Handicap betting is a popular way for sports betting platforms to turn a game into an even money contest by awarding one side a virtual point advantage or disadvantage. The favorite side is given a virtual point deficit to overcome, and your bet is considered the winner if the final score is greater than the opponent’s score when the handicap is applied. However, handicap betting might be a little confusing for beginners, so we have compiled this guide to help you understand how it works.
What’s handicap betting?
Also called spread or line betting, handicap betting is where a sportsbook turns a sports event with varied odds to an even-money competition by giving one side a virtual disadvantage or advantage to balance the field. In point-based games like football, rugby, and basketball, even-money contests are created by adding points to the team or player considered the underdog.
For example, if Chelsea is the favorite to beat Arsenal, the Bet way sportsbook can give the Gunners a 2-0 handicap advantage before the match begins. That means when you place a handicap bet for Chelsea to win the game, but they win the game with a 1-0 scoreline, your bet loses. That’s because, in the eyes of the bookmaker, Chelsea lost the game 2-1 with the handicap considered. For such a bet to win, Chelsea would need at least a 3-0 scoreline.
Always keep in mind that the handicap only applies to the options you’re betting on. Similarly, if you place a handicap bet on the Detroit Lions at +6.5 playing against the Kansas City Chiefs, your bet would still pay even if the Kansas City Chiefs won the match at 23-24. That’s because, in the eyes of a bookmaker like Betway, the Lions would have won the game at 29.5-24 when you consider the handicap.
How handicap bets are presented
Using the example above featuring Chelsea against Arsenal, handicap match bets can be presented as follows:
- Chelsea (-2) evens
- Handicap tie (-1) 3/1
- Arsenal (+2) 2/1
If the match ends in a 1-0 victory in favor of Chelsea, your bet wouldn’t win if you bet on the Blues in the handicap market. Chelsea would need to score as many goals as needed to cover the handicap and secure the win for the bet to pay out.
If you placed a bet on the handicap tie, your bet would win with a 1-0 scoreline in favor of Chelsea since they would have won by the exact margin indicated by the handicap. When placing a bet on the handicap tie, it’s the winning margin that matters instead of the number of goals recorded.
No Draw Handicap Betting
Handicap betting was designed to make one-sided events more exciting and enticing for sports bettors. As such, many sportsbooks also offer a handicap that eliminates the possibility of a draw and guarantees there will be a winner regardless of the actual results. That means no-draw handicap betting involves giving half handicaps to different teams.
Take an EPL match between Manchester United and Tottenham, for example, the bookmaker can give a +1.5 handicap to Manchester United. If you bet on Manchester United to win and the game ends at 3-2 in favor of Tottenham, your handicap bet in favor of the Red Devil will win, considering the +1.5 handicap.
