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Asian Handicap vs. European Handicap

When we speak about handicap betting, we can say that is one of the most attractive and profitable betting markets that needs to be in every bettor’s thoughts. Both, Asian and European, in betting terms, are referring to adding a fictional advantage to a team at the expense of the opponent which obviously receives a handicap of the same value.

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European Handicap explained

Being among the most popular betting markets across the globe, the European handicap might be on the list of the majority of bookmakers, especially on every event from BetBrain.com.

For beginners, the European handicap is much easier to understand than the Asian handicap. The main difference between these two betting markets is that in the European handicap bet, you have the option to choose between the 3 classic options (Home team win / Draw / Away team win), while in the Asian one, you do not have the draw option at your disposal.

This type of bet gives the weaker team more importance, which makes it difficult for the obvious favourite to balance the advantage. The risk is increased by the handicap wager, increasing the odds value. The marginal take-home is much bigger if the bet wins, making betting more enticing.

In European handicap betting, in most cases, you will bet on the three classic options (1X2), and the handicap is set only on fixed values ​​(+/- 1.0, 2.0, 3.0).

For example, if we give a team a handicap of (-1.00), then that team will basically start from 0-1. For the bet on this team to win, then this team would have to win, in reality, by a minimum of two goals.

If it happens to win by one goal margin, then the bet on its victory will no longer be a winner. And that's because the score, after including the handicap in the calculation, would be 1-1, so the winning handicap bet would be the draw.

Normally, the handicap marking is done according to the home team. Thus, if the handicap is (-2.00), it means that the home team starts at 0-2 in this bet, while the away team starts with a fictitious 2-0 advantage.

What is Asian Handicap?

With increasing popularity among bettors lately, the Asian handicap still remains an ideal way to maximize your profits. Even though it is more complex than the European one, the Asian handicap can give you much more attractive odds. 

Unlike the European handicap, the Asian handicap is recommended for more experienced bettors due to the more complex values ​​it offers. As stated above, the main difference between the two is the lack of a draw option for the Asian Handicap. Here you can only choose between the victory of the hosts or the guests.

Using this bet, you will have at your disposal both whole values ​​(1.00, 2.00, 3.00) and decimal values ​​(0.25, 0.50, 0.75), which will be able to give you more security to get the best result.

The flexibility that this betting market offers bettors more choices, which means more chances to win. It is worth mentioning that this type of bet is much more useful and, at the same time, more popular in basketball, where there are more unbalanced matches in theory.

Also, in football, this bet can be extended to other types of markets such as corners or cards.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Asian Handicap

Another important difference between the two types of handicaps is that in the case of a draw on an Asian handicap, the stake or part of it is returned, depending on the type of goal handicap. Below you can find some reasons why this type of bet is useful, but also a number of counterarguments.

Advantages:

  • It's perfect in unbalanced games, with teams that have a obvious difference in value because it gives you better odds in such situations;

  • There are quite low risks as you can get back part or all of the stake. Thus, bets that do not go according to plan any longer make a considerable hole in your budget;

  • They are available in the offers of all bookmakers, so it is easy to play and research;

Disadvantages:

  • It is mostly recommended for experienced bettors because the working mechanisms of this concept must be perfectly understood;

  • In some situations, it can develop high odds, especially in the live betting area, which can create insecurity;

Application examples of Handicap betting

To obtain the best details about this betting concept, our site proposes a concrete example of using this type of bet. We will apply the European and Asian handicaps to a football match to make the whole process easier to understand.

European Handicap


Type of bet

Inter Milan

Draw

Napoli

Goal handicap (-3.00)

20.00

10.75

1.07

Goal handicap (-2.00)

9.75

6.50

1.22

Goal handicap (-1.00)

4.45

4.15

1.62

Goal handicap (+1.00)

1.42

4.65

6.30


  • European handicap on Inter Milan (-3.00), bet 1 - The odds are 20.00 and for the bet to be a winner, Inter Milan must win by at least 4 goals difference.
  • European handicap on Inter Milan (-3.00), bet X - The odds are 10.75 and for the bet to be a winner, Inter Milan must win by 3 goals difference.
  • European handicap on Napoli (+3.00), bet 2 - The odds are 1.07 and for the bet to be a winner, Napoli needs to lose by less than 3 goals.
  • European handicap on Inter Milan (-2.00), bet 1 - The odds are 9.75 and for the bet to be a winner, Inter Milan must win at least by 3 goals difference.
  • European handicap on Inter Milan (-2.00), bet X - The odds are 6.50 and for the bet to be a winner, Inter Milan must win by 2 goals difference.
  • European handicap on Napoli (+2.00), bet 2 - The odds are 1.22 and for the bet to be a winner, Napoli needs to lose by less than 2 goals.
  • European handicap on Inter Milan (-1.00), bet 1 - The odds are 4.45 and for the bet to be a winner, Inter Milan must win at least by 2 goals difference.
  • European handicap on Inter Milan (-1.00), bet X - The odds are 4.15 and for the bet to be a winner, Inter Milan must win by 1 goal difference.
  • European handicap on Napoli (+1.00), bet 2 - The odds are 1.62 and for the bet to be a winner, this match must end in a draw or Napoli to win.
  • European handicap on Inter Milan (+1.00), bet 1 - The odds are 1.42 and for the bet to be a winner, Inter Milan needs to win or draw.
  • European handicap on Inter Milan (+1.00), bet X - The odds are 4.65 and for the bet to be a winner, Napoli must win with by 1 goal difference.
  • European handicap on Napoli (-1.00), bet 2 - The odds are 6.30 and for the bet to be a winner, Napoli must win at a difference of at least 2 goals.


Asian Handicap


Bet Type

Inter Milan

Napoli

Goal handicap (+0.25)

1.53

1.83

Goal handicap (-0.25)

2.02

2.57

Goal handicap (+0.5)

1.42

1.65

Goal handicap (-0.5)

2.32

2.95

Goal handicap (-0.75)/(+0.75)

2.75

1.47

Goal handicap (-1.00)/(+1.00)

3.60

1.31


  • Asian handicap on Inter Milan (+0.25), bet 1 - The odds are 1.53 and for the bet to be a winner, Inter Milan must win the match, in case of a tie half of the stake is won and half is returned.
  • Asian handicap on Inter Milan (-0.25), bet 1 - The odds are 2.02 and for the bet to be a winner, and the bet will be won if Inter Milan wins, and if the match ends in a draw, half of the bet is lost and the other is returned.
  • Asian handicap on Inter Milan (+0.50), bet 1- The odds are 1.42 and the bet will be a winner if Inter Milan wins or draws (1X).
  • Asian handicap on Inter Milan (-0.50), bet 1 - The odds are 2.32 and the bet will be a winner if Inter Milan wins.
  • Asian handicap on Napoli (+0.75), bet 2 - The odds are 1.47 and the bet will be a winner if Napoli wins, draws. If he loses by one goal, half of the stake is returned.
  • Asian handicap on Inter Milan (-0.75), bet 1 - The odds are 2.75 and the bet will be a winner if Inter Milan wins by at least two goals difference. If they win by one goal difference, half of the bet is won and the other half is returned.
  • Asian handicap on Napoli (+1.00), bet 2 - The odds are 1.31, and the bet will be won if Napoli wins, draws, and if they lose by one goal, the bet is returned.

  • Asian handicap on Inter Milan (-1.00), bet 1 - The odds are 3.60, and the bet will be a winner if Inter Milan wins by at least two goals, and if it wins by one goal, the bet will be returned.

All things considered, there's much to be interested in on our website if you'd like to discover more about betting and also benefit from some of the finest advantages and tools available on the market. Make sure to also check out our predictions and tips, in order to have a better image of how experts and seasoned bettors are using the Asian and European handicaps.


FAQs

  • Is handicap betting a sure way of profit?

    In betting, nothing is guaranteed, but this type of bet can be a good source of maximizing profits in some situations.

  • How does handicap betting work?

    In handicap betting, a contender is assigned a

  • In what other sports can Handicap betting be used?

    Apart from football, handicaps can also be a useful betting tool in sports such as basketball (especially Asian), tennis, rugby or handball.

  • Where can I find the best odds for Handicap betting?

    Search for the desired event on our website and on the matching page you will find out which bookmakers offer the best odds for this market. If you don't have an account, you can register very easily if you access the link we provide on each presentation page of the relevant bookmaker.