Asian handicap betting explained: How the market works and when to use it

Football matches always have three options on betting sites, but by using the Asian handicap market, bettors can reduce the number of outcomes to two.Back the favourite and they need to win by more than the handicap; back the underdog and they've already got a head start before kick-off. The draw either doesn't exist as an outcome, or it gets your stake back.It's a market you may have spotted on football betting sites, but have been wary of trying. For those interested in Asian handicap betting, we’ve looked at how the lines work, what the numbers mean, and where it differs from the handicap betting you might already know.Read MoreWhat is an Asian handicap?Asian handicap might be a sports betting term you’ve noticed as ot has been around on betting sites for quite some time.The market originated in Asia and is one of the most popular football betting markets in the region, offering an alternative to the traditional match result options. It might not be the type of bet punters use when learning how to bet on sports, but it can be a useful option once you understand how it works. The Asian handicap sees the favourite given a virtual goal deficit - a negative handicap, e.g. -1, -1.5. The underdog is handed a virtual head start - a positive handicap, e.g. +1, +1.5.The bet is settled on the adjusted score once the handicap is applied to the final result. If the adjusted result favours your selection, the bet wins; if it lands exactly level, the stake is returned; if it goes against the selection, the bet loses.How Asian handicap lines work0 - level ball/draw no bet: With level ball Asian handicap lines, no handicap is applied. A win settles the bet as a win, a draw returns the stake, while a defeat results in a loss. -0.5/+0.5: The favourite must win by any margin to win the bet; the underdog wins the bet with a draw or a win. No stake return is possible on half-goal lines. For example, if you back the favourites Team A, and they win 1-0, the bet lands.-1/+1: The favourite needs to win by two or more goals; but a one-goal win returns the stake. The underdog wins the bet with a win or a draw; a one-goal defeat returns the stake. An example would be if you backed underdogs Team B +1 and the game ended 1-1 - your bet would win.-1.5/+1.5: The favourite needs to win by two or more goals to win the bet. The underdog wins the bet with a win, a draw or a one-goal defeat. So, if you backed Team B at 1.5+ and Team A won 3-2, your bet would be a winner.Quarter-goal handicapsQuarter-goal lines end in .25 or .75 - e.g. -0.75, +1.25. These split the stake equally across two whole and half lines, rather than settling as a single bet.For example, a -0.75 handicap splits the stake between -0.5 and -1. If you take Team A with a -0.75 handicap, a win by two or more goals wins both halves, while a win by exactly one goal wins the -0.5 half and returns the -1 half. A draw or defeat loses both halves.The same split mechanic applies further along the scale, +/-1.25, +/-1.75 and so on, just across different adjacent lines.Asian handicap vs standard handicap bettingStandard handicap betting keeps the draw as a possible outcome.So, a favourite backed at -1 who wins by exactly one goal would result in a losing bet as the adjusted result is a draw. The same bet on the Asian handicap would return the stake in the same scenario.The standard handicap markets use whole numbers only for football, with no middle ground between lines. However, some handicap markets for other sports, such as rugby and NFL, can feature half points, ruling out the draw as an outcome.Asian handicaps add the quarter-goal increments, allowing a stake to be split for a partial return.Practically, this means if the underdog wins the match outright, the bet wins regardless of the handicap, since the head start becomes irrelevant.Asian totals and other Asian linesAsian totals are a variant of the over/under goals market. Rather than a fixed total, the line can sit on a quarter-goal increment, for example, 1.75, splitting the stake across two adjacent totals lines - just like Asian handicaps.If you were to back over 1.75 goals on a betting app, your stake would be split between over 1.5 and over 2. Two goals in the match wins the over 1.5 half and returns the over 2 half; three or more goals wins both halves.Both Asian handicaps and Asian totals are typically available as first-half markets, applying to the 45-minute score rather than the full-time result.Why use Asian handicap betting?The biggest pull of Asian handicap on UK betting sites is removing the draw. This means punters choose between two outcomes rather than three, which changes the betting odds and margin compared with the match result market.For lopsided fixtures, backing the underdog at +1 or +1.5 can offer a more realistic route to a return than taking a punt on them to win outright.Asian handicap betting isn’t limited to just football with the option available for tennis or basketball, with a points or games handicap can balance an uneven matchup and provide more opportunities to back the favourite or underdog.Often handicap markets are excluded from promotions and free bet offers, so it's worth checking the terms before betting. Read MoreResponsible gamblingBettors are reminded to always gamble responsibly by making use of the safer gambling tools available on betting sites.We also recommend setting a budget, taking regular breaks, and not chasing losses when gambling.Betting should only be viewed as a source of entertainment, never as a reliable income.Asian handicap betting - frequently asked questionsWhat does a 0 (level ball) Asian handicap mean?Also listed as a draw no bet, a 0 handicap applies no goal advantage to either side. A win settles the bet as a win, a draw returns the stake in full, and a defeat loses the bet.What happens on a quarter-goal handicap line?A quarter-goal line (e.g. -0.75 or +1.25) splits the stake equally across two adjacent whole or half lines, so part of the bet can win while the other half is returned, depending on the final score.Is Asian handicap betting profitable?There's no built-in edge either way as an Asian handicap doesn't change who wins or loses over time, it changes the odds and the risk/reward split by removing the draw. Whether it's a better bet than the 1X2 market depends on the price and your read of the match, not the market type itself.Is Asian handicap the same as a point spread?They work on the same principle, assigning a virtual advantage or deficit before the result is settled, but Asian handicap's quarter-goal lines (which split a stake across two adjacent lines) aren't typically found in US-style point spread betting, which sticks to whole and half-point increments.