In the world of cricket and sports betting, handicap bets are becoming more and more popular throughout the industry. This betting market provides one team with a theoretical advantage over the other in the hopes of making the odds more even for both teams. With handicaps being used for the match results, runs and wickets, there are plenty of interesting elements to learn about throughout cricket handicap betting that you can use to make the most of your cricket betting.
Here, we are going to go through all of the elements you would need to know about handicap cricket betting, whether that be how you place the bets, what the bets mean and how you can use them throughout your value betting strategy to make the most of your sports betting.
What Is Handicap Betting In Cricket?
Handicap betting is now something that we see across plenty of different sports, as it will give one side or player a theoretical headstart, whether that be in overall points or specific points like wickets or runs. By giving one side a theoretical headstart, this means that the selection can lose in real life, but with the handicap applied, the selection is not at a loss due to the applied handicap. The handicap betting system is typically used when a heavy favourite comes up against a lower-ranked team, as the handicap can even affect the odds between the teams. The cricket handicap betting system is not the only handicap betting system seen throughout sports, as there are plenty of other handicaps we go through in our matched betting blog.
When one of the top sides comes up against a lower-ranked team, the handicap betting system can be used to either give the team considered an underdog a better chance, or to bet on the favourite to win by plenty of points. With cricket betting becoming more and more popular throughout sports betting, we have our very own cricket betting guide available, which will go through all the aspects you will need to know about cricket betting. Here, we are going to show real examples of cricket handicap betting that are found at bookmakers.
We are using an example from the T20 Blast; however, the handicap betting system in cricket can be found across loads of different tournaments, such as international series like the Ashes.
Now that we have given a brief overview of what the handicap betting system is, we are going to look at how it works in cricket betting and what different forms it comes in.
How Do Cricket Handicap Bets Work?
When we are trying to understand how handicap bets work throughout cricket, there are a couple of different ways they can operate. However, they all have the same principle, which is that one side gets an advantage over the other.
There are two main ways to think about handicap bets and how they work; these two ways can be used to visualise handicap bets and help you understand exactly how each different bet works.
- Points are adjusted before the game begins: For example, using the earlier example, we can see that Durham has -7.5 runs. This means that Durham starts the match down by 7.5 runs in this bet.
- Points are adjusted after the game finishes – Let’s say Durham finished the match with 12 runs. If you placed a handicap bet of -7.5 runs for Durham, you would have to take 7.5 away from 12 to find out how many runs Durham made according to the bet. In this example, Durham would finish the match with 4.5 runs.
As cricket games can end in draws, most bookmakers do not allow for 3-way handicap betting, as most of them use a decimal place to ensure there are no ties throughout the fixtures. This is similar to Asian handicap betting, and if you are interested in learning more, you can check out our Asian handicap betting guide.
| Handicap | Outcome Needed For the Bet To Be Successful |
| Durham +7.5 Runs | Durham to score more runs or lose by fewer than a 7-run deficit to their opponent |
| Durham -7.5 Runs | Durham is to score 8 more runs than their opponent |
As we can see here, the decimal place ensures that there are no ties throughout this betting, as it is not possible to make half a run in cricket. If you are looking for other types of betting options, we have plenty of different examples available on our matched betting blog.
Just like other betting selections, you are able to place handicap bets on different types of selections, whether it be runs or wickets.
Cricket Handicap Betting Examples
Cricket handicap bets can come in a wide variety of different ways, so it is important to understand what these different bets mean and how they can be used throughout your betting strategy.
Here is an example from Bet365, which shows the handicaps that are available throughout the T20 Blast fixture of Kent and Gloucestershire. As you can see, both selections offer the same odds, which are not too favourable, and this is because the matchups suit these handicaps, meaning it is quite likely for these to happen compared to other selections.
Here is an example from Major League Cricket in the USA. We can see that the odds are higher for Seattle Orcas, as they will be the underdogs compared to their opponents. By using the handicap betting system, we can create better odds compared to traditional betting selections like Outright Win markets.
By using this specific example, we can see that Seattle Orcas would start with a +3.5 wickets and +9.5 runs advantage compared to New York. This means New York would need to beat the Orcas by 4 wickets and 10 runs.
Using the Major League Cricket example, let’s go through the different results of the match and what bets would be successful throughout the match.
| Handicap | Match Outcome |
| MI New York -3.5 Wkts/-9.5 Runs | ML New York must win by 4 Wickets and 10 Runs compared to the Orcas |
| Seattle Orcas +3.5 Wkts/ +9.5 Runs | Seattle Orcas must get more wickets and runs, or lose by no less than 3 wickets and 9 runs. |
As we can see here, the Seattle Orcas can lose by wickets and runs and still come out on top through the bet due to the handicap. Whilst the handicap can be altered in some scenarios, this will directly affect the odds greatly and can either make the odds more favourable or less favourable, depending on how they change. This can sometimes make the margin too great, meaning a team will realistically not be able to overcome the handicap, meaning research is highly recommended throughout this form of betting.
It is important to remember that different types of handicap betting can be available throughout cricket betting. For example, there are run and wicket handicaps, but there can also be match handicaps, which include the scoreline from the game.
How To Use The Cricket Handicap
When looking to use the Cricket handicap, it is important to find matches which benefit from the handicap system, as some fixtures might not. Whilst the handicap betting system is not something that we use throughout matched betting, it is something that can be extremely viable throughout sports betting.
Here, we are going to give you some quick tips which can be useful throughout cricket handicap betting, ensuring you are making wise and informed decisions.
- Do Your Research – By researching how different teams perform and how players are currently performing, you can make the most informed decisions when placing your handicap bets. This is not only a great tip for handicap betting, but for sports betting in general.
- Check For Rotation – Unlike football, rotation of players is not that common in cricket. However, throughout the season, some players are dropped to help prevent injuries and fatigue. This can affect the team’s scoring ability and needs to be checked before placing any handicap bets.
- Backing The Favourite – Whilst many people look to use the handicap betting system to give the underdog an advantage, we can also use it if we think the favourite is going to dominate the match and win by plenty of points. Obviously, you should only place this bet if you think the team will win by a huge margin.
Cricket Handicap Vs Other Handicaps
Cricket handicap betting is quite similar to some other handicap betting markets, due to the fact that cricket is a team sport, meaning this selection is similar to football handicap betting. Unlike sports like Tennis and Golf, the team aspect means that upsets are not as common as in other sports, yet they can still occur throughout cricket.
Due to the decimal places used throughout the cricket handicaps, draws cannot occur in these handicap bets, which is beneficial as there are only 2 ways to place bets instead of 3 ways.
Here, we are going to look at the positives and negatives of cricket handicap betting, so you can use them to decide whether you want to try using cricket handicap bets.
✅Can be used to even the odds
✅Handicap bets can be used frequently throughout different cricket matches
✅No draws or ties available
❌Requires plenty of strategy and research
❌Can be more complicated than other strategies
❌Not every bookmaker offers these bets
Cricket Handicap FAQs
As cricket handicap betting can be quite confusing, we have looked at some of the most frequently asked questions when it comes to the cricket handicap.
Where Can I Find Cricket Handicap Bets?
To find cricket handicap bets, you must first find a bookmaker that offers cricket handicap bets, and then you can navigate the site to find the particular section. By using the example of Bet365, you must first find the ‘Cricket’ section, which is found on the left-hand side of the screen.
Then, you must select the fixture that you want to place your bet on, and by clicking on ‘Match’ at the top of the navigation, you can find the match betting selections. Here, you can see the match handicap option, which showcases the different handicap bets available.
How Is The Cricket Handicap Betting Selection Different To The Asian Handicap Betting System?
Asian handicap betting does not allow for draws as it uses decimal places; however, if you do place a bet on a full number and it is a draw, your stake will be returned. In traditional handicap betting, there are either no draws, or your stake is not returned. This affects the odds that are offered, as Asian handicap betting offers less risk compared to traditional cricket handicap betting.
Why Is Cricket Handicap Betting Popular?
Cricket handicap betting has become more popular as it allows you to give one side an advantage. This means that when there are selections that heavily favour one side, you can use the handicap betting system to change the odds by giving one side a theoretical advantage before play.
