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Asian Handicap vs. European Handicap: What's the Difference?

You may have heard of one or the other in betting. Betting can be applied to most sports events, but primarily to global sports like football, basketball, baseball, volleyball, and even tennis.

Although handicap betting is one of the most popular types of markets in sports betting, many bettors still do not fully understand them. In fact, there are two main types of handicap betting bookmaker : Asian Handicap and European Handicap.

So, if you're one of those who believe they can profit from them and want to learn more, here's a quick guide to help you understand this market better.

What is European Handicap?

More commonly known as the handicap 3 goals bet. European Handicap is similar to Asian Handicap but easier to get into. It offers a 'penalty' for the stronger team.

These points are added or subtracted before the event starts. Your bet wins or loses based on the final outcome of the event adjusted based on the handicap you bet on.

However, unlike in the Asian Handicap market, where there can be no draw, this type of bookmaker free bet offers three potential betting options - win, draw, and lose, hence why it's called three-way handicap.

European Handicap also uses whole numbers contrasting with the decimal numbers used in Asian Handicap. Furthermore, it also operates similarly to the 1X2 bet.

Here's an example to help you grasp the concept better.

Manchester City is playing at home against Watford, and the likelihood of them winning is 100%. The European Handicap would favor the underdog team, which in this case is Watford, with a certain number of goals that Manchester City must overcome to be considered the winner.

Regardless of the final outcome of the match, if the handicap ratio is 3 goals, Manchester City will only be considered the winning team if they win by more than 3 goals.

Therefore, betting on Watford will win even if they lose by fewer than three goals. The match will be considered a draw if Man City covers the handicap and wins by exactly 3 goals.

What is Asian Handicap?

The Asian handicap betting market is perfect if you prefer something less common than 1X2.

In essence, the Asian Handicap includes giving the stronger team a handicap and the weaker team a higher goal difference. So, to win the bet, you have to back the team with fewer points, considering their handicap or corresponding advantage.

The goal of Asian Handicap is to ensure that a match does not end in a draw. Thus, by eliminating the draw possibility, you will only have two choices: bet on the home team or the away team.

So, for example:

Let's say you place £1000 on the weaker team, where Team A is the weaker home team with an Asian Handicap of 0.75 and Team B is the stronger away team. Odds = 1.90

To win the bet placed on Team A, they must win or at least end the match in a draw. Conversely, if Team A loses by more than two goals, you will lose the bet.

On the contrary, if you bet on Team B, they will receive a handicap of -0.75 goals. Therefore, to win the bet, Team B must win by at least two goals. If they win by a single goal (0-1, 1-2, or 2-3), you will only win half of your bet amount. Furthermore, if the match ends in a draw or Team A wins, you will lose.

Handicap betting can vary between quarter ball handicaps (0.75 and 0.25), half ball (0.5), and whole ball (1, 2, etc.), with the whole ball handicap (sometimes including half goals) being the most common.

Now, while Asian Handicap might initially sound more complex, it actually simplifies things by ensuring that there's always a winner due to the handicap. Moreover, the Asian Handicap betting market is also known for having lower margins and better odds compared to European Handicap betting.

Difference Between Asian Handicap and European Handicap

While the two handicap betting markets may seem similar, their differences can be categorized into three parts: representation, numerical variations, and match outcomes. We'll discuss each issue further below.

Representation

One of the main differences between these two types of handicap betting is how they use different symbols to represent them.

In Asian Handicap betting, it focuses on the skill of a specific team, so it uses undivided symbols like '-1.5' and/or '+1.5' to add or subtract for the stronger and/or weaker teams.

Meanwhile, because European Handicap betting provides a draw outcome and is more about relative likelihood, it uses ratios like '0:1'.

Numerical Variations

Another difference to help distinguish between these is in how they use numerical variations.

As mentioned above, Asian Handicap betting has various types, including quarter balls, half balls, and full balls, whereas European Handicap betting only uses whole number variations.

Match Outcome

Lastly, and most importantly, the main difference between these two lies in their corresponding match outcomes.

In Asian Handicap betting, there are only two possible outcomes - either leading to the home team or the away team. Meanwhile, in European Handicap betting, there are 3 possible outcomes to choose from. Bettors can choose to bet on the home team, the away team, or a draw.

Asian Handicap vs. European Handicap: Which is Better?

While some bettors may be more familiar with European Handicap betting, bookmaker comparison Asian Handicap has become increasingly popular as you only need to consider two choices. However, when deciding which one to use, it all depends on what suits you and where you'll get higher returns.