Asian Handicap: Table, Meaning & Guide

Asian Handicap is a form of soccer betting that gives the underdog an advantage. This style of betting was first introduced in Indonesia and is similar to puck line and run line betting in hockey and baseball as it eliminates the draw option. The big difference with Asian handicap betting is you usually back a team to win, lose or draw. With Asian handicap betting, the punter is given of option to choose between the two teams, yet to win, the favourite must win by a specified margin.

Considering the importance of Asian handicap betting, this page provides an explanation of the different possibilities you will come across when Asian handicap betting and includes a table explaining the different outcomes.

Asian Handicap Table

The unique characteristics of Asian Handicap betting mean there are many betting options, otherwise known as “lines”. The Asian handicap table below is essentially a detailed overview of the different handicap amounts and how a negative handicap and positive handicap and the result correlate with the bet outcome.

Bet Results Explained

As the table above showcases, there are a variety of possible outcomes involved with Asian handicap betting. While there are many who favour Asian handicap betting as a way to improve their odds, others prefer to use an Asian handicap calculator. Either way, the number of possible outcomes include but it is not limited to:

• Win
• Win by 1
• Win by 2+
• Win by 3+
• Win half
• Lose
• Lose by 1
• Lose by 2
• Lose by 3
• Lose half
• Push

Asian Handicap Examples

Suppose you are interested in this betting style. In that case, the possibilities below are your best tool for understanding the results you can achieve. Essentially, the information below is an Asian handicap explained summary that you can reference when punting on your favourite teams.

0.0 Asian Handicap

The first Asian handicap example we are going to explain is the 0.0, as it is when both teams are evenly matched, meaning the draw is removed, and you are punting your team to win.

For example, if Chelsea FC and RB Leipzig were even, the odds would be displayed like this:

• Chelsea 0.00
• RB Leipzig 0.00

This would mean neither team has a goal advantage; therefore, bookmakers have determined that the two are equal. As such, if you were to punt on Chelsea to win, and they win, your bet is deemed a winner, and if they lose, your bet losses. Likewise, if you bet on RB Leipzig to win, you win if they win, and you lose if they lose. And, if the match ends in a draw, your bet is voided and refunded.

0.25 Asian Handicap

The 0.25 Asian Handicap is when one team is favoured to score and is therefore favoured by a “quarter” over the other team.

For example, if Bayern was selected by a quarter over Man City, it would be displayed in the following format:

• Bayern -0.25
• Man City +0.25

What this means is that Bayern is one-quarter of a goal better than Man City, meaning Man City is the slight underdog. Therefore, punting a quarter-bet minimises your risk as you have two options not to lose – one is a win, while the other is a half win. If Bayern wins, you win, if Man City wins, you lose, but if the match ends in a draw, your bet is refunded.

0.5 Asian Handicap

Using the same example above, the odds would show Bayern as -0.5 and Man City as +0.5.

• Bayern -0.5
• Man City +0.5

Like the -0.25 example, this means that by making a “half-bet” on Bayern, you increase your risk as you have two ways to lose and only one way to win. To win, your team would need to win, and if they lose or the match ends in a draw, you lose.

1 Asian Handicap

A 1 Asian handicap is a positive handicap that often is given to underdogs. Essentially, it gives that team the advantage over the opposing team due to the underdog being the weaker of the two.

For example, if Man United were the favourite to win over Newcastle, the odds would read like this:

• Newcastle + 1.0
• Man United -1.0

In this example, if you bet on Man United to win, the match would need to end with Man Utd up by two or more goals for your bet to win. Likewise, if they win by one goal, your bet is refunded, but if they lose or the bet ends in a draw, your bet loses.

-1 Asian Handicap

A -1 Asian handicap is the opposite of when a team is favoured by a quarter or half as it means one team is one goal better than the other.

For example, If Juventus was one goal better than Benfica, the odds would be displayed like this:

• Juventus -1.0
• Benfica +1.0

In this example, if you bet on Juventus to win, they would need to win by two or more goals for your bet to win. On the flip side, if they won by one goal, your bet would be refunded, and your bet would be lost if they lost. Likewise, if you bet on Benfica to win, your bet would win if they won, but if they lose by two goals, your bet would be lost. If Benfica loses by one goal, the bet is refunded, and finally – if the match ends in a draw, your bet wins.

Split Asian Handicap

A Split Asian handicap is offered whenever bookies are unable to define the adjudged difference between two teams. The difference for this particular Asian handicap is it gives one team a head start or handicap that they must overcome. The split Asian handicap also adds another equation to your betting strategy by letting you divide your bet over two handicaps, thereby having two separate bets for the same event.

If the match ended in a draw, €10 would be refunded while the other would pay €18.80.

To understand this style of Asian handicap betting and its payouts, you can refer to the Split Asian Handicap table below: