What Does Handicap Mean in Betting? – Handicap Betting Explained

‘What does handicap mean in betting?’ is a question often asked by new sports bettors scanning the markets before an event. Put simply, a betting handicap simply allows you to get more competitive odds by putting your money on a team winning by over a certain amount. Alternatively, it can give a team a head start, meaning you’ll still win even if they lose by a certain amount.

Read on, to discover more about handicap markets in betting as we reveal some expert tips for using on your next visit to an online sportsbook offering handicap markets.

What Does Handicap Mean in Betting?

So, what is the ‘handicap’ in betting? This is an alteration of the points handicap for any given team or player. It could boost the number of points for a team, increasing their chances of winning. Or, it could demand a higher winning margin for a team, thus boosting the odds for winners.

A handicap alters the score for a bet you’re placing. In the case of football handicap betting, for example, you might put a handicap of -40 on a team. This would mean that your chosen team needs to win by over 40 points for your bet to come in.

You might also hear of handicap sports betting being referred to as spread betting or line betting. Don’t worry, the HC betting meaning is exactly the same as these two. You can use the interchangeably.

Betting Handicap Chart

So, now that we have handicap bets explained, let’s check out an example of a handicap bet. Here’s a look at some soccer handicap betting odds for Arsenal vs Manchester United in the English Premier League.

Here, you can see that Bovada expects Arsenal to win by at least two goals. Even with a handicap of -1.5, Arsenal are the favorites with short odds to win this game with odds of +120.

On the flip side, Manchester United’s price of +118 at a handicap of +1.0 means that they would still be favorites to lose even with their 1-goal handicap.

Different Handicap Betting Markets

There are a few different types of handicap sports betting markets that you’re going to want to think about before you get started. Make sure to understand these, as you may just find that one or two of them suit your playing style more than the others.

Single Handicap Bets

Single handicap bets allow us to apply a single goal or point advantage or disadvantage to a team with our bets. If you bet on a team with a -1 handicap, they’ll need to win by more than one goal for your bet to succeed. This is the most basic form of handicap sports betting.

2-Way Handicap Bets

These types of bets are common when a draw is not possible. You’ll often see 2-way handicap bets in NFL handicap betting, for example. There are only two outcomes: a win for either team, no matter how the handicap is applied.

3-Way Handicap Bets

The third way in a 3-way handicap is the possibility of a draw. Of course, the price will be altered in sports where draws are possible. As such, this is common for the likes of soccer handicap betting, where draws happen quite often.

No Draw Handicap Bets

This is not to be confused with 2-way betting. Here, the handicaps are adjusted to remove the possibility of draw, thus increasing the odds. This often involves using half-point increments (e.g., -0.5, +1.5).

This won’t be any good for the likes of basketball handicap betting, though. As, of course, there’s no possibility of a draw in the sport.

European Handicap

European handicap betting is similar to 3-way handicap betting but typically only uses whole number handicaps, such as -1, 0, or +1. You’ll find European handicaps for sports that are more prevalent in Europe. It’s common with the likes of rugby handicap betting, for example.

Is Handicap Betting Legal?

Handicap bets are legal anywhere where sports betting is legal in general. There are no laws separately prohibiting handicap betting. So, you’ll need to check out the local laws for your area.

If you live in the US, for example, this is a slightly complicated situation. Betting on sports in general, and therefore handicap sports betting, is legally allowed in the states of New Jersey, Philadelphia, Nevada and a few others.

However, you won’t be able to bet on sports or handicaps at onshore betting websites in California, Texas, Georgia, and some other states.

That being said, it can be possible to bet at offshore sportsbooks. These are betting sites that are licensed in other countries. They’re just as safe to play at, and can actually include better markets and bonuses.

The Pros and Cons of Handicap Bets

There are a few factors of handicap sports betting that absolutely bring benefits to players, including when wagering in-play at a live betting site. But on the flip side, there may be a couple of drawbacks that you might want to consider. Here are the key pros and cons on the matter.

Pros

✅ Lets you boost odds for the favorites
✅ Can help you to win a bet from a losing team
✅ Lowers the risk for underdog betting
✅ Can be accessed for lots of sports

Cons

❌ A little confusing for beginners
❌ Can make bets more risky

How to Place a Handicap Bet?

So, with handicap betting explained, you might feel like you’re ready to start carrying out some HC betting. Just carry out these four steps, and you can get involved.

Step 1 – Pick a Bookie

Check out our guide to the safest betting websites and pick one of those to sign up with. Make sure to consider if they have the right prices, bonuses, mobile apps etc. for you.

Step 2 – Create an

Go to the website’s homepage and look for the “” or “” button. This will likely bring up a form with a few key details that you’ll need to fill out. Go through these to create your , create a to with, and agree to the site and conditions.

Step 3 – Make a Deposit

your by following the steps for the site, then head into the cashier section. There, you’ll need to choose a payment method and an amount to put down. Make sure to enter enough to qualify for the betting site promo if you want it, and enter the promo code if applicable.

Step 4 – Select a Sport & Handicap Market

Go into the sportsbook and pick an event that you want to bet on. Open up the list of markets, and scroll down to find ‘handicaps’, or look for the handicaps tab. There, you can click a market to load up the bet slip, enter your stake and proceed with the bet. Good luck!

Tips and Strategies for Handicap Betting

Now that you know the handicap meaning in betting, it’s time to take a look at how to get the best out of it. Here are a few tips that you can use to boost your handicap bet potential.

1 – Do Your Research

Make sure that you fully understand how handicap bets works before you get started. Read our guide slowly and consider the table further up to see how it all works. You don’t want to misunderstand things and end up placing the wrong bets.

2 – Take it Slow

We recommend placing lower stakes while you’re working out how handicap sports betting works. Practice with smaller amounts and make sure that your bets correspond with what you had in mind. Then, when you’re feeling confident, you can roll out bigger bets if you so wish.

3 – Manage Your Bankroll

On the subject of controlling your bet amounts, it’s imperative that you manage your bankroll. One of the most important things to do is set a budget before every online gambling and stick to it. Never chase your losses.

4 – Know When to Make Use of Handicap Betting

Knowing the handicap betting meaning is just the start. The real skill is knowing when to apply it, and how much to apply it by. This takes a good deal of consideration and practice. But if you can get it right, this really is one of the best ways to bet on sports.

5 – Use Responsible Gambling Tools

It’s important to play safe with handicap betting. That’s why we recommend using responsible gambling tools, such as deposit limits and cool off periods. Many betting sites offer these as part of their package.

If you feel like you need further with responsible gambling, there are a number of helplines you can reach out to. If you’re based in the US, for example, you can call the National Problem Gambling Helpline.

6 – Make the Most of Welcome Offers

A welcome bonus can be one of the best ways to boost your betting bankroll. You might get free bets, deposit matches or something else. So, grab a few of these while you search around for a new betting site. And just make sure to always read the bonus .

7 – Look for Competitive Betting Odds

It’s best to sign up for the betting sites with the best odds. That way, you’re going to win more money from the bets that come in. Of course, some sports wagering sites specialize in certain sports, so it’s a good idea to do your homework if you bet on the same sport often.

If you know that you’re going to be doing a lot of NBA betting, for example, it’s best to look for a site that offers competitive basketball handicap prices.

8 – Consider Using a Betting Strategy

You might find it helpful to use a betting strategy for staying in control of your handicap bets. Systems like the Martingale System can help you to stay in control.

Handicap Betting vs. Asian Handicap Bets

The preferred style of handicap betting typically varies from sport to sport. For example, Asian handicap betting is more common in soccer due to its ability to eliminate the possibility of a draw.

However, European handicaps are often used in rugby and other sports. Basketball and football use betting in this way too, as they also don’t allow for draws. For American sports like these, the style of handicap is typically referred to as point spread betting.

But, back to betting on the Asian handicap where the biggest difference compared to traditional handicap betting is the elimination of a draw. This is achieved by the ‘half’ or ‘quarter’ handicap point being offered, which shows as either -0.5, -1.5, +0.5, +1.5, etc or -0.25, -0.75, +0.25, +0.75, etc. This means betting a team at +1.5 to win when the final score finishes level means a handicap draw cannot be achieved.

The good news is that the top gambling sites allow you to bet on a wide range of handicap markets, including Asian handicaps, covering all types of sports like football, basketball, tennis, and a whole lot more.

Different Handicap Betting Around The World

Europe, Asia and the US are just a few parts of the world where handicap sports betting is popular. In Africa, for example, this bet is very common. The European and Asian systems tend to be preferred there due to the sports popular in the continent.

Australians tend to use a system called ‘line betting’. This is pretty similar to what Americans would call point spread betting. You’ll typically find this type of handicap betting used in sports like rugby and Aussie rules football.

The key differences are simply based on cultural preferences, and the sports popular in each part of the world. And now that we have crypto betting sites, it’s much easier to try out an international form of betting on handicaps.

Handicap Bets FAQs

What is handicap betting?

Handicap betting is a form of sports betting that alters an outcome or score by applying points or goals. It can even the playing field for a mismatched fixture. For example, you might give the weaker team – or underdog – a headstart. Or, you might require a team to win by a certain number of points, e.g. more than two goals in soccer.

How do handicap bets work?

Handicap bets alter the score by a certain number of points. This could allow you to still win a bet even if your team loses. Or, it could require your chosen team to win by a certain amount of points or goals.

What does +1.5 handicap mean?

A +1.5 handicap would give a team an advantage of 1.5 goals or points. They could therefore lose by 1 point, and your bet would still win. It’s a good idea to use this type of bet if you want to back the underdog, but you don’t expect them to actually win.

How do you win a handicap match?

To win a handicap match bet, your preferred team or player must win after the handicap is applied. So, make sure to calculate what you think the score is going to be, and adjust your handicap bet based on this.