3-Way Handicap In Soccer Betting
When it comes to soccer betting, several matches take place all the time, where the participating teams aren't evenly matched. Every now and again, a top-flight club meets a clear underdog, and the outcome couldn't be more one-sided - Juventus Vs. Chievo, Barcelona Vs. Levante, you know how the story goes. With fixtures such as these, predicting the winning team is easy, so picking a team to bet on is straightforward.
So bookmakers have devised a way to make things more interesting - handicap betting.
What Is Handicap Betting?
Handicap bets are a famous market across all sports, especially in soccer betting. Mostly it evens out the playing field. The bookmaker “handicaps” the favorite team, giving them a disadvantage and the underdog a head start, which makes picking a team to bet on all that more difficult. It isn't enough that the favorite wins the match, they have to score a certain number of goals predetermined by the bookmaker for your wager to be profitable if you bet on them. For the underdog to come out on top, all they have to is win, or lose by a certain margin.
There are two types of handicap bets - two-way handicap betting, also known as the Asian handicap, and three-way handicap betting, also known as the European handicap. (Understand all betting types in the market with this infographic)
What Is A Three-Way Handicap?
Three-way handicap betting or the European Handicap is a more interesting take on the traditional 1X2 market.
You can place a bet on the stronger team, who have been handicapped by a goal disadvantage, or you can wager on the weaker team, who have been given a goal advantage, and you even have the option to put your money on a draw, a choice you don't have with Asian handicap betting. Here's an example of putting things in perspective.
1: PSG (-2) – 1.55X: Draw (-2) – 3.452: Monaco (+2) – 3.90
In this case, Paris Saint Germain is the superior team, so they've been allotted a -2 handicap. If you were to bet on them, they would have to win this match by 2 or more goals for you to make a profit. If you were to put your money on a draw, PSG would have to win by two goals. If you bet on the underdog, Monaco, who have been given a positive handicap, they must either win, draw the match, or lose by one goal for you to win the bet.
Summary
To become a successful punter first you need to understand each betting type to find the value in it. You can learn more about betting help, guide and strategies to become a successful punter in this recommended video series by Betnaked, an online casino blog.- Q: What is 3 Way Handicap In Soccer Betting?
With a 3-way handicap in soccer betting, this bet is mostly used to level the playing field when a strong favorite meets an underdog.
Betting on your favorite with a handicap in soccer means that the match starts with a hypothetical goal down. So, for your bet to be successful, the favorite needs to win by at least two-goal difference. You can also bet the opposite way round, giving an advantage of one or more goals to the underdog, betting that they won’t lose by a bigger margin.
Finally, you can bet X here too, so the favorite will win exactly by the number of goals offered in a handicap. - Q: What Does 2 Way Handicap Mean?
A safer version of a 3-way handicap, the 2-way handicap is one favorite for many professional bettors when they’re putting their money on football.
The 2-way handicap eliminates a draw as an option, and there are only two possible outcomes for this bet. If you have a -1.0 handicap on a favorite, a two-goal or a bigger win for your team means profit, a one-goal win returns your money, while a draw or a loss means that the bet is a losing one. - Q: What Does Handicap Draw Mean?
A handicap draw is the riskier option when betting on a handicap outcome in a football match. Basically, you’re betting on a favorite to win by an exact margin of goals provided by the handicap offered by your bookie.
So, let’s say Barcelona are facing Eibar at home. If the offered handicap for Barcelona is at -3.0, betting a draw here means that you’re putting your money on Barca winning by exactly a three-goal margin. The odds for this bet are usually large because they carry so much risk with them. - Q: What Does +0.5 In Handicap Mean?
The +0.5 handicap is a form of a two-way handicap commonly used amongst professional bettors.
In this case, the home side is given a “half a goal” advantage, so if you put your money on the home side, your bet is winning with a draw or the home team winning. This bet is most commonly used when the home team is a slight underdog, and you’re counting on their ability to keep the favored visitors at bay. The ideal situation is to bet on a team with a good home record. - Q: What Does +1.5 In Handicap Mean?
The +1.5 handicap is another very popular variation of a two-way handicap where you’re betting on a home team winning, drawing, or losing by a single goal margin. Defeat by two goals or more means that this bet is losing.
Obviously, the home team is a big underdog in this case, but there is a way to take advantage of this bet, and that’s when the home team is traditionally strong in their own stadium with loud crowds carrying their team. You can also think about betting on the away team winning by a two-goal or a bigger margin with this bet.
