Asian Handicap Betting Matrix
Named for its origins in the East, the Asian Handicap can be summed up in the simplest terms as the practice of point spread betting on football matches. Although this betting model has been used in hockey for years, it is relatively new to soccer. It has gained considerable popularity largely due to the fact that it has a higher probability of winning, in contrast to traditional betting practices such as 1X2. Bookmakers always offer higher odds for the Asian handicap, typically paying out at rates of 97-99%, compared to traditional betting where the payout is typically 89-94%.
Where the Asian handicap matrix differs from traditional fixed odds betting is that it removes a tie from the equation, using a handicap to force a winner, thereby reducing the maximum number of possible outcomes from three to two. This format offers two betting scenarios, each offering a 50% chance of winning, making it similar to the odds you’d expect from a game of baseball or basketball, games where a tie is impossible.
The system in your application is quite simple. Bookmakers designate a handicap or “line” for the underdog team in the match in order to bring each team’s odds as close to deadlock as possible. The parameters for designating Asian handicap lines start at 0 and go up to 3. The handicap is determined by the disparity in the odds each team has of winning the match. The principle of the system in this context can be better expressed with the following example.
He wants to bet the Asian handicap on a match between Manchester United and Fulham. The handicap is 1.5 for Fulham and you take the points. For betting purposes, this means that Fulham basically start the game with a 1 1/2 goal lead over Manchester United. If the final score of the match is Manchester United 3-2 Fulham then you would win, as the final score with the handicap would be Manchester United 3-3.5 Fulham.
The vast majority of games that are handicapped using the Asian matrix receive lines at 1/4 and 1/2 point intervals, which eliminate the possibility of a push as neither team will win on the scoreboard by a fraction of a goal. With the fractional handicap, there is always a winner. Of course, that means there is always a losing bet as well.
We have seen an example of the 1/2 point bet, now let’s look at the 1/4 point bet. The 1/4 bet works a bit differently than the ½ bet in that it splits the difference between the nearest half point intervals and distributes half of your bet to each. To see this in practical terms we can go back to our Manchester United vs. Fulham example.
In this example, you have Fulham with 1 1/4 points and you are betting $500. With the 1 1/4 fractional handicap, you are splitting your bet like this: $250 at 1 point and $250 at 1.5 points. Our final result was Manchester United 3-2 Fulham, meaning the bet tied ($250-1 with a final score of 3-3) and won ($250-1.5 with a final score of 3-3.5) . In this example, you would get $750 back on your original bet of $500. On the other side of that equation, you can also draw and lose.
From our example, if we placed the same bet of $500 with a line of 1 3/4 and gave another goal to Manchester United, we would have an example of a draw and bet lost. The final result on the scoreboard is Manchester United 4-2 Fulham, which makes the score line Manchester United 4-3.75 Fulham. You would tie ($250-2 with a final score of 4-4) and lose ($250-1.5 with a final score of 4-3.5). In this example, you would lose half of your $500 bet and the other half would be refunded.
Some Asian handicap bets will use whole numbers, which can result in a tie. However, the tie is administered as a tie, meaning the entire stake is refunded and there is no winner or loser.
In general, the Asian handicap is extremely attractive because of the higher odds it offers and has a variety of betting options that will pay the same money or better.