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More money is bet on European Football than on any other sport in the world! According to Statista, over one-third of the world’s sports betting handle comes from football bets.
Because of that, it’s hard to find value on the board because the bookmakers pay close attention to this action. However, you can gain a significant advantage by playing the handicap instead of the standard money line. Learn all about betting the handicap in this piece.
Dive into the advantages and drawbacks of handicap betting in football and explore the following tips and strategies. Our goal is to help you decide if handicap betting is for you.
- Handicap betting is an excellent way to save money on juice versus moneylines.
- Football Handicaps involve betting on favorites to win by at least a certain number of goals or on underdogs to not lose by a certain number of goals.
- Handicap betting works best on favorites with good offenses or on underdogs with stellar defenses.
- Handicap bets in the -1.5 to +1.5 win at a higher rate over time.
What Is the Handicap in Football Betting?
In the early days of betting on football, gamblers had three options: team A, team B, or a draw. However, bookmakers are constantly innovating, and this betting monotony is no longer the case thanks to handicap betting. With this type of football betting, you can decide if team A will win by at least a certain number of goals. In contrast, you can also wager that an underdog will NOT lose by a certain number of goals.
For example, let’s say you want to bet on Manchester City over Brighton in the English Premier League, but you aren’t crazy about the -190 moneyline price. If, after doing your research, you feel that Man City will blow out Brighton, you could bet them on the -1.5 handicap at the generous price of +125 instead of the moneyline of -190.
Keep in mind, though, that Man City must beat Brighton by at least two goals for you to win your bet. Conversely, if you bet Brighton at the +1.5 handicap at -190 odds, you would win your wager if they won the game outright or didn’t lose by more than 1 goal.
One important detail that many bettors overlook is the ‘push’ scenario, which only applies to whole-number handicaps such as -2 or +1. A push occurs when the final result lands exactly on the handicap line, meaning there is no winner or loser for that bet.
For example, if you bet on a team at -2 and they win the match 2-0, your bet doesn’t win, but it doesn’t lose either. Instead, your full stake is refunded. The same applies if you back an underdog at +1 and they lose by exactly one goal.
To place a handicap bet for football, head over to your favorite sportsbook and click on the handicap tab. It may also be called the Asian Handicap. Check out the betting odds for each handicap and place your wager on the team you want. Here’s an example from one of the largest sportsbooks in the world of what this tab will look like:
Credit: 888Sport
As you can see from the above picture, there are a ton of exciting opportunities involving the handicap. It’s a fantastic way for sports bettors to wager on a longshot (Atletico Madrid -5) or bet on a lower odds option that has a higher chance of winning (Real Madrid +2).
✅ What Is Asian Handicap?
Along with handicap betting, many sportsbooks also offer the Asian handicap, which is a slightly more advanced version of the same concept. The key difference is that the Asian handicap removes the possibility of a draw, meaning your bet will either win or lose.
Another key difference is flexibility, while standard handicap markets usually use whole-number goal handicaps only, Asian handicap includes half-goal and quarter-goal lines such as -0.5, or +1.25, which can split your stake across two handicap values and create partial wins or losses. Because of this, Asian handicap is generally seen as a popular option for bettors looking to reduce risk while still getting competitive odds.
Pros and Cons of Handicap Betting
Just like any other type of sports betting, there are plenty of pros and cons to handicap betting in football. Read over this list of positives and negatives to see if this type of wagering fits your specific needs.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| Makes matches between two teams of different skill levels more interesting | Handicaps can be difficult to research due to limited data |
| Can save bettors loads of juice by avoiding moneylines that are too pricey | Can often be confusing for newer sports bettors |
| Gives sports investors more options than simply which team will win | Isn’t as lucrative if the teams are of a similar skill level |
Best Football Handicap Betting Strategies
So, now that we’ve covered the ins and outs of betting the handicap in football, let’s get into some of the best handicap strategies to use when betting on football.
Target Favorites with Dynamic Offenses
This is my best piece of advice when betting the handicap. We prefer to find teams that have two or three reliable goal scorers and are priced in the -170 to -300 moneyline range. Those two parameters are essential when laying the handicap of -1.5 or -2.5.
The reason a prolific offense is a necessity when betting a handicapped favorite is quite simple. Your team must be able to win in blowout fashion for you to cash your ticket. That’s unlikely to happen with teams that average less than 3 goals per game.
Also, betting the handicap on a team with multiple offensive stars means that you won’t have to worry as much if one player misses the game due to sickness or injury! Most of the time, the other seasoned goal-scorers will step up to pick up the slack.
Look for Underdogs with Stingy Defenses and Solid Goalkeepers
Favorites aren’t the only way to look when it comes to betting the handicap in football. Underdogs can also be highly profitable for bettors if the stars align the right way. When examining underdogs in the +1 to +2.5 handicap range, we like to target teams that play fundamentally sound defense and have stellar goal-keepers.
Football teams that play ferocious defense rarely give up more than two goals in any given game. This gives them a high likelihood of covering the +1.5 or +2.5 handicap. There’s nothing better than holding a +1.5 ticket during the final minutes of a game that’s tied. It’s one of the few times you won’t sweat when betting football.
Place the Majority of Your Handicap Bets in the -1.5 to +1.5 Range
We know that lots of bettors like to shoot for the moon and lay handicap bets with huge plus-money odds, but that’s not a viable strategy for winning long-term. We advise a more conservative approach when betting handicaps, and recommend staying in the -1.5 to +1.5 range.
The payouts aren’t as large, but the winning percentages are much higher. There’s a reason we like to stay in this range, and it’s pretty simple. Take a look at the football scoreboard on any given day. Most of the time, the matches either end in a tie or are decided by 1 to 2 goals.
Don’t make handicap betting harder than it has to be. Stick to bets in the -1.5 to +1.5 range for better potential outcomes.
Pick Home Favorites
Home favorites often offer better value on moderate handicap lines such as -0.5 and -1.5, especially when playing against teams from the bottom of the standings and have a poor defensive record. These lines are less aggressive than -2.5 or -3.5, which in turn allows you to reduce risk while still getting favorable odds. A home team with a consistent scoring form is more reliable in these markets than inflated favorites.
For example, if Liverpool is dominant at home and faces a lower-table team with a weak away record, a -0.5 handicap may offer safer value than taking a higher-risk -1.5 line.
Use Expected Goals (xG) to Identify Value
Expected goals (xG) is a good research tool you can use for football betting, because it helps you measure the quality of chances and not just final scores. Teams that consistently generate high xG but underperform in results may be undervalued in handicap markets. Alternatively, teams that win despite low xG may be overpriced favorites.
For example:
- A team winning narrow matches despite poor xG numbers may struggle to cover handicap lines.
- A team losing matches but posting strong xG may offer value as a positive handicap underdog.
Using xG helps you identify if recent scorelines truly reflect the real performance or are a product of short-term variance.
Pay Close Attention to Injury Reports
Many newer sports bettors don’t monitor each football team’s injury report, and they end up costing themselves boatloads of money. Nothing will ruin a handicap bet quicker than finding out your key will be without one or two of its key players.
This is especially true if a team’s best scorer is out or if they’re starting their backup goalie. Before placing any handicap wager, make sure that your team will be at full strength. You can do this by following each of the league’s teams on social media. Serie A lineups are announced one hour before the game, and EPL lineups are given out 75 minutes before kick-off.
Avoid Popular Teams
Popular teams tend to attract a high volume of public betting, which can push handicap lines up. Clubs such as Manchester City, Real Madrid, or Bayern Munich can be priced at aggressive handicap levels because casual bettors back them heavily, without paying attention to matchup context. In these instances, the underdog can offer better value, especially if the favorite plans to rotate players for the game.
Have a Bankroll and Always Bet Responsibly
When doing any type of gambling, whether handicap betting or some other form, always practice responsible gaming. Have a specific amount of money set aside just for entertainment that won’t negatively affect your current lifestyle if you lose it.
There is no such thing as a “lock” in sports betting or any other type of gambling. Even wagers that you feel strongly about can lose in the final seconds due to a fluky play or a missed call by an official. I recommend that you only bet 1% to 2% of your bankroll per pick.
Conclusion
Handicap betting levels the perceived disparity between the stronger and weaker teams. One of the advantages it gives you is the opportunity to place a bet on an underdog and still be in a good position to win the bet. Season football bettors prefer handicap betting due to the possibilities it offers in football markets, especially when moneyline bets are not attractive.
By understanding how football handicap betting works, including standard lines and push scenarios, you can approach each match better prepared. Overall, handicap betting offers flexibility and better odds opportunities. However, it still requires you to do your research on clubs and a disciplined betting approach.
FAQs
What Is a Handicap Bet in Football?
Bookmakers offer handicap bets in football by giving the lesser of the two teams a headstart. Instead of taking an underdog to win the game outright, you can place a bet on the underdog with a +1.5, +2.5, or +3.5 handicap. When doing this, your team simply needs to cover the handicap for you to cash your wager.
Is Handicap Betting in Football Easier than Regular Moneylines?
No, it’s actually more complex. Betting handicaps in football requires a lot more detailed research than just deciding on which team will win the game straight up. The data can also be harder to find and more difficult to analyze. For these reasons, handicap betting may not be a great choice for newer sports bettors.
Are Handicap Bets Available in Sports Other Than Football?
Yes, handicap wagers can be placed on lots of other sports. It’s most common in football but handicaps are also widely available in tennis, golf, and basketball. Some sportsbooks or countries refer to the handicap as the point spread.
What Do the Pluses and Minuses Mean in Handicap Betting?
In handicap betting, the favorite (better player or team) has a minus sign after their name (example = Liverpool -2.5). Underdogs are assigned a plus sign after their name (example = Chelsea +1.5).
Are Handicaps Available When Placing In-Game Wagers?
Yes, most sportsbooks will allow you to bet on a handicap while the game is in progress. This can make watching blowouts more fun because the lesser team can still cover the handicapped number. However, a lot of betting sites only offer a limited amount of handicap options for live games.
