Asian Handicap Explained
Why is Asian Handicap betting so complicated? It doesn't need to be! Here at BettingLounge, you will find a quick and easy-to-understand guide.
How Asian Handicap Works
Asian handicap (AH) is a football betting market in which teams are handicapped according to their form. It first originated in Indonesia and has grown into one of the most popular betting markets on football betting sites.
A simple way of looking at AH is you select the favourite to overcome (negative number) a handicap or go against the favourite (positive number) with the handicap.
You will find numbers like -0.5,-1.0,-1.5 or +0.5, +1.0, +1.5. These numbers show a goal deficit or goal head-start before the game starts. The "+" means a goal head-start and the "-" is a goal deficit.
Take Arsenal against Bournemouth in the Premier League as an example. Arsenal have a very short price to win the game at 1.21. There is no real value in selecting this bet. And Bournemouth have a rather long price at 8.00. Not many people will see value in those odds.
This is when the Asian Handicap comes into play, allowing you to give Arsenal a negative handicap they must overcome to win, such as -1.5 at odds of 2.75. For the bet to win, the Gunners would then have to win by three goals or more.
However, in the scenario above, it would also be possible to place a +1.5 bet on Bournemouth. The latter thus start the game with a 1.5-goal head-start, meaning Arsenal have to win by two or more goals for you to lose your bet.
This is an example of how Asian Handicaps can add value to a game where the outcome is considered a sure thing by the best betting sites in the UK.
Different Types of Asian Handicap
Round Asian Handicap: If the Asian Handicap is a round number, say -1.0, and you bet on Arsenal -1.0 and it finished 2-1 Arsenal. then the handicap is equalled so you get your money back as a refund. However, if it's more than 1 goal you win and if it’s less than 1 goal you lose.
Two Asian Handicaps Together "+2.0 & +2.5" or "-2.0 & -2.5": Some bookies offer two Asian handicaps together in one bet. It may look complicated but it’s not. Simply, your stake is split between the two different handicaps. Half of your stake goes to +2.0 and a half goes to +2.5. Again, it’s just a goal deficit or head start, so it’s no different in working out what you need to win.
How Asian Total Works
You can also come across an Asian Total market, which is essentially an over/under market. However, in AT, you can have a quarter and whole goal totals such as over 1.75 or over 2.0. This allows for half wins, half losses and refunded bets on whole goal totals.
For over 2.0, your bet is won if there are over two goals scored, however, if there are only two goals scored your bet will be refunded. Unlike the normal overs market, if you bet on over 2.5 goals you would not get a refund if there were just two goals.
The same principle applies to unders too. If there were less than two goals you win, but exactly two goals and you get a refund.
For the quarter bets, your stake is split in two. So if you bet on under 2.25 half goes to under 2.0 and the other half goes to under 2.5. If you bet on over 2.75, you again split your stake into two. Half your stake will go to over 2.50 and a half will go to over 3.0.
Steven is an experienced iGaming content writer who has been working in the industry since 2018. He is passionate about sports betting and enjoys writing about all aspects of the industry, including bookmaker reviews, betting tips and strategies, and news and analysis.