A wins, both handicaps will be covered so both bets win.

KEY POINT: If you’re stuck in the past slavishly following three-way fixed odds betting, the chances are you’re not getting a decent return on your outlay, and your gambling might benefit from the fresh perspective that Asian Handicapping provides.

–Hobbes

One of the leading Internet bookmakers, PinnacleSports.com, is a market leader in Asian Handicap betting with 1.96/1.96 style pricing. Find out more about PinnacleSports in a detailed sportsbook review – remember having active accounts and your betting bankroll distributed across multiple bookies is also key to maximising your profits from sports betting.