A handicap is something that is applied to a bet to make an equal chance of victory. This can be added to one result or something that is removed.

A lot of betting sites refer to handicap betting as line or spread betting. Essentially what happens is the betting sites set a line, usually for points scored and then you pick which line you want to take.

This form of betting is incredibly popular for games where one team is a strong favorite over the other. What you often find when this happens is the favorite offers little to no value.

Type of Handicap Betting

Punters can make handicap wagers on several sporting events outside football such as Esports gaming, the National Football League, the PGA, tennis, hockey, Australian rugby, cricket, boxing, MMA, and other sporting events. The three main types of handicap betting markets in football include:

• Asian Handicap

Asian handicap betting markets are the most popular in Asia, followed by Europe and Australia. Asian handicap bets are the same as regular handicap bets with the caveat of no draw outcomes. By using decimal numbers, the possibility of a draw outcome on an Asian handicap is removed. The regular handicap betting markets usually use whole numbers. A punter can then bet on either a team winning or losing without worrying about a draw as the third outcome. A player’s wager is returned in the event of a tie (or push), indicating no loss and no gain.

• Season Handicap

A season handicap is also called a league handicap and is similar to a match handicap. However, a season handicap involves making an accurate prediction of a season’s outcome based on the league table at the end of the season. A team that is more likely to win the League will have a handicap to overcome, while the other groups will have a points advantage at the start of the season. At the end of the season, each team’s actual points are added to the handicap points to determine the winner of the season handicap.

• No Draw Handicap

A no draw handicap gives a punter the advantage of betting on two outcomes (a win and loss). For no draw handicaps to be applicable, the sportsbook needs to offer decimal odds (a difference of 0.25 or 0.50) to either of the teams (not both) to remove any possibility of a draw outcome on a no draw handicap bet. In rare cases, punters may receive a draw for no draw handicap bets. However, any wagers on such bets are considered void and returned to the bettor.

Handicap Betting Strategy

We’re going to look at a range of handicap sports betting strategies that you can incorporate to make more money betting on sports. They are in no order, but each of them are incredibly important as a group, so take the time to digest and implement each point.

Look at Moneyline Bets Instead of the Under Handicap Bet

When you bet on the under for a handicap market, then you’re saying the favorite is going to win the game and they are going to win relatively comfortably.

However, when you bet on the underdog to win on a handicap market, often the value lies on the Moneyline bet. This is because the number of times that when the underdog wins, they cover the spread is exponentially higher than the time the favorite wins with the lower spread.

This means that you’re better off just taking an outright win on the Moneyline than a positive spread bet for the handicap for some games.

Track Line Movement

Single or even half points added or removed from handicap bets can be huge. In sports like the MLB, NHL, and NFL, single points will equate to a huge shift in momentum for a single bet.

You need to be able to track how lines move throughout the week leading up to that game and then understand why this has occurred. Injuries, suspensions, the pre-game build can all equate to why lines might move, and then you need to be ready to jump on this.

If you’re able to predict when this might happen or if it might happen, you’re going to be getting maximum value from your bets. If you can get that extra point or half-point on the handicap for the same odds, then you’re golden.

Be OK with Placing Multiple Wagers on a Single Pick

Handicap betting features heavily in a range of sports. All of the US-based sports have extensive handicap betting sections, but as do sports from all over the world. There may be times where you take an early price on a line set by the sportsbook, before seeing that line reduce or increase, creating more value.

For example, let’s say that you back the Patriots at -4 to beat the Dolphins. A ton of money comes in for Miami and the price for the handicap spread moves to -3.5 for New England.

You’re now getting a smaller handicap at the same handicap odds and if you’re confident of your pick, it’s now time to take advantage. You will have increased exposure, but you’re getting a shorter spread on a pick that you think offers good value.