Asian Handicap Explained in 2021

Many bettors constantly ask me about the Asian handicap, as they don’t understand this betting market very well. Punters who subscribed to our Premium tips have often received Asian handicap picks and got familiar with this betting type. However, I wanted to drive all our followers through this exciting alternative wagering type. In this guide, you will learn what the Asian handicap is, what types of this market you can find, and how to capitalize on them. Let’s get started!

What is an Asian Handicap?

Asian handicap seems very complicated to learn, which is why punters stick to traditional markets. I cannot blame you, as I made the same mistake in the beginning. However, Asian handicap is quite straightforward if you invest just a bit of your time understanding it. Let’s make it clear what the “handicap” means.

“Handicap” is a virtual advantage assigned to one of the teams. Logically, that advantage is always given to an underdog. The major purpose of the handicap is to level up each team’s chances to win, regardless of the imbalance in quality between the two sides. Since this betting type originates from Asia, it is well-known as the Asian handicap.

This market’s popularity continuously increases as it provides an added value for punters. Since it tends to level the odds regardless of the traditional moneylines markets, you can get more generous odds in matches where one team is a firm favorite. It also eliminated the prospect of a draw, which is, obviously, not the case with the moneylines. You can simply determine the outcome of your Asian handicap bet by adding the handicap advantage to the actual result of the game. However, there are several Asian handicap types, and we are about to go through them now.

Types of Asian Handicap

Asian handicap is a flexible wagering type, offering three varieties to punters:

• Level Asian Handicap
• Single Asian Handicap
• Split Asian Handicap

The way of calculating the potential return of your bet depends on the type of Asian handicap you wagered. Don’t be scared now, it doesn’t involve any high-level math. Let’s dive into more details about each Asian handicap type.

Level Asian Handicap

I’m sure you have heard of the Draw No Bet wagering type, and Level Asian handicap is the same market. It means that there is no handicap advantage assigned to any of the teams. In other words, you should pick the winner of the match, and if it ends in a draw, you get your stake back. Check the table below for a detailed illustration.

Single Asian Handicap

Single Asian handicap is an ideal choice when there is a perceived difference between two teams. An underdog gets a handicap advantage which is calculated towards the final score. You can see the handicap value as a half goal or full goal, and you can determine your payout according to the table below:

Split Asian Handicap

Most punters get puzzled when they see a handicap set on the quarter of a goal. A logical question arises, as it might look the same as the half-goal handicap. However, that’s not the case. With the Split Asian handicap, you actually place two bets. You can find detailed information about the potential payout in the following table:

I already mentioned that Split Asian handicap covers two bets. Naturally, your total stake is split into equal halves, and you can see in the table that you may win or lose half stake. If you win half stake, it means that the odds are multiplied with half of your total stake while you get back the other half. Similarly, to lose half stake means that you get half of your stake back, while the other is lost. Let’s see how it works in practice.

Examples for Asian Handicap

I’m sure you would like to see how the Asian handicap works in a real bet, so I’ll walk you through an example for each of the Asian handicap types. You will have a clearer picture of how it works after these winning and losing examples.

Example of Level Asian Handicap

For the demonstration purpose of Level Asian handicap, I’ll use the Champions League finals match between Manchester City and Chelsea.

You can conclude that Manchester City is a favorite in this clash, and the prospect of a draw is completely eliminated. If you backed Chelsea at the Level Asian handicap, you would win a bet knowing that they became the Champions League winners thanks to a 1:0 victory. Therefore, you should multiply your stake with the odds of 2.10 to calculate your payouts.

On the other hand, if you backed Manchester City, you would lose this bet. In case that the match went to the extra time, you would get your stake back regardless of who you backed with your wager.

Example of Single Asian Handicap

Let’s assume you headed to the sportsbook and dipped into the Single Asian Handicap market for the clash between Italy and Turkey in EURO 2020 opener. You decided to back Italy at AH -1.

Since Italy was pretty confident and celebrated a 3:0 victory, it means you won a bet. Turkey had a virtual advantage of one goal at the start of the game but still lost the match even when it got added to the final score. Of course, you multiply the odds with the stake and calculate the payouts.

What if Italy hasn’t been that confident? You would get your stake back if they won by one goal (1:0, 2:1, 3:2…). Otherwise, if Turkey remained undefeated, you would lose a bet since they had a handicap advantage of one goal.

Example of Split Asian Handicap

Italy made it to the EURO 2020 finals and faced England in the battle for the trophy. This time, your preferred market is Split Asian handicap.

You are confident that Azzurri won’t lose this game but still want to get insurance in case of a draw. Therefore, you bet on Italy at AH +0.25. It means that you actually placed two wagers: Italy AH 0 and Italy AH +0.5, and your stake is split into equal halves.

Italy eventually won the EURO 2020, but only after the extra time. So, how does that reflect on your Split Asian handicap bet? The first part of your wager, Italy AH 0, is void as the game ended 1:1 after 90 minutes. Therefore, you get that half of your stake back. The other bet, Italy AH +0.5, is a winner since Azzurri had half of a goal advantage from the start. You can calculate your returns by multiplying half of your stake with the odds, in this case, 1.85. In case Italy had won the game in regular time, you would win both Split Asian Handicap bets.

What if you backed England? You would get half of your stake back for the England AH 0 wager, however, you lose the other half as it is tied to the England AH -0.5 bet.

How to Bet on Asian Handicap?

You have had the opportunity to see the Asian handicap advantages so far. Now it is time to dive into some tips and tricks in order to get the most out of your Asian handicap bets. I won’t go through the obvious ones, like checking teams’ forms, scoring records, or head-to-head encounters, as they apply to any betting type.

Securing the best prices is one of the essential points when dipping into the Asian handicap markets. Although many sportsbooks offer them nowadays, you can see huge gaps in their offers. Isn’t it better to secure the best possible prices and maximize your potential payouts? Of course, there are bookmakers specialized in Asian handicap markets, and they offer the best odds.

You can also register for an account at betting brokerage platforms like BetInAsia. It is a multi-bookie platform covering major Asian bookmakers, and I personally use it for placing my Asian handicap bets. Instead of opening and managing accounts at multiple sportsbooks, I have it all in one place. You can also explore several other products, including the Exchange, which I’ll cover in a separate article.

How many times did you skip the game where one of the teams is a firm favorite due to slim odds? Well, you shouldn’t do that anymore, as Asian handicap can provide you an excellent value. If you are confident that a favorite should win comfortably, then you should explore AH -1 or AH -1.25 markets and get boosted odds. This way, an underdog is given a starting advantage, and you can count on much better odds for your wagers.

On the other hand, you can also back small home underdogs at AH +0.75 or AH +1.25. If a particular team is very good at the home ground but facing a stronger team, you could capitalize on Asian handicap markets. The chances of winning are pretty high, while you can also get half of your stake back if things don’t go very well. Before picking your bets, you can check useful information at FreeSuperBets.

Asian Handicap: Try it Now at the Best Brokerage Platform

At this point, you are completely ready to kick off your Asian handicap betting experience. Use this guide as a reference for creating your strategy that perfectly fits your wagering style. Sign up for an account at the best Asian handicap brokerage platform, and get the best prices in the market. Start placing your Asian handicap bets, and enjoy your profits!

Register NOW!

Conclusion: The Best Alternative Betting Market

Asian handicap is not that complicated as it seems at the beginning. It offers you a lot of flexibility and a much better value for your bets. Even the games that are not attractive when looking only into the moneylines become value bets with Asian handicap. Establish your strategy, and start hunting fantastic opportunities thanks to the Asian handicap!