Football Handicap Betting Explained

The football handicap betting strategy is a way of placing stakes on fixtures where the bettor believes play will be dominated by one side in particular. Used particularly when a top team comes up against a struggling side, this handicap football betting method has become very popular with knowledgeable bettors because of its odds and relative simplicity. Here at OddsMonkey, we have discussed the football handicap betting system before in our football betting guide, yet we will go into more detail about how the handicap system works and what makes it so popular.

What Is A Handicap In Football Betting?

The handicap market in football betting can offer both a positive and a negative handicap to teams in a fixture. This means that the selected team with a handicap will have to lose by fewer goals or win by more, depending on the selection made. It might not sound very clear at first, but OddsMonkey has all the guides, tools, and tips that bettors can use.

The ‘+’ in football handicap betting provides 1 or more hypothetical goals to a team, which is added to their final score for the bet. For example, if the final score was 2-2 in a football fixture, but there was a +1 handicap on a team, then this bet could be classified as successful as the other team failed to overcome their handicap by scoring 2 goals.

The ‘-’ football handicap betting provides a hypothetical deficit of 1 or more goals to the time. This will require the team in question to win by a greater margin than whatever the ‘-’ handicap provides and will offer greater odds for the handicapped selection. 

The concept of handicap betting makes a fixture more even so that no team has an advantage over the other. The favourite will have to win by a higher margin, and the underdog will be given a hypothetical lead, which can change the odds of a team winning or losing. For those who understand the golf handicap system, which involves worse players being given more shots, the football handicap system is similar. There is also the Asian handicap, which is slightly different, yet we have another piece that goes into more detail at our extremely useful OddsMonkey matched betting blog!

The Asian handicap symbol features .5 handicaps, which removes the potential for the bet to result in a tie, whereas the European football handicap betting strategy normally relates to whole numbers such as +1 or -1.

Why Is Football Handicap Betting So Popular?

The handicap betting markets for football fixtures are incredibly popular in the industry for a number of different reasons. One of the reasons is due to the simplicity of the bet, as the selections are made on the team you think will win. Unlike matched betting, which requires a back and lay bet, or cover bets, which are used to minimise losses, handicap bets are simply used to bet on the selection they think will win. 

Another reason for the popularity is that it allows followers of teams to back their side, no matter how badly they are expected to perform. For example, if the team they are supporting is expected to get dominated, they can place a +3 handicap bet on their team to theoretically give them an advantage!

Calculating Football Handicap Betting

Newcomers to handicap football betting may want to spend more time calculating the odds on offer from these stakes and weighing up if the handicap is worth betting on. 

If you are looking for a way of checking the odds included in handicap football betting, the range of useful OddsMonkey betting odds calculators available on-site can be extremely handy! These tools can be used to see the potential payout based on the odds of their football handicap betting and the stakes they are willing to place on play.

Football Handicap Betting In Matched Betting

Not only does OddsMonkey have different tips that can be used for football handicap betting, but there are other betting markets on which OddsMonkey has guides, such as the wide range of sports betting guides that are available. Whether you are looking to bet on individual fixtures, competitions or leagues, these guides can be essential for those who are looking to make the most of their betting.

Using both the football handicap betting system and the different matched betting techniques can give bettors more markets on which to place bets! If bettors are looking for more markets to place bets on or to create matched bets, users of the OddsMonkey site can check out the many different guides available.