cricket handicap bettingHandicap Betting – Making the Game More Exciting
With bookmakers constantly coming up with new ways of making betting odds even more interesting, handicap betting is becoming more and more popular. This guide will help you understand how this type of betting works, what its strengths are, and how you can benefit from mastering it.
This type of betting is also called spread betting or line betting, and it’s a strategy that provides one team with a goal advantage or disadvantage to even the betting odds. It helps overcome a handicap that the weaker team has at the beginning of the match. This form of betting is used prevalently in the UK and European football betting, and you can find it on all major UK betting platforms, including the new ones. Now let’s go through some examples to explain handicap betting a bit better.
Let us assume you’re placing a bet on a match between Manchester United and Aston Villa. As United is a clear favourite in this duel, the odds aren’t that interesting, and only a handful of people would be keen to bet on it. However, if the bookmaker gives an advantage to the weaker team and “handicaps” the stronger one, the outcome is not as predictable anymore.
So, if the bookmaker declared a handicap of 2 it would look like this:
Manchester United (-2) vs. Aston Villa (2)
Now, how does handicap betting work in football, and what does this mean? It means that:
Aston Villa would start the match with a two-goal advantage.
If you bet on United, they need to score at least three goals for you to win.
If, on the other hand, you bet on Villa, you would win if they lose by a margin of only one goal.
If you are backing Villa and they lose by two goals, your bet would be void, and your stake returned.
Note that the -2 doesn’t mean that Manchester United would need to score two goals just to get to 0, but rather that it starts two goals behind Villa.
As this type of betting comes in different shapes and forms, let’s see its other options and how the rules differ.
A no draw handicap bet is a case in which the handicap is a decimal number. Its name comes from the fact it eliminates a possibility of a draw in a game, as half-goals do not exist in football. A team is given a half handicap advantage, so while the game’s result may be a tie, the bet’s results never can be. Here’s how it applies to our previous example. The bookmaker declares a handicap of 1.5, like so:
Manchester United ( -1.5) vs Aston Villa (1.5)
Now let’s see what makes the difference between the standard handicap sports betting and the no draw one.
Aston Villa starts the match with an advantage.
As the advantage is more than one goal but less than two, there is no possibility for a draw in betting terms.
If you bet on United, they need to score two goals for you to win the wager.
If you’re backing Villa, they must either win the match, draw, or lose 1-0 (for a total of 1.5 to 1).
We wanted to give you a clear example of how handicap bets work, and we used football as it is one of the most popular sports worldwide. However, football isn’t the only sport where you can place a handicap bet; there’s also rugby handicap betting, tennis, the NFL, and even horse race betting.
Handicaps in betting on rugby matches mean that one of the teams starts the game with a points advantage. Let’s say you are a supporter of New Zealand, and they are about to face Singapore. The bookie gives New Zealand a handicap of -12.5 points, meaning New Zealand has to win the game by more than 13 points to pass the handicap.
Golf
Many bookies allow handicap bets on players’ rounds, and the top golf players such as Rory McIlroy and Jordan Speith can receive a handicap of, for instance, +5 shots. The rest of the players are handicapped accordingly, depending on their relative skill and ranking.
Tennis
Tennis handicap betting can apply to either sets or games. If it applies to games, all the games from the match will be counted in to form the outcome. This is interesting as the player with a higher number of games won does not necessarily need to be the winner of the match.
Let’s take a match between Novak Djokovic and John Isner as an example. Since Djokovic is a clear front runner and the odds on his win are pretty low, some bookies will include a handicap. Once the handicap betting rules apply the things start to spice up a bit, and the odds get higher.
If a bookie provides a handicap of +4 games to Isner, this means that he has a head start of four games. Thus, if the match ends with 6-7, 6-4 and 6-4 in favour of Djokovic, it means he won 18 games, and Isner won 15. But, once we apply the handicap of 4 on Isner, things begin to change drastically as he has 19 games compared to the 18 won by Djokovic. Even though Djokovic is the winner of the match, Isner has won your bet once the handicap is resolved.
This is one of the widespread terms when it comes to handicap-style betting. It is a way of betting that originates in Asia and is primarily used in football. All Asian handicap bets exclude the chance of a draw, meaning there are only two possible outcomes – one team will win, and the other team will lose.
cricket handicap bettingHandicap in Betting Explained: Rules, Examples, Payouts and More
Handicap betting is a type of wager that involves an element of surprise, as you are essentially betting on which team will win the game. Instead of simply picking one team to win and hoping they do, handicap betting allows you to predict whether a specific team will win by a certain number of points or more than a certain number of points. This makes it considerably more interesting than standard point spread betting, as you get to see how the game plays out in real time rather than simply assuming everything will go your way.
Handicap betting works on the simple principle of comparing one team’s point total to another’s. The “underdog “team is given a handicap, which adjusts its score accordingly. The favorite team does not get a handicap and is simply given a set number of points to win.
Betting handicaps gives smaller teams an advantage over bigger ones in terms of winning games and their final score. It can also make it easier for underdogs to cover spreads or beat point spreads and harder for favorites.
For example, say you’re betting on college football. You’d pick one team to win and bet on them the same way you would a point spread bet. The handicap can be adjusted depending on how much of an underdog or favorite you think team A is versus team B.
For example, if your prediction is that team A will win by two touchdowns with no more than three turnovers, then your handicap for that game would be -2 points. If you predicted that A would win by 5 touchdowns with no turnovers and B would lose by 3 touchdowns with 4 turnovers, your handicap for that game would be +6 points. The handicap is simply an adjustment to their score, making it more likely they will win.
When betting on the handicap, you are betting on the margin of victory and not the actual goals scored.
The actual process for handicap betting in sports is pretty straightforward. You choose the team you think will win the game and then pick a line that reflects your prediction. The difference between your predicted score and what the line is set at is your handicap, which determines how much you will win on your bet.
For example, if you predict that team A will win by two touchdowns with no more than three turnovers, you would bet on them at -2 points by placing a two-point spread wager. If they won by three touchdowns with no more than four turnovers (a seven-point spread), your stake would pay out six times the amount of money wagered on it.
In the NBA game above, players who wagered on the underdogs, the Suns, won, assuming the game finished between 100-95. This is because, in this case, the adjusted score ends at 100-93, which favors GSW.
Handicap betting is a bit more complex in soccer because most results are not always predictable. For example, if there is a tied game at the end of regulation (or even overtime), there will be a shootout to determine who wins the game. This means that if you bet on a team to win based on their current record, you will be wrong more often than not. However, handicap betting can easily adjust for this fact by adjusting your predictions based on what you think will happen in the shootout.
For example, if you think one team is likely to win and will score more points than another, your handicap will be higher for them than for another team that is expected to lose or tie with them. To predict how many points a team is likely to score in a shootout, you need to predict how many goals they will score (or save). If they are expected to win, and you think they are going to score 6 goals or less, then your handicap should be +6 points, while if they are expected to lose or tie, and you think they’re going to score seven goals or more, then your handicap should be -6 points.
Any movement in spreads on soccer has a significant effect on the odds. Handicap lines in soccer are harder to call since soccer goals are less than points scored in an NBA or NFL game. A slight change in handicap, for instance, a 0.5 change in handicap, could double the price. Here’s an example of a soccer handicap bet.
Golf handicap betting works similarly to handicap betting in hockey and basketball. The handicaps are based on the amount of money a golfer has won, known as their “money factor”. If you bet on a golfer to win with a higher handicap than their money factor, you will be making money (winning bets) more often than if you bet on them with a lower handicap.
If you think one golfer will win and score more points, your golf betting will be higher for them than for another golfer who is expected to lose or tie. The handicaps are adjusted based on the amount each golfer has won in the past year. This means that it’s possible to have the same handicap for two different players if they have similar amounts of wins. However, if one player has won more than $1 million while another has won less than $500k combined, they will have differing handicaps.
Table of Golf Handicap Estimator
The average score on 18 goalsEstimated handicap70-751-276-803-581-856-986-9110-1392-9714-1998-10120-24102-10625-28107-11229-33
In tennis, the first and most common form of handicap betting is the “over”. In this type of handicap, you will pick a team to win based on their current record, and you will also pick a set number of points that you think they will score in the match. If your team wins by more than the number of points you predicted, you win. If your team wins by less than the number of points you predicted, you lose.
For example, if a team is playing at home against a weaker opponent (or with a positive handicap), they are likely to win by a large margin (say 6–0 or 5–1). However, if they play at home against a stronger opponent (or with negative handicaps), they are likely to lose by even larger margins (say 4–6 or 6–0).
In the tennis bet results below, the winner covered the -4.5 handicap line with more than 11% the second position.
For those who don’t know, Asian handicap betting is the same as American handicap betting. In the United States, it’s commonly referred to as “dogs and hounds” or “heads and tails” betting. In Asia, it goes by other names like “Moneyline” or “point spread”. The money line is a bet on one team to win by a certain amount of money, while the point spread is a bet on one team to win by a certain amount of points.
In handicap betting, how you adjust your bet depends on how far ahead or behind the point spread you think the team is. For example, if you believe Team A will win by 10 points and Team B will win by 7 points, your handicap would be +5 points. If you think Team A will win by 1 point and Team B will win by 9 points, your handicap would be -5 points. In this case, if either team wins the game by 10 or 7 points, you will lose your bet. You would still lose your bet if either team wins by 15 or 14 points. The difference between a handicap and a spread is that with a spread, you know exactly how many points either team has to win to cover the spread for each bet.
Before you make handicap bets, use sites with the proper security certificates and valid licensing.
To increase your winning potential, compare the best odds from different bookmakers. It will take you a few seconds. Moreover, you will reap the rewards of a successful bet.
Consider dominant teams and other forms of groups involved—home and away form matters, for the dominant team, and look at the particular tournament.
Heavy favorites are more likely to emerge winners than weaklings. In this case, the dominant team is best to bet on. Heavy favorites could also be teams strong at home.
The basic rule in handicap betting is to avoid low-scoring teams. Teams with a winning margin of 1-0 are unreliable. Though a team may be in the right form, winning most matches 1-0 could change. Use the right team tactics before wagering.
cricket handicap bettingHandicap in volleyball
Handicap in volleyball is an artificial difference in the score by points or parties, which is taken into account in the rates and equalizes the odds.?Usually, the number of the handicap is added to the result of the outsider, and subtracted from the result of the favorite.?In this article, we will define what handicap means in volleyball, how it is indicated in the bookmaker’s lines and how to bet correctly.
There are several shorthand designations in the betting lines markets: H2 (-2.5), “Team” (+ 2.5).?Plus handicaps can occur without a sign, for example, H1 (3).?Explanation of all designations:
H – abbreviation for “handicap”, designation of the type of bet.
1?or?2??– the command indicated in the line first or second, respectively.
0, -0.5, +0.5, etc.?– the value of the handicap.
A volleyball match is played up to three wins in sets.?When placing a bet, pay attention to what indicators will be taken into account:
Handicap on sets and handicap on points in a set?.?The match consists of sets (parties) – from three to five.?Before the match, bookmakers offer handicap betting on points for the first three sets.?If this is not indicated in the line, it is a set handicap.?If in doubt, check with support.
Handicap for aces?.?Handicap for errors on serve.?Ace is a feed right through.?If, when throwing in the ball, he did not cross the net from above and did not get into the wrong zone, then a mistake and loss of a point are counted.?Such lines usually appear only for the most popular tournaments.
The handicaps themselves are divided into three types:
In the line of bookmakers, it is displayed with a plus sign or without a sign.?The bet will be successful if the selected team wins after the handicap has been added.?Suitable for betting on outsiders who, as you would expect, will not lose by a large difference in points or in sets.
An example?.?Match of the Russian Super League “Dynamo” LO – “Belogorye”.
F1 (+2.5) in volleyball
We are betting on points in the first set.?If Dynamo LO in the first game loses with a minimum difference of two points or even wins, then the bet will be successful.?Otherwise, she will not play.
It is displayed with a minus sign in the bookmaker’s line.?Suitable for betting on the absolute favorites of the meeting.?The bet will be settled if, after deducting the handicap, the selected team still wins.
An example?.?The match of the Russian Super League “Zenith” – “Ugra-Samotlor”.
F1 (-2.5) in volleyball
We wager on a set handicap.?We will only be satisfied with a dry 3-0 win for Zenit.?Otherwise, the rate expires.
In the bookmaker’s line, it is placed with the number 0. This is a bet on the victory of one of the insured teams.?In case of a tie, there will be a return with odds of 1.
An example?.?Match of the Russian Super League “Gazprom Yugra” – “Neftyanik”.
F (0) in volleyball
In terms of points or sets, there is no zero handicap in volleyball.?In this case, we are betting on the number of blocks per match and are waiting for the victory of Gazprom Yugra.?If teams make the same number of blocks, the stake will be refunded to the account.
According to the method of calculation, bookmakers divide handicaps into two types:
Fractional odds: +0.5, -1.5, +2.5;
Integer handicaps: 0, -1, +2.
Betting on fractional handicaps has only two possible outcomes: win or lose.?When choosing integer odds, we can also count on a draw, that is, on a return with odds of 1.
As an example, we took the Polish Women’s Championship match between Bydgoszcz and LKS Kommerson. The bookmaker set a minimum odds of 1.05 on the victory of the guests in the match, but the odds are much more attractive for bets on negative handicaps:
When choosing the option F2 (-2.5), we will only be satisfied with a dry win for LKS Kommerson 3: 0, since after deducting the handicap (-2.5) the guests will remain the winners with a notional score of 0.5: 0.
But if you make a bet on Away 2 (-2), then when the score is 3: 1 in favor of the guests, the bet will be returned with odds of 1, since after deducting (-2) a draw will be counted.?This insurance is the difference in odds between the handicaps (-2.5) and (-2).
The artificial difference in advantage gives a wide range of betting options.?You can bet on a handicap both on the favorite and on the outsider.?Unlike the classic 1×2 bets, the player chooses the appropriate numerical value for a certain result.
Before betting on a favorite with a negative handicap, make sure that in the recent past he has confidently dealt with opponents who are also inferior to him.?The second important factor is the freshness of the teams.?If the outsider has had more time to rest and prepare, then it is better to refrain from betting on the favorites or consider betting on the outsider with a plus handicap.
Typically, in volleyball, the serving team has an advantage over the receiving team, and the libero position is designed to neutralize this difference.?The Libero is a free player who is responsible for defending the ball.?If the “cleaner” is in good shape among the outsiders, then his team will fight for every point on someone else’s serve.
Volleyball is a non-contact sport, and athletes receive the most injuries on the block and when playing under the net.?Some live betting strategies take this factor into account.?For example, if at the beginning of the match the attacking team is unable to interrupt the opponent’s defense, then in subsequent sets its chances of success increase.?The main thing is not to rush to take negative handicaps on the first sets.
cricket handicap bettingHow Handicap Betting in Cricket Works
This is common sense that an individual betting strategy is more valuable and profitable than the general one. Almost all betting types are applicable to almost all kinds of sports. But even here some specifications are found and should be singled out for the bettor to become more skilled and self-confident in his deal.
Handicap betting is one of those betting types which can differ from one sport to another. It is utilized in such sports as football, rugby, basketball, hockey, tennis, and cricket. But various handicap bets are included and modified in terms of the games’ rules. That’s why, the bettor can often come across other definitions like line betting, the spread, points betting, and Asian handicap.
Handicap betting is straightforward and frequently used by different bookies to maintain the ongoing event thrilling where one team is dominating the match, or where both teams are considerably mismatched from the very start. This betting type is especially exciting for those who enjoy online or live betting. As Indians are avid cricket bettors, they can use this opportunity and through https://in.parimatch.com/en/cricket-ipl/ place a cricket handicap bet on their favorite T20 World Cup, Test Cricket Match, or popular IPL. This is an amazing way to get pleasure from live streaming and earning big money by placing cricket handicap bets.
The online betting bookmaker sets a spread due to what they believe is likely to result. It’s down to the bettor to tackle whether he predicts the outcome will be higher or lower than their spread. In handicap betting, everything is always done on a higher or lower basis. That’s why handicap betting works well for certain betting markest like, for instance, the total number of runs scored in the cricket match.
The best way to understand how cricket handicap betting works is to use an example. The bookmaker’s spread might look like for an upcoming game: total goals — 1.9; 2.1. There are two numbers. The lower number, 1.9, indicates the sell price. The higher number, 2.1., indicates the buy price. So, the spread is said to be 1.9 — 2.1.
To be able to bet on this market, the bettor has to decide whether there would be less than 1.9 goals or more than 2.1. goals. It is clear that the actual number of goals will be always a whole number. But the decimals are important here when it comes to settling stakes.
If the bettor wants to place a wager on more than 2.1. goals, he would buy the spread. If he wants to place a wager on less than 1.9 goals, he would sell the spread. Anytime he wants to buy or sell the spread, it is directed to ?opening a position?. Once the bettor gets to this stage, it’s time for him to think about how much money he wants to wager. The result of the wager depends on the total number of goals scored in a cricket match.
Keeping in mind these two numbers offered by the bookmaker for a certain cricket match, the bettor can choose two specific ways to place handicap bets. He can either wager on a heavy favorite to win at improved odds or bet on slight underdogs and make a handicap that shifts the match balance to their favor.
Whatever way the bettor chooses, he needs to explore the market thoroughly and express good knowledge of each combating side whilst using the cricket handicap betting.
cricket handicap bettingIs handicap betting available on sports other than cricket?
Handicap betting needs a good strategy in order to be effective. It is not good enough to simply look at the favourite and back them with any handicap that takes your fancy. If the handicap you choose is too big, you may ruin your chances of seeing your bet win. However, if you your handicap is too small, you could miss out on bigger winnings. Below, we have complied a number of factors you should take into account whenever you look to use the handicap betting market.
Researching can help you to understand why the bookmakers have priced teams a certain way. Examine the odds, such as who the favourites and underdogs are, along with which way most bettors are going and the past performances of the teams in question.
As with many other cricket betting markets, the format of the game you are betting on will alter the way you should bet. Handicap betting in cricket is no different. While backing the favourite with a -20.5 run handicap in a T20 match can be a pretty good bet, it may not be a big enough handicap in a 50-over game where, for example, you may back a side -51.5.
Knowing the format you are betting on will affect how you bet.?It can also have a big impact on how much profit you stand to make and how often you win, especially if you are betting on ODI cricket with a T20 mindset.
As mentioned in the research section, looking at the teams and how they have played in the past will give you a good idea of how the next contest might go. For example, if New Zealand are playing Bangladesh in a five-match ODI series and they have won the first three by 100 runs or more, their current form would indicate yet another victory over their upcoming opponents. With this in mind, backing the Black Caps with a big handicap could be a shrewd bet.
However, bear in mind that choosing to back a side based on their current form can be risky, as any number of factors could see a players struggle in an upcoming game.?These factors could include a certain stadium, a missing player, the format of the match, whether the game is in a high-pressure tournament event or right at the end of a series that a team has already won. Any of these elements could affect how relevant the head-to-head stats will be.
Every team has a star player – or players. Betting on the handicap market can often hinge on how these players perform, and which way the match is tilting.
Example: If Ben Stokes is at the crease with England five down and still needing 250 to win, everyone will know that the batsman has the ability to lead a comeback. There can therefore be good value in slapping a handicap on England of +20.5 runs, meaning that, if they lose by less than 20 runs or win, then your bet will come in.
Knowing that a team still has players that can niftily turn around a situation can be the difference between nailing a bet or otherwise.
This piece of advice is applicable right across the sports betting scene. When you bet on the biggest leagues and tournaments in the world, you can rest assured that bookmakers will have taken up a lot of time and resources into researching the players and the teams. This means that different markets will be fairly well-priced, while the favourites will often offer little real value.
In the smaller leagues, though, bookies are less likely to have spent as many of their resources, meaning you can find bigger odds-on games that are a mismatch. For example, the Afghanistan Premier League will not be as well-researched as the IPL, meaning that you are more likely to get better odds on the favourite winning a match or the title than you would for?Indian Premier League betting.
Working out what constitutes a good handicap to apply is very important in this market. Backing the favourite with a massive handicap may offer good odds, but you should question whether they will be able to win by enough to see your bet come in. Similarly, while an underdog may offer good value with a smaller handicap, you should ask yourself whether they can keep the match close enough to see your wager come in.
Having a good knowledge of both teams can help you predict whether a batting collapse is on the cards, or if a side will keep their opponents on their toes. It can also help you make more enlightened choices when it comes to handicap betting, preventing you from cricket handicap bettingIs handicap betting available on sports other than cricket? making bets that are very unlikely to pay off.