Handicap betting tips and tricks- A full guide

In this article we want to show you what handicap betting is all about, how it works and how you can use it successfully! Concrete examples and strategic considerations should of course not be missing about handicap bet from our BetandSlots sports handicappers who provide to you their best handicap tips. In this article you will find out why handicapped betting is an alternative way to bet on sports.

You can follow BetandSlots to check our free handicapper picks. Daily our best sports handicappers aren’t just experts in betting, but real pros and they analyse dozens of games and bring to you the best soccer handicap predictions.

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The 4 best bookmakers for your Handicap predictions

There are thousands of bookmakers to choose from and place your wager, but here we ranked the top online bookies according to their free bet offers and gambling options. Remember to read through terms and conditions of each offer before accepting it! Check out the Betandslots rankings and the best free bets in the table below:

RANKING	BOOKMAKER	FREEBET ON OFFER	MIN. DEPOSIT	PLAY NOW
1	MelBet	Bet €10 and get a Free €30	€10	Free Bet
2	Bettilt	On your first deposit get a Free €30 Bet	€15	Free Bet
3	EnergyBet	Bet €10 and get €10	€10	Free Bet
4	BetPat	Bet €10 and get a Free €10 Bet	€10	Free Bet

Our latest successful handicap predictions

Handicap bet explained

Handicap football betting it’s the most popular among other sports but it’s becoming more and more popular also in basketball, tennis, handball, American Football – NFL, hockey – NHL, even in eSports. So, what is this kind of bet? In the field of sports, it is generally understood to mean the following: A point or goal advantage for the less powerful participants as a compensation for the stronger.

What does this mean in football betting? In simple words the weakest team gets a virtual goal(s) lead. Usually the weakest team gets a virtual head start, just for betting reasons. It can be one goal or more goals advantage.

For a better understanding, here is a played through example for a bet in which the visiting team has a one goal lead (the match starts with the score being 0-1). You will find this kind of bet as “Home Team (-1)” which means the home team starts the match with a disadvantage:

• If the actual final result is 2-0, the handicap result is 2-1. So if you have bet on a home win (-1) you won your bet.
• In case the final result is 1-0, it means that the handicap result is 1-1.
• If the final result is a goalless draw (0-0), for your handicap bet it means that the visiting team won (0-1)

Whether you add the goal or goals for the underdog or subtract it from the favorites makes no difference – the outcome or the game principle remains the same. That means, for example, whether the final result of 2-1 is turned into 1-1 or 2-2 does not matter – the handicap result is so and so a tie.

Why to select handicap betting?

Handicap betting was introduced for a simple reason: Especially in matches where there is a clear favorite or underdog, the odds for a victory for the favored team are extremely low. Cup games of a 1st division team against a lower-class team or international matches like Germany against Malta or Spain against Lichtenstein are examples of big favorites.

Such sports bets are then not particularly attractive for both the bookmaker and the sports bettor. This is now counteracted with a simple trick: by giving the outsider a decisive advantage in the form of a goal overhang receives, the chances of success of the winning candidate are artificially lowered and the odds into the air driven. In this way, honest odds become lucrative.

Also note that online bookmakers have the option to tease punters with great odds, offering multiple handicaps on the same match! Let’s see an example: For the NBA basketball game between Los Angeles Clippers and Boston Celtics bookies believe that the home team has and advantage and the straight betting odds offered are 1.3 for a home win and 3.1 for the away win. At the same time the sports betting site offers players the chance for much greater odds. And this is how it works for the most of the top betting sites in the market:

Modern handicap options

Home Win (-9.5) 2.4	Away Win (+9.5) 1.55
Home Win (-9) 2.3	Away Win (+9) 1.58
Home Win (-8.5) 2.2	Away Win (+8.5) 1.64
Home Win (-8) 2.1	Away Win (+8) 1.68
Home Win (-7.5) 2.08	Away Win (+7.5) 1.73
Home Win (-7) 2.01	Away Win (+7) 1.78
Home Win (-6.5) 1.94	Away Win (+6.5) 1.84
Home Win (-6) 1.9	Away Win (+6) 1.9
Home Win (-5.5) 1.83	Away Win (+5.5) 1.95
Home Win (-5) 1.76	Away Win (+5) 2
Home Win (-4.5) 1.71	Away Win (+4.5) 2.1
Home Win (-4) 1.65	Away Win (+4) 2.2
Home Win (-3.5) 1.61	Away Win (+3.5) 2.3
Home Win (-3) 1.56	Away Win (+3) 2.4
Home Win (-2.5) 1.53	Away Win (+2.5)2.47
Home Win (-2) 1.47	Away Win (+2) 2.63

This is how it works

In contrast, the odds for the supposed outsider naturally decrease. Let’s take a closer look at a random Italian Cup game between Avellino and Juventus – in the 3 way handicap shown, Avellino has a 1-0 or 2-0 lead.

• Normal Bet (without handicap)
  • 1 odds 10.50 | X odds 5.80 | 2 odds 1.20

• Handicap bet 1-0
  • 1 odds 3.60 | X odds 3.80 | 2 odds 1.75

• Handicap bet 2-0
  • 1 odds 2.00 | X odds 4.10 | 2 odds 2.75

So if you are expecting a big win for Juventus, you should definitely consider the handicap bet type. So much for the original idea of this type of bet. In the meantime, there is also the option of giving the favorites a handicap bonus for many events and matches. In addition to the options 0-1 or 0-2, the variants 1-0 and 2-0 can also be set. This selection can be especially useful in balanced encounters and is particularly useful in such cases.

With many betting providers, however, this breadth of options is already part of the standard repertoire and is also available for unequal games. The betting odds on the favored team, which is then additionally equipped with a bonus, then of course rattle into the basement.

Betting strategies for your handicap bet

In this chapter we want to present you with several strategic considerations that you can make with this betting market. The handicap bet is most often used when it comes to a major favorite which bookmakers only provide with extremely low odds. In this case its opponent receives either a small or a large disadvantage and the betting odds become more attractive. 

Here is another popular handicap betting strategy: You can achieve big wins placing your stakes on a handicap draw (X) if you predict a close win. In addition to expected draw games, cup games or international matches are particularly suitable here. Because in these encounters it can often happen that the favored team does not play with the best squad and spares the most important regular players. Or, it also happens that sometimes the outsider is simply underestimated.

Handicap bet examples

Cup games in particular are notorious for being able to develop their own dynamic. Away games in particular can be extremely tough for the favorite and can only just be won. Let’s take a look at the clash between Bayer Leverkusen and Union Berlin in the DFB Cup. Let’s assume you are expecting a close home win for Leverkusen, who are in the mid positions in the Bundesliga against the in good shape acting Union – with one goal advantage. Therefore you decide to place a handicap bet 0-1 on a draw – Union Berlin will be credited with a goal. Here are the different odds depending on the betting format:

Result

bet tip 1 | Odds 1.30

Handicap bet 0-1

Tip X | Odds 4.00

Let’s assume you are right and Leverkusen win the game by 2-1. The handicap result would therefore be 2-2 , i.e. a draw. In an application of 10 euros with this strategy you could, instead of 3 euros, whopping 30 euros profit achieved. You should be aware that there is of course a greater risk with this tactic. Before you bet on a draw with a conventional outcome bet, you should also check whether a handicap +/- 1 offers better odds! But first of all – this is only extremely rarely the case.

Live Handicap bets

Handicap bet is particularly popular with live bets, especially in the halftime / full time betting format. Here, the bookmaker reacts to half-time or intermediate results and constantly adjusts the odds. If, for example, the favorite falls behind unexpectedly early, a handicap bet is particularly attractive in many ways.

We would like to introduce one of many scenarios in more detail: Assuming the contender for victory is soon 0-1 behind and you then decide on a 0-1 handicap on X: That means the favorite should now score at least two goals and win by one goal so that the bet is considered won, which is not unlikely. In such cases, the betting odds can be unexpectedly high. It goes without saying that you always need a bit of luck in such scenarios. But if you have a good nose for it, it can pay off twice or three times if you win!

BetandSlots: the best predictions site

Don’t forget to check the odds at our selected bookmakers and the best bookmakers! BetandSlots can be your perfect guide in online entertainment and is maybe the most accurate and top prediction site! Here you will also find free tips and predictions on the following betting markets:

• BTTS: Both Teams To Score (Goal-Goal/No Goal)
• Under/Over
• Under/Over 0.5 goals at Half Time
• Double Chance (1X, X2, 12)
• Draw No Bet (DNB)
• Under/Over 1.5 goals
• Under/Over 2.5 goals
• Correct score prediction
• Total Goals (goal range) tips
• Win to Nil
• Single Bets
• Accumulator Bet
• Half time / Full time
• Draw predictions – Bet on ties
• Handicap bet
• Total Goals

In the above list you won’t find just football tips, but also free predictions on Basketball, Tennis, Ice Hockey, Horse Racing, Handball, American Football, eSports, Formula 1, and Greyhound Racing.

Betandslots isn’t focused just on football betting and football predictions, but our experts offer free picks tips predictions on most popular sports!

Handicap betting FAQ