What Is a Handicap Bet? Asian and European Handicaps

18+ only.

When one team is a strong favourite, a simple win bet offers short odds. Handicap betting evens things out by giving the underdog a virtual head start — or the favourite a virtual deficit — before the match begins. The result is then adjusted by the handicap to settle the bet.

European handicap

A European (or three-way) handicap applies a whole-goal start and keeps the draw as a possible outcome. If a favourite is given −1, a one-goal win counts as a draw on the handicap; they need to win by two or more for the handicap win bet to pay.

Asian handicap

Asian handicaps remove the draw so there are only two outcomes. They use three kinds of line:

• Half lines (e.g. −0.5, +1.5): a draw on the handicap is impossible, so the bet either wins or loses.
• Whole lines (e.g. −1, 0): if the adjusted result is level, the stake is returned (a “push”).
• Quarter lines (e.g. −0.75): the stake is split across the two nearest lines, so a bet can win half or lose half.

Why people use them

Handicaps let bettors express a view on the margin of a match rather than just the winner. They don’t reduce the bookmaker’s margin, and they can be harder to follow when quarter lines are involved. Related markets include both teams to score.

Prices move too

Handicap lines and odds shift with team news and money, as explained in why odds move before kick-off. Whatever the market, set your budget before the match, not during it.