European Handicap Betting

In the world of sports betting, there are hundreds of markets to choose from, and European handicap is one of them. European handicap betting provides good returns to punters who thoughtfully and carefully place bets on individual athletes and sports teams (read this – betting with crypto).

As one of the most popular betting markets, handicap European allows bettors to level the difference between any two competing sides which are of different capabilities and quality. 

While handicap European is among the most popular and profitable types of sports wagers, many gamblers still don’t understand them. The good news is that, in this guide, you’ll find information about the different types of handicaps available, including European handicap and Asian handicap. Let’s start with the European handicap betting.

Also known as a 3-way handicap or spread betting, European handicap in betting is a type of bet that consists of three outcomes, which are: draw, a home win and success of the away team. All these outcomes feature conditional initial scores.

Of all the types of handicap wagers available in sports betting, European is the oldest, and all leading sportsbooks allow punters to choose this market. European handicap prioritises the weaker side, making it difficult for the favourite team to match up the advantage. The bet raises the risk while improving the betting odds value.

Many players love Euro handicap in betting since the returns are significantly higher if their wagers succeed. European and other types of handicap wagers can be used in different disciplines of sport, ranging from global sports such as football, volleyball, basketball and handball betting to popular American sports like American football, hockey and baseball.

Prior to having a look at some of the European handicap examples, it is important to know the types available. There’re three types of European handicaps, which include:

The weaker side with the advantage is the first illustration. Football bookmakers give the weaker team a heads-up that the stronger side must level up and be able to surpass to get the maximum betting odds.

Soccer markets provide the weaker team scores based on the strength. The stronger team must be able to equal the goal advantage for an outscore or a draw to win the wager. Bettors on European handicap 1 widely use the three Euro handicap wagers since they’re easy to understand.

Handicap 2 betting includes a stronger side with the handicap disadvantage. The favourite team starts with a negative and level up to zero for a draw. For a favourite team to win, it must score more goals. As the stronger side scores, it levels up, surpassing the advantage that the sportsbook offers.

The main feature that differentiates European handicaps and Asian handicaps is the draw. A draw applies if the favourite team equals the advantage set by the bookmaker. To get the draw, the stronger team must be able to win the game with the scores equalling the advantage.

Getting any other outcome means that the wager is lost. It’s the least popular handicap wager because it has fewer selections than the other two bets.

For instance, a match between the winners of the 2020/2021 Champions League, Chelsea and Malmo, in group H. It’s quite obvious that Chelsea is a huge favourite. An example of the handicap market would look like this:

Chelsea (-1) = 1.60 in betting odds

Draw (-1) = 3.90 in betting odds

Malmo (+1) = 4.20 in betting odds

The wager that wins depends on the choice that you have decided on inside the market. That means if you choose Chelsea (-1) and it wins by a minimum of two goals, your bet wins. But if Chelsea wins by a single goal difference, your bet loses. Examples of winning score lines would be Chelsea winning 4-2, 3-1, 2-0, etc.

If Chelsea wins by one goal, the selection of a draw (-1) wins. In simple terms, you are simply placing a wager on the stronger team to win by a margin of one goal. Winning score lines, in this case, are 3-2, 2-1, 1-0, etc.

On the other hand, if the weaker team wins or draws the game, then the Malmo (+1) bet wins. Note that if Chelsea wins by a single goal, your bet will lose.

Using the European handicap bettting is, in fact, trying to enhance the offered odds for certain wagers on favourites. But you should keep in mind that all games with a huge odds difference aren’t the same. And that means you need to have the best European handicap betting strategy in order to increase your chances of winning. The best strategy includes things such as:

• Better betting odds

• Excellent research about team performances, injuries and suspensions

• Taking advantage of sportsbook bonuses and promotions like enhanced odds

• Signing up with recommended betting sites

The most noticeable way in which the Asian handicap differs from the Euro handicap betting is that it provides punters with the draw option. The Asian handicap includes only two possible outcomes, and if the wager ends in a draw, the punter’s stake is refunded.

With the example provided above, if Chelsea wins the game by one goal, neither wager wins, and the bookmaker would return the stakes of bettors. Due to this, Asian handicaps are in most cases quoted in half-scores which eliminates the draw. 

On the other hand, betting European handicap are often quoted in whole scores. Also, it’s fair to say that Euro handicap betting is simple to understand compared to Asian handicap that has numerous varieties, including whole-ball, half-ball and quarter-ball handicaps. Some bettors love to place Asian handicaps since they only have two options to choose from. 

As with all areas of sports betting, deciding the type of handicap to use is a matter of preference and weighing up the one that blends smoothly with your gaming style. Many sports bettors choose to place bets on European Handicap in order to take advantage of the main difference, which is the draw result. That means they wager on the stronger team to cover the exact amount of handicap offer and enjoy higher odds.