Want to know more about the different options for handicap betting on football? Not sure what the difference is between a standard handicap bet, or an Asian handicap bet?
Well, in this post, we will bring you all the details of both popular forms of handicap betting on football. Exploring the similarities and differences between the two and also investigating when the handicap markets offer a good option for punters.
For our article, we are going to use the handicap betting markets available on football at bet365 Sport. If you would like to sign up, check out the latest Welcome Offers in the section below and select one to join today, remembering to use the signup code BET247!!
Bet365 Review » Min Deposit: £5 » Expiry: 30 days » Min Odds: 1/5 (1.20)
Bet365 Poker Review » Instalments: €2.50 » Bonus Expiry: 60 days » Max Bonus: €365
Bet365 Casino Review » Min Deposit: £10 » Spin Expiry: 7 days » 10p Spin Value
Bet365 Bingo Review » Min Stake: £10 »Bonus Expiry: 7 days » 10p Spin Value
Let's begin by exploring what the two main types of handicap bet on football are and their similarities and differences.
Both the standard and Asian Handicap bets are an alternative to betting on the Full Time Result market (and the Enhanced Full Time Result market if you are a bet365 Sport customer).
They are effectively a wager on what the outcome of the game will be. However in handicap betting on football, there is a handicap applied to the selection you make in the market.
What that handicap is determines the key differences between standard Handicap betting on football and Asian Handicap bets.
Let's now take a closer look at both of these forms of bets. To illustrate each type of bet, we have used corroborating markets taken from the Sheffield United vs. Bristol City Championship Playoff Semi-Final second leg game odds at bet365 on the 12th May 2025.
Bet365 Review » Min Deposit: £5 » Expiry: 30 days » Min Odds: 1/5 (1.20)
In the example above, you can see that the Handicap Result market with bet365 sees a handicap of -1 goal placed on Sheffield United to win (at odds of 3.40) and a +1 handicap applied to a Bristol City win (at odds of 1.90). The draw (tie) is a 3.60 odds bet, but with a +1 handicap for an unnamed team (check out the section below for how to interpret the tie handicap bet).
In terms of backing either team here is what the standard handicap bet means.
A handicap of -1 goal on Sheffield United means that if you back this bet, Sheffield United must win by two clear goals in order for the bet to be a winner.
If Sheffield United win 1-0 or 2-1, for example, then with a -1 goal handicap applied, those results turn into a 0-0 or 1-1 draw for the purposes of this handicap bet.
But if the Blades win 2-0 or 3-1 for example (or by a greater scoreline), then even with a -1 handicap, they still win the game (1-0 and 2-1) and thus your bet is a winner!
The same principle applies to backing Bristol City, only their handicap is a positive 1 goal. This means that if you back Bristol City to win the game then you add one goal to their total scored in the game to decide the result of this bet.
As such, this means that any draw, or any Bristol City win will mean your bet is a winner, as with a +1 goal handicap applied, Bristol City would win the game.
Bristol City would have to lose the game in order for this bet to be a losing bet.
As you can see in the screenshot above, backing the tie (draw) in this match is given a handicap of +1, but no team is shown as being awarded the handicap.
In these cases, the handicap shown for the tie will match one of the two handicaps for each team. In this case, it is the +1 handicap for Bristol City.
This means that Bristol City will have a +1 handicap applied to their score if you back the Tie in this handicap market. Meaning that any win for Sheffield United by one goal (1-0, 2-1, 3-2, 4-3 etc), would result in this bet paying out. Any other result though would be a loser.
The good news is that when you select this bet and it is added to your bet slip, the team that the handicap applies to is shown on the bet slip before you place your bet.
Asian Handicap betting differs from standard Handicap betting in that the handicap applied to each team means that a draw is not possible. This punters only have two possible outcomes to a game when the handicap is applied.
For example, in the screenshot above, you can see that Sheffield United have been awarded a -0.5 goal handicap for the game, while Bristol City have been awarded a +0.5 handicap for the match.
The odds makers have set the line at -0.5 and +0.5 as they feel that this is the closest line to give the punter a choice between two almost equal sets of odds. Sheffield United being 1.850 and Bristol City an even money 2.00.
With a plus or minus half goal applied to the final result of this match, there has to be a winner as no team can score half a goal in a game. So for example, if you back Sheffield United to win the match and the game finishes in any victory for the Blades, then even with a -0.5 goal handicap applied, your bet would still win.
But, if the game finished in any draw, then the -0.5 goal handicap would mean your bet on Sheffield United loses.
However, if you backed Bristol City at +0.5 handicap, then any Bristol City win and any draw would see your bet win once the handicap of +0.5 is applied. However, any defeat would see your bet on Bristol City lose.
In some cases, it is possible for a team to lose a football game, but when they have a handicap applied, they can win your bet. Similarly, a team you back can win a match, but with their handicap applied, your bet will lose.
This happens when there are higher Asian Handicap values of plus or minus 1.5 goals or more applied to each team.
For example, let's say in a match between Liverpool and Southampton, Liverpool are given a -1.5 goal handicap and Southampton a +1.5 goal handicap.
If you back Liverpool to win, then Liverpool need to win by two goals, or more in order for your bet to win as with a -1.5 goal handicap applied, if the Reds win by one goal, or draw, then your bet will be a loser.
If you back Southampton to win with a +1.5 handicap, then that means any Southampton win, any draw or even any Liverpool win by one goal would see your bet on Southampton be a winner.
Some bookmakers also offer several Asian Handicap lines on a single match, such as Manchester City (-0.5, -1) vs Chelsea (+0.5, +1).
In these cases, your stake is split between the options for the team you back and the result of your bets worked out individually for each handicap. (So if you bet £10 on Man City, £5 would be on City with a -0.5 handicap and £5 on City with a -1 handicap).
As you can see, with multiple handicaps, a draw is a possible outcome. If this occurs when the handicap is applied for the team you backed, it means you will get your stake money back for that part of the bet.
For example, your £10 bet on Man City is £5 on -0.5 and £5 on -1. Let's say Manchester City beat Chelsea 2-1. In this case, your £5 bet on -0.5 goals is a winner, however your £5 bet on -1 goals is a push as the game finishes as a draw with the handicap applied, so you get your £5 stake money back.
Handicap and Asian Handicap markets offer a great alternative to standard Full Time Result betting markets, especially when the odds on the team you want to back to win the game are very short and unappealing.
Standard Handicap bets can be used in services such as Bet Builder at bet365, however Asian Handicap bets are not normally allowed as part of multiple selection bets.
Although we have used football as the basis for our article on handicap betting, you can find handicap bets available across a wide range of sports.
In fact, this particular type of betting is very popular on North American sports, such as Basketball, Baseball, American Football, Ice Hockey and similar. In these sports it is commonly known as spread betting (though you can also find Asian Handicap and other Handicap bets on these sports too).
These bets are great options when the odds on full time result markets are not that appealing, generally because one of the teams is considerably stronger/weaker than their opponent. Handicap bets can level the playing field a little, allowing bookies to offer more appealing odds to customers.
Handicap bets are a great addition to any punters bet of choice, and you can find plentiful examples of them at bet365 and many other top bookmakers!
18+ Always remember to gamble responsibly. Check out bet365’s Safer Gambling page for more details or go to GambleAware.org for advice, tools and support.
All contents are ©
Bet365 Bonus Code, Sports, Casino and Poker Sign up offers and News
18+ Worried about your gambling? Gamcare - When the fun stops – STOP!