Asian Handicap Explained: What is Asian Handicap?

If you’ve come across numbers like -0.5, +0.75, or -1.25 besides a team name, that’s probably an Asian Handicap market. The market can be quite difficult at first, but it’s very easy to learn and understand.

In this Asian handicap explanation guide, we’ll break down what those numbers actually mean and how they can affect your wagers. You’ll learn how positive and negative handicaps work, alongside the differences between the whole, half, and quarter handicap lines. The guide will also show you some factors to look out for before jumping on any sports betting site.

A quick look at the Asian handicap market and how it works

If this is your first time coming across an Asian handicap, all the plus and minus signs can be very confusing, especially if you’re someone who has been actively betting in the 1x2 market. As we’ve explained in our 1X2 betting guide, that market simply asks you to choose between a home win, draw, or away win.

However, Asian handicaps take a different approach, thereby giving one of the teams a virtual advantage or disadvantage even before the match begins for betting purposes. For instance, imagine a football match between Chelsea and Arsenal, whereby Chelsea is listed as –1 Asian handicap. What this means is that if you back Chelsea, they’ll need to win by more than one goal for your bet to win. A one-goal Chelsea victory would result in a push, so your stake would likely be returned.

Meanwhile, a draw or Arsenal victory would see your wager lose. This may actually sound confusing, but if you keep reading as we progress you’ll catch up more. But before then, it may interest you to note that the Asian handicap market is available on many of the sites listed on this page. So, if you wish to take advantage, all you just have to do is hit any of their sign up links to register.

What do negative and positive Asian handicap numbers mean?

The plus and minus teams are possibly one of the things you’ll notice when exploring an Asian handicap betting market. While they may look confusing at first, they practically tell you which team is receiving a virtual advantage or disadvantage before the start of the match. To perfectly understand them, we’ll be taking a close look at them below:

Negative (-) Asian handicap

A negative handicap is usually attached to the team considered stronger in the match up. Essentially, that team is given a virtual disadvantage that it needs to overcome for you to win. For instance, if you back Barcelona which has —1 handicap against Liverpool, it means your team is starting the event with one goal behind on your wager. That way, they’ll need to win by at least two goals for your bet to win outright. If Barcelona wins 3:1, for instance, applying the handicap gives you an adjusted 2:1, so your bet wins. However, if Barcelona wins by exactly one goal, your wager results in a push and your stake is usually returned. But at the end of the day, if Liverpool wins the match, you’ll lose the bet.

Positive (+) Asian handicap

Unlike what we’ve explained in our head-to-head bet guide, positive Asian handicaps work a little differently because they give the team you back a virtual advantage. In most cases, the positive handicap is attached to the team that is considered the underdog. For instance, if Liverpool is given a +1 handicap against Barcelona, they will start their wager with one virtual goal ahead. That way, your bet wins if Liverpool wins or ends the match in a draw. However, if Liverpool loses by exactly one goal, the handicap will bring the adjusted score to a draw, therefore result by a push and your stake will be returned. Here’s a table summarising both the positive and negative Asian handicap:

What does it mean for a handicap bet to push?

You’ve probably noticed us using the word “push” a couple of times in this guide. If you’re confused about its meaning, we’ve got you covered. Simply put, a push happens when your bet results in neither a win nor a loss, meaning your original stake is returned. You’ll commonly come across this possibility when betting on whole Asian handicap lines like --1, +1, -2, or +2. For instance, imagine you place a £20 bet on Barcelona at –1 Asian handicap against Liverpool. If Barcelona wins the actual match 2:1, applying the –1 handicap makes the adjusted score 1:1. Since neither side is ahead after the handicap is applied, the bet pushes. You don’t collect any winnings, but you don’t lose your £20 either. Instead, the bookmaker simply returns your original stake to your account.

Let’s explain whole, half, and quarter Asian handicap

Not every Asian handicap line works the same way. Those numbers you see beside teams can generally be grouped into whole, half, and quarter lines, and the type you choose determines the possible outcome of your wager. Let’s break them down individually:

Whose Asian handicap

Whole handicaps are probably the easiest to understand because they use complete numbers like -1, +1, -2, and +2. Interestingly, these lines can result in a push, meaning your stake is returned. For instance, suppose you back Barcelona at -1 against Liverpool. Barcelona needs to win at least two goals for your bet to win outright. If they win by exactly one goal, the handicap makes the adjusted score a draw, so the bet pushes and your stake will be returned. However, if Barcelona draws or loses, your wager will lose.

Half Asian handicap

Half Asian handicaps use lines such as -0.5, +0.5, -1.5, and +1.5. Unlike whole handicaps, there’s no possibility of a push because a football match can’t finish with half a goal. If you’ve gone through our over/under bet explained guide, some of these half-point lines may already look familiar, although they serve a different purpose in Asian handicap betting.

Take Barcelona -0.5 as an example. Since half goal is deducted from Barcelona’s final score for settlement purposes, they just need to win the match for your bet to succeed. A draw or defeat means that your wager loses. On the other hand, backing Liverpool at +0.5 means that your wager will win if Liverpool either wins or draws.

Quarter Asian handicap

Here’s where things can be a little tricky. Quarter lines include numbers like -0.25, +0.25, and +0.75. Instead of your entire stake sitting on one handicap, a quarter Asian handicap makes it possible for the wager to be equally divided between the two neighbouring lines.

For instance, a £20 bet on Barcelona -0.25 is usually split into £10 at 0 and £10 at -0.5. With this, if Barcelona wins, the two portions win. If the match ends in a draw, the £10 placed at 0 is refunded, while the £10 at -0.5 loses. You therefore lose only half of your original stake, which is known as a half-loss.

Which sports support Asian handicap?

Even though you’ll mostly come across them under the soccer section at betting sites, Asian handicap markets are not limited to the sport alone. You can also find them across basketball, tennis, ice hockey, rugby, and even esports, depending on the bookmaker. Of course, the way the handicap is applied will usually depend on the sport. In soccer; it is generally based on goals, while basketball uses points.

Tennis Asian handicaps, on the other hand, may be based on games or sets. Irrespective of the sport you choose, the idea remains largely the same: one side receives a virtual advantage or disadvantage before the final result is used to settle your wager.

What to look out for before choosing sites with Asian handicaps

The fact that a betting site offers markets tied to Asian handicap doesn’t mean you should just jump on it without doing your due diligence. Take some time to explore a couple of factors to make sure the site actually offers the experience you’re looking for. Look out for the available bonus offers, the variety of Asian handicap markets, mobile performance, and much more. Let’s quickly explain some of these factors:

Check for bonuses and promotions

Who doesn’t appreciate getting something extra after signing up for a betting site? Before choosing a bookmaker for Asian handicap betting, take a look at the bonuses and promotions it has available for bettors. These could include welcome bonus, odds boosts, or ongoing rewards for existing users. If you’re not sure of how some of these offers work, our free bets explained guide breaks down everything you should know about free bets as well as some of the conditions that come with them. That being said, make sure to also check the bonus terms that come with any offer that your preferred betting site provides.

Look out for Asian handicap market variety

Not every betting site offers the same selection of Asian handicap markets, so this is another area that is worth checking before creating an account. Some bookmakers may stick to just popular lines like -0.5, +0.5, -1, and +1, while others go much deeper with quarter lines like -0.25, +0.75, or -1.25. You should also check how widely these markets are available across different sports, leagues, and events. Once you find a site that is licensed by the UKGC and has all the Asian handicap markets that you’re looking for, you can proceed to consider the last factor before creating an account.

Test the mobile performance of the site

Last but certainly not the least, make sure to test how well a site performs on the phone before creating an account even though it offers generous bonuses or a wide range of Asian handicap markets. Check to see if the operator has a dedicated mobile app, and even if it doesn’t, you can explore the mobile site for an idea of how well it performs on the phone. Take note of how fast the pages load, how easy it is to navigate sports, as well as how it is to find Asian handicap markets. Once you’re satisfied with the performance, you can then proceed to start the registration process.

Pros and cons of the Asian handicap betting market

Pros and Cons

• It removes the traditional draw option
• Offers a wide variety of handicap lines
• Whole lines can result in stake refunds
• Available across several sports

• Quarter lines can be confusing for beginners

Those confusing Asian handicap numbers make more sense now

At first, Asian numbers are actually something that you’ll feel better about when you avoid. However, they are not really as difficult as they seem. But as we’ve explained throughout this guide, they become much easier to understand once you know what the numbers represent. The main thing is remembering that negative handicaps give your selection a virtual disadvantage, while positive lines provide an advantage. From there, you just need to understand whether you’re dealing with a whole, half, or quarter line, and how each one is settled. So, now that those numbers don’t scare you that much, you can sign up for any of the betting sites listed on this page to get started with your Asian handicap betting journey.

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