What is the "Handicap" market and how many are there?

The Handicap market is a modality in which a team receives a fictional advantage or disadvantage before the start of the sporting event in order to level the chances of both sides and make the bet more balanced. There are two main types of Handicap: Asian Handicap and European Handicap.

• Asian Handicap (AH):

  • Definition: In Asian Handicap, teams receive an advantage or disadvantage based on their relative strength, rather than using a whole number of goals or points. This means there is the possibility to bet on outcomes such as win, draw, or loss with specific goal margins.

  • Example: If one team is considered a favorite over another, it may receive a negative Handicap of -1.5 goals, which means for the bet to be successful, it must win by two or more goals. On the other hand, the less favored team would receive a positive Handicap of +1.5 goals, meaning for the bet to be successful, this team can win, draw, or lose by a maximum of one goal difference.

• European Handicap (EH):

  • Definition: In European Handicap, teams receive an advantage or disadvantage in terms of whole goals or points. This type of Handicap is simpler and more straightforward than the Asian Handicap but can result in bets where there are only two options: win or lose.

  • Example: If one team is considered much superior to its opponent, it may receive a negative Handicap of -2 goals. This means for the bet to be successful, this team must win by three or more goals. On the other hand, the less favored team would receive a positive Handicap of +2 goals, meaning for the bet to be successful, this team can win, draw, or lose by a maximum of one goal difference.

Both types of Handicap are used to provide a more balanced betting experience, especially when there is a significant skill disparity between the teams involved.

It's important to note that markets are settled according to regular time, unless otherwise indicated.