Sports betting on a win, draw or defeat should be familiar even to the laymen of the scene. However, online bookmakers are far from stopping there. Especially the more professional bettors not infrequently prefer the handicap bets. What exactly is hidden behind this betting option? In the following guide, we want to explain the handicaps transparently.
The handicap bet – explanation
The name handicap already describes the betting market very well. An athlete or a team enters the game with a theoretical handicap. In practice, this means that an advantage is already added to the opponent at kickoff.
For example, the handicap bet can look like this:
FC Bayern Munich – Hannover 96 0:2
In betting terms, this means that the German champion is already trailing by two goals from the first minute. If we now assume that the sports bettor is betting on FC Bayern Munich to win, this means that the Reds must win by at least a three-goal margin. For example, if the match ends with a 2:0, a 3:1 or a 4:2 – then a draw would have been the right bet. If the FCB keeps the upper hand with only one goal, then the bet on Hannover 96 would have won.
The Asian handicaps
The Asian handicaps generally pursue the goal of putting both teams or athletes approximately on a level. The balance is adjusted so that the chance of winning is approximately 50:50. The betting odds therefore always level out between 1.8 and 1.9 depending on the payout key from the bookmaker.
The European Handicaps
The European handicap bets are much more flexible. The bookmakers offer the offers in the most different versions. Customers have several options to choose the appropriate betting variant with the desired odds level. Some of the offers are very, very attractive.
Below we have worked out a concrete example for the handicaps. For this purpose, we have selected the Bundesliga match between FC Bayern Munich and FC Ingolstadt 04. Logically, the host is house-high favorite. The sports betting provider Betway offers the following odds:
- Victory FC Bayern Munich: 1.083
- Draw: 11,00
- Away win: 21,00
Top provider for handicap betting
20Bet: The betting provider is primarily aimed at the sports betting experienced. The handicaps not only take up a huge space in the betting program, but they are even ahead of the conventional offers in terms of presentation.
Betway: One of the sports betting market leaders naturally also has a very sophisticated handicap section to offer. Particularly noteworthy at this point are the stable betting odds, which hardly drop even shortly before the start of the match.
Bet3000: Bet3000 is currently not only probably the most popular German bookmaker, but also an absolute soccer specialist – handicaps included. Bets at the domestic bookie can be placed online tax-free.
ZodiacBet: The first-class bookmaker has made a sensational start. The bookmaker is in the major soccer leagues with over 500 special bets per game at the start. The logical consequence is, of course, countless handicap versions.
22bet: The international top bookmaker works with a very extensive betting offer and can consistently inspire with a high odds key. In the top leagues, 22bet works with a mathematical payout approach of over 96 percent.
Who is the best handicap bookmaker?
The question about the best bookmaker for handicap betting is actually already answered with a look at the table above – Bet3000. The traditional German bookmaker presents itself exceedingly strong in this section. The betting odds are unparalleled in many cases. Hardly any other bookie can hold a candle to Bet3000 when it comes to handicaps.
However, there is another plus point that speaks very much for the betting provider. All bets at Bet3000 are tax-free! You heard right: there are no fees and no betting tax. Hardly any other bookmaker offers this for its customers residing in Germany. In addition, there is a first-class bonus offer.
The field of application of the handicaps
Handicap bets are of course ideal for getting the most out of the favorite odds. Our example between FC Bayern Munich and FC Ingolstadt 04 shows very clearly that a bet on a three-pointer by the host is not worthwhile – provided with an appropriate handicap, the odds offer then looks much friendlier.
