What is a handicap in sports betting
So what is a handicap or handicap in sports betting (handicap or spread)? When the difference in the ability of the teams is significant, a bet on the favorite will have such a low odds with the lowest possible win, and therefore there is little incentive for players to bet. In order to provide more balanced and attractive odds, bookmakers offer a handicap/handicap in bets. In the context of football, the level of the Handicap bet corresponds to taking into account the perceived difference in the strength of the participants in a literal application. Handicap of goals (positive and negative) – for each team is calculated based on this estimated gap in the class. This gives players the opportunity to get higher odds when betting on the favorite than with traditional 1×2 bets – the most common bets in football.
Handicap in sports betting – in simple terms, this is the advantage or lag of one of the teams / opponent over the second,
expressed in numerical form (number of balls, pucks, goals, points, seconds, sets, games, etc.).
What does handicap 1, 1.5 and handicap 2 mean in football
Bets like 1×2 are not interesting for professionals and quickly bother beginners, so many novice players go to figure out what handicap 1, 2, etc. means. The fact is that 1.0 handicap in football, 1.5 handicap and 2 handicap are the most popular football bets among players.
- Remember the axiom:
- Negative handicaps are for the favorites, while positive handicaps are for outsiders.
It should also be understood that with whole handicaps of 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, if the advantage in goals coincides with the numerical value of the handicap, the bookmaker will calculate such a bet with odds. 1.0 i.e. You will receive a refund of the amount wagered. This is described in detail below.
Examples: handicap 2, 1.5 and handicap 1.0 in football
In this example, we want to clearly show what handicap 2 means in football, as well as 1.5 and handicap 1.0. Let’s take the Champions League match Inter Milan – Barcelona, where Milan is considered the favorite.
handicap 2, 1.5 and handicap 1.0 in football – examples
A bet on Milan with a handicap of -1.0 implies that Milan must win by 2 or more goals. If you win by 1 goal, there will be a refund. If Milan draws or loses, the bet will be considered a loser. The situation is similar with the -2.0 handicap in the match, only the advantage here is 3 goals, the return as a result of a victory with an advantage of 2 goals, etc. – everywhere we add one +1.
As for the -1.5 handicap, there is no return, to win the bet Milan must win with an advantage of 2 goals, in all other cases the bet will be lost.
What does handicap 1 mean in a football match or, as indicated on the screen, +1.0 with a coefficient. 1.775? When betting on Barcelona (as an outsider of this confrontation) with a plus handicap of 1, the bet will win if: Barcelona wins or draws. If Barcelona loses by 1 goal, then the bookmaker will return the bet.
Handicap 2 for Barcelona F2 (+2.0) will win even if Barca loses by one goal, otherwise it is similar to the previous description – we add one everywhere.
And handicap 1.5, as in the first option with a negative handicap, excludes the return of the bet.
The screen also shows the Asian handicap/Asian handicap (two handicap values each), to which we have devoted a separate section below, see Asian Handicap.
Negative and positive odds (positive and negative)
Having decided what a handicap means in betting, let’s move directly to football. When the advantage of one of the teams clearly prevails, while the quotes for the favorite are negligible and are not of interest for the bet, a handicap is used to equalize the chances. Negative/minus handicap (-1, -1.5, -2.0, -2.5, -3.0, etc.) +2.0, +2.5, +3.0, etc.) – on an outsider, which also allows you to make a winning bet with a good odds if the outsider is able to fight in the game.
Consider the example of the Champions League match: Manchester City – Shakhtar, where Man City is the absolute favourite. The odds for Man City’s victory are set at 1.17, while Shakhtar’s victory is estimated at 17.0.
Examples of minus and plus odds in football betting
Minus and plus odds in football betting: an example
Minus handicap at ManCity. A bet with a minus handicap here means that Manchester City must win by the advantage indicated in the handicap figure. Therefore, for the passage of the bet H1 (-2.5) with odds. 2.2 requires Man City to win by 3 goals or more. For any other outcome, the bet will be considered a loser.
Plus handicap for Shakhtar. In the case of a plus handicap (sometimes it can be indicated without a plus sign: F1 (1.0), F2 (2.5), or (1.5), (2.0), (3.5), etc.), it is understood that the outsider team should not lose with a higher goal difference than indicated in the selected handicap. Thus, with the bet A2 (+2.5), the bet will be winning if the miner loses by no more than 2 goals. It is quite clear that in the event of a Shakhtar win or a draw, the bet also comes in.
Integer and fractional odds. Differences
For some players, whole handicaps may be more attractive. Their difference from fractional ones is that at a bet with a whole handicap (regardless of minus or plus), a return is possible, a kind of bet insurance. Thus, at the rate of H1(-2.0) with odds. 1.81 Man City win by two goals, bet won’t win, but the player will get a refund of the wagered amount. Of course, the coefficient here is already lower, but with a half handicap this is basically impossible.
It should be understood that Handicap/Handicap is a bet that is applied to the actual outcome of the game. There are three handicap betting options that you need to be aware of before placing such bets.