The differences between the European and the Asian handicap

The handicap is always in the limelight when it comes to sports betting. What many people do not know, however, is that there are two different types of this selection. That is, there is the European handicap and the Asian handicap. The difference between them is another issue that generates doubts, especially for those who are starting in this area. Does one of them have more advantages? What changes between one and the other?

This article will help you understand how European and Asian handicaps work. There are considerable differences between both, and one of them has good advantages for most punters. We will also show that this type of choice is not only about results, contrary to what many people think. Check out how not to get confused and make the best use of this type of selection that is so well known.

How the european handicap works

In large parts of the most popular bookmakers, the European handicap is often referred to only as a handicap or by the acronym EH. In this type of market, we only see whole numbers. In other words, the awarding or not of an advantage is only done with -1, +1, -2, +2, and so on. For this reason, it is simpler to understand how it works. After all, it is something like ‘8 or 80’.

In a practical example, if the selection made in a football match is for the home team -1, that team needs to win by two goals difference or more. In other words, any result below this will cause the bet to be lost. Unlike Asian odds, as we will explain better in the following paragraphs, in the European handicap, there is no return of the amount invested. This is the main difference between the two and makes many consider the first one more attractive.

What about asian odds?

Unlike the European handicap, Asian odds (also indicated with the acronym AH) are a little more complex to understand. At the same time, they also offer many more advantages to the bettors. This is because this type of option has a much wider variety of options. While in the first of them, for example, there are only whole numbers, the lines are broken here. That is, there are choices of -0.25, -0.5, -0.75, -1, +1, +0.75, and so on.

But what does this line break represent? We won’t linger and tell you what each means, but we point you to another Betarena article that details these numbers. The most important thing to know is the possibilities this offers.

In Asian handicapping, it is possible to have winning bets, some with half the amount won, others with half of the invested being received back, and those fully returned. Of course, some will be lost. However, with so many other alternatives, the chances of the latter happening seem smaller, don’t they?

How not to get confused with the handicap

Many bookmakers do not clarify if the handicap offered there is the European or the Asian one. As mentioned above, the houses that provide the Asian odds always refer to them with this term or, at most, with the acronym AH. This is advantageous for them. After all, especially with options with whole numbers, it is easy to get confused. So how can this be avoided?

In Bet365, for example, each event has a specific section, very well indicated with the term ‘Asian odds.’ There, you can find all the handicap options that are offered. Among them are the most famous, those referring to the results. It is also found choices referring to the number of goals, corners, and even cards. After all, yes, there are several statistics covered by this market! Start studying them with a little more dedication, and you will see that it is possible to find several valuable bets in this medium.