Asian handicap in sports betting

An Asian Handicap bet is, as the name suggests, a form of handicap bet, which is to say that the bet is not reliant on the outcome alone, but the outcome after a certain amount of points has been added or subtracted. The number that is added or subtracted is the handicap. The term “Asian Handicap” derives from a type of handicap originally popular in Asia, and it differs from the European Handicap system. We will explain all you need to know in this article…

The best Asian Handicap betting sites

Betting Site	Asian Handicap Margin*	Welcome Bonus
	4.1%	100 (Sports)
	6.25%	100% to 122
	6.32%	30 Free bets
	6.32%	200% bonus for the first 2 deposits
	7.47%	100% to 100

*Based on our research, April 2025

Types of Asian Handicaps

The concept of Asian Handicap bets is usually applied to two different markets. It can be used on the regular match odds, that is to say who is going to win the game, as well as the total goals market. Regardless of which specific betting market you are using, the way that the Asian Handicap is applied and how it works is exactly the same.

What is an Asian handicap bet?

An Asian handicap is a form of handicap betting where you are presented with just two options, as opposed to the usual three when it comes to betting on who will win a football match. The amount of the handicap will be the same for both teams, one being given that number at the start and the other having that number taken away. Depending on the amount of the handicap what happens in the event of a draw will vary, sometimes you will win if you have bet on the + side of the handicap but sometimes you will get your stake back. Sometimes both things happen! For example a very simple Asian Handicap bet would be:

• Team A -0.5
• Team B +0.5

After you apply this handicap a bet on Team A is exactly the same as simply betting on them to win. No matter how many they win by, you take off half a goal, they will still have won the game. Betting on Team B is different though. Like before with a +0.5 handicap if Team B wins the game after the handicap is applied they have won by 0.5 more than before. It gets interesting when the match ends in a draw, because now after adding 0.5 to Team B, they are the winners. 1-1 would become 1-1.5.

Popular Asian Handicap sports

Asian Handicaps are usually applied to football (soccer) bets but they can be used on any market where the result is dependent on a number. It can be found increasingly on American sports where Handicaps have always been a popular form of betting, notably Baseball, Basketball, and American football.

Examples of Asian Handicap bets

Whole Number Asian Handicaps

Sometimes the amount of head start a team will be given can be a whole number, including zero! When this occurs if the score AFTER the handicap is applied is a draw, then your stake is returned. This is one of the main features that separates an Asian Handicap from European Handicaps. For example if the handicap is +1 then…

Half Goal Asian Handicaps

Sometimes there is a handicap added that avoids any possibility of the stake being refunded, a bet will either win or lose and that is it. It is a common misconception that you can not bet on a draw with an Asian Handicap, but this is incorrect. You can not JUST bet on a draw but you can bet on a draw OR a team to win. This is what happens when you bet on a handicap of +0.5.

Split Asian Handicaps

A unique feature of Asian Handicaps which you will not find elsewhere is a split or quarter handicap. These bets can be displayed as either 1.25 or 1.75 bets, but also 1/1.5 and 1.5/2 bets, they are the same thing. This bet is interesting because your stake is actually placed on two things, meaning multiple outcomes are possible depending on how much a team wins by.

Asian Handicap vs. European Handicap

There are two types of handicap bets that you will probably come across when betting and there are some key differences between them. The main one is that with whole number handicaps when the game is a draw after the handicap is applied, with a European Handicap bet you lose your stake but with an Asian Handicap bet it is returned. This is due to the fact that with a European Handicap bet you can actually bet on a draw after the handicap is applied, giving you three bets to choose from. An Asian Handicap bet will only ever have two bets. The final difference is that European handicaps you always bet all of your stake on one bet, with Asian quarter handicaps your bet is split into two, allowing 50% of your stake to be returned whilst the other 50% either wins or loses.

Advantages of Asian handicap betting

The main advantage to betting with a handicap is that if you are betting on a favourite you will get better odds, and when betting on the underdog your odds will be lower, but you will have a greater chance of the bet winning.

The Asian Handicap market can be very detailed, and hunting value in the different handicaps can be rewarding, especially when considering quarter handicaps with partial stake returns. It is an opportunity to bury your head in the statistics and find bets that offer value.

Asian handicap tips and strategies

Something that is always good advice, but even more so when looking at Asian handicap bets is to thoroughly research and gather as much data as possible. Although the past is not a guarantee of the future, it will give you a big clue. Given that the bookmakers have to price up many different handicaps per game and hundreds, if not thousands, of games each week, there is the possibility of finding value. Look at the team’s current form, do they have a star player and if so are they playing? Look at the fixture list and gauge whether there will be a full strength team placing, as well as simple things like which team is at home. All of these combined can be used to make educated guesses on the result of the match.

Final tip, if you were hoping to qualify for a bonus or promotion of any kind just check the T&C’s to see if Asian Handicap bets are included. Sometimes you will find they will not qualify for the reward which does not mean you should not place the bet, but do not do so if you were mainly doing it to get the Free bet.

Conclusion

Asian Handicaps can look a little confusing to start but there is not a lot to worry about once you have understood the basic principles. They can be a useful bet to place when you have teams with extreme odds, either a heavy favourite or the underdog, because the handicap evens things up and makes the bets more interesting. Due to the very specific and detailed nature of the handicaps, it can also be a great place to find value bets.