Asian Handicaps in Football Betting

Asian handicaps are one of the newest ways that players can place a bet on a football game. It’s not an entirely new way of betting; it was in the early 2000s that it started to come to prominence. It’s a method of betting that is available at all of the best New Jersey online sportsbook sites and is pretty much available everywhere. So, what exactly are Asian handicaps, and how can you use them to increase your football betting options?

What is an Asian Handicap?

An Asian handicap is available at the majority of online sportsbooks. It is essentially giving a handicap to one of the teams that are involved in the game on which you are betting. That is to do one of two things. Firstly, it could be used to increase the odds if you’re betting on the red hot favorite in a game; secondly, it could be used to increase the chances of a winning bet on an underdog. The way that it works makes it simple for players to make a bet more appealing. 

Despite the name, you can add either a negative or positive handicap. If you choose a negative handicap, then this will give your chosen team a negative points total at the start of the game – for the purpose of your bet, of course, not in the actual game. That means that for the team to win, they will have to win by more points than the number you chose. By doing this, you will increase the odds available for that team to win. It is an excellent way to get a bigger payout on a side that is favorite. 

If you choose a positive handicap, then the team you have selected will start with some points already in place. That will decrease the odds of that team winning, but if you are placing a bet on an underdog, then it will give you a higher chance of winning the bet. To win, the team you have chosen has to make sure that they lose by less than the total of points you chose. 

What values are available?

In the NFL, you can place Asian Handicap bets on several different games. The typical values are split up in three different ways. +/-0.5, +/-0.25 or +/-1.0. That doesn’t mean that you can only place these three different values, just that the increments are split up by the three values. So you could place a +1.75 Asian Handicap, or you could place a -3.5 Asian Handicap. There are very few limits on the wagers you can place. 

This is a great way to add value to a wager. Especially if you want to wager on the favorite but feel that the odds are too low, by the same token, you can also then place a wager on the underdog without having to worry about the team losing. The use of Asian Handicaps allows bettors to add value to a bet without having to do much research.