A tie, or tie, is a frequent result in soccer. In the 2008-2009 season, nearly a quarter of all Premier League matches ended in a draw. Because this outcome is so common, traditional betting generally involves betting within the context of three different outcomes: a win for one team, a draw, or a win for the other team. The “Asian handicap” is a way to change this by “hurting” the underdog by a certain percentage, which means that a draw becomes impossible.
Most handicaps are done at half or quarter intervals, which means there has to be a winner, as it is impossible to score a half or quarter goal. The purpose is to make the odds as close to 50-50 as possible and to eliminate the tie as a possible outcome. Because the odds are almost half when a handicap is applied, the payout is usually even in money or very close to it.
The main benefit is encouraging bettors to bet on games where there is a clear favorite. For example, if Manchester United (2008-2009 Premier League winner) were to play West Bromwich (the last Premier League team during the same season), few bettors would be interested in betting. This is because Manchester United are a much better team and the odds are very much in their favor.
However, if West Bromwich had a handicap of +2.5, it would mean that they would effectively start with a 2.5 goal advantage. This means that Manchester United would have to score three more goals than West Bromwich to be the winner as far as the bet is concerned. If West Bromwich scored one goal, Manchester would have to score four to win. Obviously the handicap changes the odds significantly.
An interesting aspect of the handicap is the push. If an even number is used for the handicap, and the actual score plus the handicap equals a tie, then this is a tie. For example, if in the example above, West Bromwich was given a handicap of 2 and failed to score any goals, and Manchester United only scored two goals, this would be a push. The result of a push is that all bettors receive their original bets back, as there was no winner.
The “Asian Handicap” adds an additional element to soccer betting that can be fun and profitable. This form of betting can be useful for those bettors who have a personal favorite they intend to bet on, but are not sure whether their favorite will win a particular match.