Understanding Asian Handicap Betting: A Comprehensive Guide

As one of the biggest betting sports on the planet, bookmakers have every incentive to ensure punters can find a Football bet to fit their needs. Cue an ever-expanding list of options.

Whilst the plain old Match Result market continues to dominate, recent years have witnessed an explosion in all-manner of stats-based punts, including fouls, passes, shots and many more. All are relatively easy to understand, but one bet type, which has been with us for over 20 years, continues to elicit a puzzled expression from sections of the punting public.

Welcome to the world of the Asian Handicap. With a name suggesting far-off origins and notation littered with +0.25s, -0.75s, etc., it is perhaps understandable that some steer clear of this addition to the handicap betting scene.

However, as we will discover, Asian Handicaps aren’t as complicated as they look. Read on to discover how it all works and the types of bets available.

What is a Handicap Bet?

On any given weekend in the Premier League, some games are close to call, and others appear very one-sided. Handicap bets were introduced to add a little interest to these one-sided fixtures by giving the underdog a theoretical head start.

For example, a clash between Liverpool and Southampton at Anfield would likely see the home side priced at around 1/6, providing little incentive for all but the biggest hitters. However, the handicap market may not be so easy to call.

A Handicap may be set at any number – 0 for a dead even fixture up to -5 or more for a particularly one-sided affair. A popular Handicap for this game may list the options as Liverpool (-2), Southampton (+2) and Handicap Draw, and would work as follows:

• Liverpool (-2) - To win this bet, Liverpool must win by more than two goals
• Southampton (+2) - This bet will win if Southampton win, draw, or lose by just one goal
• Handicap Draw - This bet will win only if Southampton lose by exactly two goals

How Do Asian Handicap’s Differ?

The fundamental difference with Asian Handicaps is that it is never possible to bet on the draw, even in the case of full goal handicaps. Let’s return to our Liverpool vs Southampton clash with a +2 handicap start for the Saints.

In a traditional handicap, you have three options: Liverpool (-2), Southampton (+2), and Handicap Draw. In contrast, an Asian Handicap would list only Liverpool (-2) and Southampton (+2).

But what happens if Liverpool win by exactly 2 goals? You may ask. In Asian Handicap betting, whenever the result lands exactly on the quoted handicap, the result is known as a “push”, and all stakes are returned to bettors. For clarity, the Asian Handicap market on our Liverpool (-2) vs Southampton (+2) game would be settled as follows:

• Liverpool win by more than two goals - Bets on Liverpool (-2) are paid out as winners
• Southampton win, draw or lose by only one goal - Bets on Southampton (+2) are paid out as winners
• Liverpool win by exactly two goals - All stakes are returned to backers of both Liverpool (-2) and Southampton (+2)

Types of Asian Handicaps: Full Goals, Half Goals, and Quarter Goals

So far, so relatively simple. However, things become a little more complicated when we delve into the types of Asian Handicap bets available – the three most popular being Full Goal Handicaps, Half Goal Handicaps, and Quarter Goal Handicaps.

Full-goal Asian Handicaps function as explained in the Liverpool (-2), and Southampton (+2) example above. But what about Half Goal and Quarter Goals Asian Handicaps? Let’s take a look at each in turn.

Half Goal Handicaps

Any handicap listed as +0.5, +1.5, +2.5, etc., takes the Handicap Draw out of the equation. After all, there is no such thing as half a goal in reality. For example, Liverpool (-2.5), and Southampton (+2.5) would work as follows:

• Liverpool (-2.5) - Again, this bet wins if Liverpool wins by more than two goals
• Southampton (+2.5) - This bet pays out if Southampton wins, draws, or loses by less than two goals

The main benefit of Half Goal Handicaps is that they eliminate the possibility of a push.

Quarter Goal Handicaps

Most commonly expressed as -0.25/+0.25, -0.75/+0.75, and -1.25/+1.25, Quarter Goal Handicaps cause the most confusion among punters. However, if you understand all of the above, you are well on your way towards understanding quarter-goal handicaps. How so?

When placing a Quarter Goal Handicap, you are placing two bets rather than one. With Quarter Goal bets, your stake is split between the handicap 0.25 above and 0.25 below the listed value. Let’s look at a few examples to illustrate how this works.

Example 1: Manchester City (-0.25) vs Liverpool (+0.25)

When placing a £10 bet on Manchester City (-0.25), your bet is split as follows:

• £5 on Manchester City (0)
• £5 on Manchester City (-0.5)

The returns for the various outcomes are:

• Manchester City Win the Game - Both £5 bets are settled as winners
• The Match ends in a Draw - The £5 (-0.5) bet loses. The £5 (0) bet is a push with that half of the stake returned
• Liverpool win - Both £5 bets lose

Taking a look at the other side of the above match-up, a £10 bet on Liverpool (+0.25) is split as follows:

• £5 on Liverpool (0)
• £5 on Liverpool (+0.5)

With the various outcomes settled as follows:

• Manchester City Win the Game - Both £5 bets lose
• The Match ends in a Draw - The £5 (+0.5) bet wins. The £5 (0) bet is a push with that half of the stake returned
• Liverpool win - Both £5 bets are settled as winners

Example 2: Arsenal (-0.75) vs Tottenham (+0.75)

When placing a £10 bet on Arsenal -0.75, your bet is split as follows:

• £5 on Arsenal (-0.5)
• £5 on Arsenal (-1)

The returns for the various outcomes are:

• Arsenal win by more than one goal - Both £5 bets are settled as winners
• Arsenal win by exactly one goal - The £5 (-0.5) bet wins. The £5 (-1) bet is a push with that half of the stake returned
• The match ends in a draw - Both £5 bets lose
• Tottenham win - Both £5 bets lose

Taking a look at the other side of the above match-up, a £10 bet on Tottenham (+0.75) is split as follows:

• £5 on Tottenham (+0.5)
• £5 on Tottenham (+1)

With the various outcomes settled as:

• Arsenal win by more than one goal - Both £5 bets lose
• Arsenal win by exactly one goal - The £5 (+0.5) bet loses. The £5 (+1) bet is a push with that half of the stake returned
• The match ends in a draw - Both £5 bets win
• Tottenham win - Both £5 bets win

Example 3: Chelsea (-1.25) vs Everton (+1.25)

When placing a £10 bet on Chelsea (-1.25), your bet is split as follows:

• £5 on Chelsea (-1)
• £5 on Chelsea (-1.5)

The returns for the various outcomes are:

• Chelsea win by more than one goal - Both £5 bets are settled as winners
• Chelsea win by exactly one goal - The £5 (-1.5) bet loses. The £5 (-1) bet is a push with that half of the stake returned
• The match ends in a draw - Both £5 bets lose
• Everton win - Both £5 bets lose

Taking a look at the other side of the above match-up, a £10 bet on Everton (+1.25) is split as follows:

• £5 on Everton (+1)
• £5 on Everton (+1.5)

With the various outcomes settled as:

• Chelsea win by more than one goal - Both £5 bets lose
• Chelsea win by exactly one goal - The £5 (+1.5) bet wins. The £5 (+1) bet is a push with that half of the stake returned
• The match ends in a draw - Both £5 bets win
• Everton win - Both £5 bets win

Quarter Goals are popular due to the Push element, which grants a partial refund if you were only a little out with your prediction.

Other Betting Guides:

• What Does 110 in Betting Mean?
• What is 1X2 Betting?