What Is Asian Handicap Betting In Soccer?

In soccer, there are a great many matchups where one team is a dominant favorite over their opponent, perhaps more than in any other professional sport.

Asian Handicaps level the playing field, by “handicapping” the favorite a certain number of goals. They are functionality very similar to point spreads in American football, or run lines in baseball, right down to how they’re displayed on a sportsbook’s interface. Don’t be fooled by the fancy name, an Asian Handicap is just soccer’s version of a spread.

However, there are a few nuances that differentiate Asian Handicaps from spread bets in other sports, originating from the low-scoring nature of soccer.

Read on to learn more about how Asian Handicaps and other Asian bets work, how to bet them, and which US online sportsbooks offer them.

Asian Handicap Betting Sites

Asian Handicap Spreads Explained

In most sports, spreads are in either whole- or half-number increments. For instance, it’s common to see point spreads of -7.5 in the NFL, where the favorite must win by more than a touchdown for the bet to cash.

The main difference between so-called “normal” spreads and Asian Handicaps in soccer, is that the spread increments are smaller. Instead of half-point increments, they’re listed in quarter-point steps. For instance, an Asian Handicap might be +0.5, -0.75, or +1.25.

So why did soccer betting sites adopt the Asian Handicap format?

Soccer is an extremely low-scoring game, where a skill differential of just one half-goal is mammoth. Therefore, in order to ensure that soccer spreads have the intended effect of being an equalizer, a wider range of increments is necessary.

For perspective, there was a recent Women’s World Cup qualifier where Canada was a massive -525 moneyline favorite over the Netherlands. However, Canada -1 was listed at +110. A one-goal handicap shifted the team from an 84% implied odds favorite to a slight dog. Even at -0.5, Canada was only a small favorite.

Sportsbooks want to generate interest in every game, but betting on games with heavy moneyline favorites and huge dogs isn’t that appealing. Asian Handicaps make otherwise ho-hum affairs more watchable, and more bettable.

Asian Handicap Payouts

At first, the presence of spreads that end in .25 or .75 may feel jarring, but the only difference between regular spreads and Asian Handicaps is an added layer of payout scenarios.

If the Asian Handicap is 0, it functions just like a Draw No Bet moneyline. A bet on the outright winner cashes and all bets are refunded when there’s a draw. If the handicap isn’t 0 but ends in .0 or 0.5, then the payouts work just as they would when placing any point spread wager.

When the spread ends in .25 or .75, the wager is split between two spreads, one a quarter-point lower, and one a quarter-point higher. For instance, a $20 bet at +1.25 is really two $10 dollar bets at +1 and +1.5.

Let’s further clarify this through an example. Listed below is the Asian Handicap for a Women’s World Cup game between Japan and Costa Rica, where Japan is an enormous moneyline favorite:

Thanks to the Asian Handicap, the teams are on relatively equal footing. A $100 bet on Japan is actually two $50 bets. The first is on Japan -2.5, and the second is on Japan -3. Depending on the outcome, the payouts could do one of three different ways:

• Win/Win: If Japan wins by four goals or more, both bets win, and the payout at -115 odds is $186.96.
• Win/Push: When Japan wins by exactly 3 goals, one bet wins and the other is a push. The winning bet returns $93.48 ($50 at -115 odds), and the other $50 if refunded. The total payout is therefore $143.98, which is still a decent profit.
• Lose/Lose: If Japan loses, or wins by 1 or 2 goals, both sides of the bet lose and the return is obviously $0.

These are the only three possibilities for bets that end in -.75. What about a bet on Costa Rica at +2.75? Now the bet is split between +2.5 and +3. A Win/Win occurs when Costa Rica wins or loses by less than three goals, and a Lose/Lose occurs when they lose by 4+. Those two outcomes are possible regardless of the Asian Handicap.

However, if they lose by exactly three goals, the bet is a Lose/Push. The $50 on Costa Rica +2.5 loses, returning $0, and the $50 at +3 pushes, for a total payout of $50. The bettor loses half their stake.

In conclusion: Whenever there’s an Asian Handicap ending in .25 or .75, a win/push will be possible for one team and a lose/push for the other. There is never a scenario where both sides can win/push or lose/push.

This table sums it all up:

The Asian Handicap where the odds are closest to a coin flip is the main line. However, some sportsbooks also offer alternative handicaps. For instance, if the main line is -1.5/+1.5, then there may be alternative lines ranging from -3.5/+3.5 to +0.5/-0.5, listed in quarter-goal increments.

Asian Totals Explained

As Asian Total is very similar to an Asian Handicap, except instead of betting on a team, bettors wager on the number of goals. Just like totals in other sports, there’s one bet on the Over and another on the Under.

Take a look at the following example:

As is the case with Asian Handicaps, players that bet Over 2.25 see their wager split in two. One bet is on Over 2.5 goals, and another on Over 2 goals. If the total number of goals scored is 3+, the entire bet wins. However, when only two goals are scored, the Over 2.5 portion of the wager is graded as a loser, and Over 2 is a push. It’s a Lose/Push, and the bettor receives half their stake back.

Of course, if only one or zero goals are scored, the bet is deemed a loser and the payout is $0.

Just like Asian Handicaps, if one side of the wager is eligible to Win/Push, then the other can Lose/Push. In the above example, a bet on Under 2.25 is a Win/Push if the teams combine for exactly two goals. On a $100 wager, the bet is split into $50 on Under 2.5 and $50 on Over 2.5.

$50 on Under 2.5 would pay out $93.48 at the listed -115 odds. $50 on Under 2 would result in a draw, and the bettor would receive their stake back. The total payout is $143.48.

Sportsbooks may offer just one Asian Total for each match, or they could offer many alternative totals.

Other Forms of Asian Bets In Soccer

If a sportsbook specializes in soccer markets, then expect them to feature Asian bets that extend beyond Handicaps and Totals. Here are a few other formats that you might see:

• Asian Corners: A spread bet on which team will have the most corners in a match. In order to even out the odds, the favorite will give a certain number of corners to the underdog. Asian Corners read just like Asian Handicaps (i.e. Spain -6.25 / Zambia +6.25). A corner is awarded in soccer occurs when the entire ball passes the goal line, and was last touched by the defensive team.
• Asian Cards: This is a somewhat obscure bet on which team will commit the most card offenses, against the spread. An Asian Cards bet at +1.25 will payout in full if the team collects the same or fewer cards than the opposition. It’s a Win/Push when they collect exactly one more card than the other team, and an outright loser when they receive two or more penalty cards than their opponent.
• Derivative Asian Bets: Some sportsbooks like to get really creative with their Asian betting markets. They may offer Asian Handicaps and Totals on the first or second half, or “Up to the Xth minute” of a game.

A discussion on Asian bets in soccer wouldn’t be complete without mentioning in-play wagers. Soccer is one of the most popular sports for in-play betting, so it makes perfect sense that Asian Handicaps would be offered throughout a match.

However, there is one critical difference that bettors must be aware of before making in-play Asian Handicap or Totals wagers.

First, let’s recap how spread betting works in other sports, using football as an example.

Say the Kansas City Chiefs are winning 7-0 against the Buffalo Bills in the first quarter, and the in-play line is Chiefs -13.5. A bet on the Chiefs wins if KC prevails by two touchdowns (14 points) or more. Simple enough.

What’s important to know is that sportsbooks factor the current score into their in-play line. With the Chiefs already leading by 7, they’re saying that KC is expected to score 6.5 points more than the Bills for the duration of the game. The in-play bet is graded in accordance with the final outcome.

In soccer, when bettors place an in-play Asian Handicap, the score is effectively reset to 0-0. For instance, if Spain is playing the U.S. and jumps out to an early 2-0 lead, the Asian Handicap line does not account for Spain’s two goals. An in-play Asian Handicap of Spain -1.5 is on Spain to score two or more goals from the point that the bet was made.

Not knowing this information can lead to bettors thinking they’re getting a tremendous or even exploitive deal, when in fact they’re not.

Best Asian Handicap Betting Apps

Not every legal US online sportsbooks offer Asian bets, and some only support a few. Then there are others that are all-in on the format. Here is a look at some of the best books to place Asian Handicaps and similar wagers:

• Bet365 Sportsbook: Bet365 is a top sportsbook in European markets, so it’s only natural that there’s a heavy focus on soccer betting markets. It even has a dedicated “Asian Lines” section that contains Asian Handicaps, Totals, and Corners, as well as alternative Asian lines on select matchups. Bet365 displays its Asian lines as decimal odds, so bettors may want to brush up. It also shows fractional lines as two separate wagers. So, -1.25 would be displayed as -1.0, -1.5.
• DraftKings Sportsbook: DraftKings offers by far the most variety of Asian bets, including Handicaps, Totals, Corners, and a slew of 1st and 2nd half derivatives. It’s also bold enough to post alternative Asian Handicaps and Totals for its pregame and in-play markets, as well as “Up to Xth minute” bets.
• BetRivers Sportsbook: BetRivers only supports Asian Handicap and Totals markets, but it offers a ton of alternative lines. For instance, if the main Asian Handicap on a match is -2.25/+2.25, then BetRivers will offer alternatives ranging from -3.75/+3.75 up to -1.25/+1.25 in quarter-goal increments.

Asian Handicap Betting Tips

The vigorish on Asian Handicap bets tends to skew a bit higher compared to spread bets in football and other professional sports. However, they’re still two-way bets, and subject to lower vigorish than three-way bets or multi-option wagers like futures.

Here are a few Asian Handicap soccer betting tips to help you along your journey:

• Line shop: Soccer lines can vary pretty wildly from sportsbook to sportsbook, especially for games in smaller markets. Do yourself a favor and have at least a few different betting apps downloaded and funded. By shopping around, you ensure that you’re getting the best possible price. Also, make sure to line shop alternative Asian lines, as these tend to be more deviant than the main lines. Most sportsbooks offer lucrative sign-up bonuses to new players, which is an even greater incentive to have multiple betting options.
• Manage your bankroll: Betting Asian Handicaps instead of traditional spreads doesn’t have any impact on the house edge. However, Asian bets are subject to less variance, mainly because they’re divided into two different bets, and half the wager can push. Still, that’s no reason to double your unit size or place ill-informed in-play bets when you’re down. Practice conservative bankroll management, and set a limit on how much you’re willing to wager each day, week, or month.
• Learn the value of a 0.25 goal: In football, bettors are advised to learn the value of half-a-point. Is a point spread of -6.5 +130 better than -7 +165? It depends on the value of a half-point. Likewise, in soccer, bettors can help themselves by learning how much a quarter goal is worth. This admittedly will require some data analysis and a lot of practice. Yet, once you get it down, it’ll open up all sorts of opportunities to find edges on alternative Asian lines.

Can Asian Handicap Be Used In Parlays?

It may seem unintuitive, but yes, Asian Handicaps can be part of parlays. To illustrate how they function as part of a multiple-wager bet, let’s look at a simple example:

Say you parlay the following lines:

• New York Knicks +4.5 -110
• Kansas City Chiefs -6.5 -110
• NY Red Bulls (MLS) -1.25 -120

The parlay odds on this wager are +568, for a potential payout on a $100 wager of $668 and change.

If either the Knicks or the Chiefs don’t cover, the result of the NY Red Bulls game is irrelevant. However, let’s say they both win.

• First, $100 is wagered on the Knicks. A win pays $190.91, which is rolled over to the Chiefs game.
• $190.91 is wagered on the Chiefs, and a win pays $364.46. This amount is rolled over to the final leg on the Red Bulls.
• If the Red Bulls win by two or more goals then the parlay hits for the full $668. Of course, if the Red Bulls lose or tie, the entire parlay is graded a loss.
• When the Red Bulls win by exactly one goal is where it gets interesting. Remember, the Asian Handicap is actually two bets. In this case, half the money is on Red Bulls -1 and the other half on Red Bulls -1.5. The -1.5 is a loser so half the $364.46 ($182.23) is lost. The -1 bet pushes, so the bettor gets $182.23. The total winnings on this parlay are $82.23.

As illustrated, the beauty of Asian Handicaps in parlays is that a Lose/Push still results in bettors getting some money back, so long as the other legs win or push. They may even turn a profit, like in the example above.

Asian Handicap Betting FAQ