An Asian Handicap bet works like a point spread. You make a bet on the expected score difference. Unlike the point spread, some Asian Handicap lines include quarter goal increments like 0.25 or 0.75. A quarter goal line means half your wager goes against a line 0.25 above and the other half against a line 0.25 below. Each half wager wins or loses based on the game’s final outcome.
Sports betting sites commonly offer both Asian Handicap goal and total bets. You can find a detailed discussion of this concept inside our soccer betting tutorial.
The Asian Handicap gives bettors more room for error. It’s a great alternative to riskier moneyline or total bets on soccer and hockey games.
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Asian Handicap Bet
The Asian Handicap works the same whether it’s for the goal line or goal total. A bet against a whole number of half goal line – like 1 or 2.5 – wins or loses like any other point spread or total bet. Only quarter point lines result in half your wager going against the nearest half-point lines above and below.
Example Favorite Lines
- A -0.5 line means the favorite must win by 1 or more goals.
- A -1.5 line means the favorite must win by 2 or more goals.
- A -1.25 line means half your wager goes against the favorite to win by 1 goal. The other half is for the favorite to win by 1.5 goals.
Example Underdog Lines
- A +0.5 line means the underdog must win outright or draw. A tie score means the underdog lost by less than 1 goal.
- A +1.5 line means the underdog must win outright, draw, or not lose by more than 1 goal.
- A +1.25 line means half your wager goes against the underdog to win, draw, or not lose by more than 1 goal. The other half is for the underdog to win outright or not lose by more than 1.5 goals.
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Asian Handicap Sports
Most US sports betting sites offer Asian Handicaps for low-scoring sports like soccer and NHL hockey.
This bet is popular among fans of European soccer leagues like the English Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Champions League, and Serie A.
Example
Let’s use odds from a Champions League soccer game to explain the Asian Handicap.
- Manchester United +1.25 -115
- AC Milan -1.25 -105
Picking either side to win means your bet will be split against each half-goal closest to 1.25. That means half your wager goes against 1 and the other half against 1.5.
A $20 bet becomes 2 separate $10 wagers. One goes against the lower line, 1. The goes other against the higher line, 1.5. Another common Asian handicap line is 1.75. In this case, half your wager would go against 1.5 and the other half 2.
Asian Handicap Odds
Odds for an Asian Handicap bet work just like any other wager. When you bet a 0.25 or 0.75, the odds indicate risk and win amounts for each half wager.
Consider the example above for Manchester United +1.25 -115. Half of a $20 wager is $10. Each $10 has -115 odds. That means a winning $10 wager would pay $8.70.
Here’s another way to think about it: $20 at -115 pays $17.40. Half of $17.40 is $8.70, the win amount for each $10 wager.
Example Favorite -1.25 -105 Outcomes
Risk $20 to win $19.05. $10 goes against AC Milan by -1, the other $10.00 against AC Milan by -1.5.
| Winning Margin | -1 Line | -1.5 Line |
|---|---|---|
| 0 (or lose outright) | Lose ½ Bet | Lose ½ Bet |
| 1 | Push ½ Bet $10.00 Refunded | Lose ½ Bet |
| 2 (or more) | Win ½ Bet Win $9.52 | Win ½ Bet Win Win $9.52 |
Example Underdog +1.25 -115 Outcomes
Risk $20 to win $17.40. $10 goes against Manchester United by +1, the other $10.00 against Manchester United by +1.5.
| Losing Margin | +1 Line | +1.5 Line |
|---|---|---|
| 0 (or win outright) | Win ½ Bet Win $8.70 | Win ½ Bet Win $8.70 |
| 1 | Push ½ Bet $8.70 Refunded | Win ½ Bet Win $8.70 |
| 2 (or more) | Lose ½ Bet | Lose ½ Bet |
Outcomes
The following summarizes the result of Asian Handicap wagers with quarter point lines:
- Favorite bettors win if the winning margin is greater than both lines. Half their bet is refunded if the score difference ties one line. They lose the other half bet on the line that’s less than the score difference. Favorite bettors lose both bets if the final score difference is less than both lines.
- Underdog bettors win if their team wins outright. Underdog bettors also win if the losing margin is less than both lines. Half their bet is refunded if the score difference ties one line. They win the other half bet on the line that’s less than the score difference. The lose both bets if the final score difference is greater than both lines.
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How to Place an Asian Handicap Bet
Time needed: 1 minute
How to Place an Asian Handicap Bet
- Review the line
Review each side’s line. Whole number and half point lines work like a normal point spread. A quarter point line means half your wager goes against a line 0.25 above and the other half against a line 0.25 below. A $10 wager on a 1.25 line means $5 goes against 1.5 and the other $5 against 1.
- Review the odds
Minus values indicate how much you risk to win $100, while plus values indicate how much you win if you risk $100. -110 for a 1.5 line means you risk $110 to win $100. -110 for a 2.25 line means you risk $55 to win $50 against 2.5 and $55 to win $50 against 2.
- Handicap the wager
Decide which side is most likely to win. Analyze the game just like you would for any other moneyline or total bet. Remember that this wager is less risky than a 2-way or 3-way moneyline, as you’ll have more room for error.
- Choose either side
Pick either side to win.
- Your bet wins if you picked the correct result
Your bet wins if you picked the correct outcome. Note that a wager against a whole number line – like 1 or 2 – may push depending on the game’s result. The sportsbook will refund any full or half wager that pushes the Asian Handicap line.
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FAQs
An Asian Handicap bet works like a point spread. You make a bet on the expected score difference. Unlike the point spread, some Asian Handicap lines include quarter goal increments like 0.25 or 0.75. A quarter goal line means half your wager goes against a line 0.25 above and the other half against a line 0.25 below. Each half wager wins or loses based on the game’s final outcome.
Your bet wins if you picked the correct team outcome.
A wager against a whole number line – like 1 or 2 – may push depending on the game’s result. The sportsbook will refund any full or half wager that pushes the Asian Handicap line.
A 1.5 Asian Handicap works just like a point spread. The full wager goes against either the favorite at -1.5 or the underdog at +1.5 A 1.25 Asian Handicap means half your wager is split against 1 and 1.5. Half a bet on the favorite would go against -1 and the other half against -1.5. Half a bet on the underdog would go against +1 and the other half against +1.5.
Most US sports betting sites offer Asian Handicap lines for soccer and NHL hockey.
Sports Betting Lessons
- What + and – mean in betting
- What +125 and -125 odds mean
- What +1000 and -1000 odds mean
- +2.5 and -2.5 point spread
- +7 and -7 point spread
- 3 Game Parlay Bet Payout
- 5 Game Parlay Bet Payout
- 3-Way Moneyline
- +1.5 and -1.5 run line
- +1.5 and -1.5 puck line
- PK Point Spread Line
- Asian Handicap Lines
- What a Push Means
- Alternate Betting Lines
- “No Action” Bet
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Sports Betting Resources
- How to Read Sports Betting Odds – Our helpful tutorial explains what the numbers mean for point spread, moneyline, total, and Asian Handicap bets.
- Sports Betting Questions and Answers – Common sports betting questions and answers, a simple quick reference for beginners.
- Sports Betting vs Casino Gambling – Learn how sportsbooks and casinos make money, and the important differences between each business model.
- How to Read NFL Odds – Short and sweet guide to NFL point spreads, totals, and moneylines. We’ve got live example bets from upcoming NFL matchups.
- Point Spread Bet – Understanding the point spread is key to betting on football and basketball. Learn how the point spread bet works with our tutorial video and text.
- Over-Under Total Bet – Bet over or under the sportsbook’s line. We explain how to place this bet with easy examples, a video, and text explainer.
- Moneyline Bet – Whether it’s a 2-way or 3-way moneyline, we’ve got you covered. Moneylines are available for almost every major sport league, including football, basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer, tennis, and combat sports.
- Teaser Bet – A teaser is a modified parlay that lets you buy points to shift point spread and total lines in your favor. Our fun tutorial video and detailed text article explain how to place this bet.
- If Bet Win-Only – Sequence multiple bets together in an if-then sequence. Your next bet only sees action if the previous one wins. Ideal for bettors with small bankrolls.
- Futures Bet – We explain what a futures bet is, how it works, and when to bet on a future sporting event. Common futures bets include the winners of the Super Bowl, Final Four, Stanley Cup, World Series, and NBA Finals.
- Parlay Bet – Combine multiple selections into one bet that returns a huge payout if all your selections were correct. We explain how parlay bets work and provide common parlay payout tables.
- Progressive Parlay Bet – Also known as a “Close Call Parlay”, this parlay variant can win even if one or more of selections lose. Our article describes this bet in detail.
- Parlay Card Betting – Parlay cards are issued by major sportsbooks midweek, allowing bettors to make multiple point spread, total, and prop bet selections that can return big payouts. Not to be confused with an “off the board” parlay!
- Prop Bets – We explain what a prop bet is, how to place a prop bet, and provide an expansive list of sports leagues with plenty of props to bet on right now.