Betting on football is one of the most popular sports to bet on and there are many different bets available at various betting sites in Ireland to further enhance the excitement of certain matches. Quite often in football, teams will come up against each other in which one team will be classed as the favourite and the other, the underdog. This can make betting quite straightforward and boring when you are 99% sure of the winner and this is where the Asian Handicap bet comes in handy.

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The Asian Handicap bet is most commonly used on football to even out the teams in a match up. The weaker side is given an advantage prior to the start of the game in the form of half goals or goals such as 1.5 or 2 as well as quarter goals (0.25 or 0.75) in some cases. The Asian Handicap bet available on betting sites effectively eliminates a draw so there are only two outcomes – either a win or a loss.
Asian Handicap Full Lines
An Asian Handicap full line are whole numbers such as 1, 2, 3, 4, etc and a + will be given to the underdogs and a – will be given to the favourites. For example if Liverpool play Bournemouth, the bookies may give Bournemouth a +1 which effectively gives them a one goal lead to start with. These are the possible outcomes of the match:
Market | The Result | Bet Outcome |
Liverpool -1 | Win by 2 or more | Win |
Win by 1 | Push | |
Draw or lose | Lose | |
Bournemouth +1 | Win or draw | Win |
Lose by 1 | Push | |
Lose by 2 or more | Lose |
The possibility for a draw has been removed from the bet which means that if you bet on Liverpool to win but they only win by a 1 goal advantage such as 1-0, 2-1 or 3-2 etc, then the final result would be a draw after the handicap is applied. This means the bet outcome is called a ‘push’ and your bet is voided with your stake returned.
Asian Handicap Half Lines
A half line is when a half number is used such as 0.5, 1.5 or 2.5 etc. For example, if Manchester City are playing a lower league team such as Bristol in the FA cup, Manchester City may be given a handicap of -2.5 as they are the favourites and Bristol will be given +2.5 because they are the underdogs. This means that if you bet on Manchester City to win, they have to win by 3 or more goals for you to win the bet. Alternatively you can bet on Bristol and they will either have to win the match or lose by 2 or less goals for you to win the bet.
Unlike in the full goal lines where a draw voids the bet, if you bet on Bristol with the +2.5 and this match ends in a draw you will win the bet. But if you bet on Manchester City to win and the match ends in a draw, you will lose the bet.
Asian Handicap Quarter Lines
The quarter lines are the most confusing option when it comes to the Asian Handicap. These handicaps will end in either 0.25 or 0.75 and will give teams a 0.25 goal advantage or disadvantage prior to the match. This quarter handicap provides the possibility of half stake wins or losses depending on the outcome of the match. Here is a table that clearly provides the possible outcomes or quarter lines:
Handicap | Team Result | Bet Result | Handicap | Team Result | Bet Result |
-0.25 | Win | Win | +0.25 | Win | Win |
Draw | Half Lose | Draw | Half Win | ||
Lose | Lose | Lose | Lose | ||
-0.75 | Win by 2+ | Win | +0.75 | Win | Win |
Win by 1 | Half Win | Draw | Win | ||
Draw | Lose | Lose by 1 | Half Lose | ||
Lose | Lose | Lose by 2+ | Lose | ||
-1.25 | Win by 2+ | Win | +1.25 | Win | Win |
Win by 1 | Half Lose | Draw | Win | ||
Draw | Lose | Lose by 1 | Half Win | ||
Lose | Lose | Lose 2+ | Lose | ||
-1.75 | Win by 3+ | Win | +1.75 | Win | Win |
Win by 2 | Half win | Draw | Win | ||
Win by 1 | Lose | Lose by 1 | Win | ||
Draw | Lose | Lose by 2 | Half Lose | ||
Lose | Lose | Lose by 3+ | Lose |
A Half Loss would mean that you lose half of your stake, for example if you bet €20, you would receive back €10.
A Half Win would mean that you win half of your stake and win half of the bet. For example if you bet €20, you would win €10 from the stake as well as €10 x the odds of the bet.
Asian Handicap -0 and +0
Also known as a ‘Draw, No Bet’ at various betting sites, the +0.00 and -0.00 in the Asian Handicap means there are lesser odds on both teams to win the match but if your selected team doesn’t win you will lose the bet or if it ends in a draw, you will receive your stake back as a ‘push’. For example, for Manchester City vs. Manchester United, here are what the result and bet outcome would look like:
Manchester City -0.00 | Win | Win |
Draw | Push | |
Lose | Lose | |
Manchester United +0.00 | Win | Win |
Draw | Push | |
Lose | Lose |
The Pros and Cons of Asian Handicap Betting
Pros
- Evens out matches with a clear favourite
When there is a clear favourite in a match up, betting sites will offer an Asian Handicap which will give the underdogs a head start which evens out the match and provides a more entertaining game as the gap has been tightened.
- Adds excitement to the matches
As the clear gap between two teams is effectively tightened, this will provide bettors with a more exciting watch as it puts the underdog on a more even footing and gives them a higher chance of winning.
- Elimination of draw increases chance of winning
With the majority of bets, a draw is a possibility but with the Asian Handicap it isn’t an option and so it gives bettors a higher chance of winning their bet. If the match does end in a draw, then your stake is returned to you as a push so you don’t lose any money either.
- Possibility to still win if the team you bet on loses
One of the major benefits of an Asian Handicap compared to fixed odd betting, is that if the team you bet on loses, there is still a potential option of winning the bet depending on how much they lose by.
Cons
- It can be complicated
Asian Handicap betting can be quite hard to understand at first and so it is highly advised not to place a bet until you fully understand the rules, the potential outcomes and the full, half and quarter lines. Every result can cause a different bet outcome and newcomers are advised to research and learn all about the Handicap prior to placing a bet.
- Fixed odds are better for underdogs
If you believe the underdog is going to win, the Asian Handicap may not be the best option. The bookmakers are most likely to provide better odds in a fixed outright market for the underdog to win than on an Asian Handicap bet.
In conclusion, Asian Handicap is available at many betting sites and is a complex form of betting. It is vital that you fully understand the rules and the range of potential outcomes before you place a bet. It is most commonly used to provide the underdogs in match ups with a goal advantage at the start of the match to even up the competition. The Asian Handicap can offer a better return with a bigger risk and many bettors love to place bets on the Asian Handicap when they are feeling very confident about a certain outcome.