If you love to bet on football, you might have come across the word, ‘handicap’ on several occasions. If you don’t know the meaning of this football betting term, then you are advised to read this article carefully. We are set to give you a detailed explanation of the handicap as it applies to football betting not on gamstop.
Generally, Handicap betting is a type of sports betting that is gamblers that use when they perceive that a team is stronger than the other. The fact is, many bettors are yet to have a full understanding of what Handicap betting entails.
What is Handicap Betting?
The outcome of a sporting event is dependent on several situational factors; therefore, the chances of success of a team is represented with odds. In order words, it represents the likelihood of winning a game.
What is handicap betting? It is a form of betting that is also called a spread or handicap betting. Handicap betting levels up the market by allotting a virtual deficit or surplus to each selection.
Furthermore, the handicap betting market applies to either negative or positive goal handicaps to each side based on the team identified as the underdog and favorite, which is also the positive handicap and negative handicap, respectively.
Your bet is successful if your selection that you wager on is higher than the opponents when the handicap is applied. Handicap betting is also known as line betting or points betting.
Handicap Betting: How Does It Work?
Handicap betting attempts to close the gap between competitors by offering better value odds and leveling the playing field.
For instance, if Chelsea is expected to beat Liverpool, the sportsbook might give Liverpool a 2 – 0 handicap advantage.
So, if you place a handicap bet on Chelsea to win, and the games end in 1-0 in favor of Chelsea. You will not win your bet because the handicap had been applied. The handicap bet applied here means the bookmaker had awarded Liverpool 2 goals ahead of Chelsea. Therefore, you will lose your bet if Chelsea wins with a goal margin of two or less. With the handicap of 2 – 0 applied before the commencement of the game, a 1-0 win by Chelsea is equal to a 2- 1 loss.
Note that handicap betting applies only to the selection that you decide to bet on.
If you bet on a match between France and England. If the bookie had set the handicap bet at 4 – 0, and you decide to place a handicap bet in favor of France, you will still win the bet if England won by 3 – 0. The actual score is 4 -3, going by the handicap set at 4 -0 by the bookmarker.
Handicap Bets: How are They Presented?
Using the example presented in the preceding section, involving a match between Chelsea and Liverpool, we will present the handicap betting as follows:
Chelsea (-2) even
Handicap Tie (-1) 3/1
Liverpool (+2) 2/1
Top Places to place your bets
Conclusion
We have been able to simplify handicap betting using definitions and practical examples. Now that you have understood what handicap betting entails, you can take advantage of it to make more profits.