What is Handicap 1?
Handicap betting, also known as Asian Handicap or Handicap, is one of the three common types of bets.
In any match, there may not be various other bets, but Handicap bets will always have odds on the betting board.
Essentially, in Handicap bets, the bookmaker assesses the relative strength of the two teams before setting the odds. The team with a better lineup, higher class, and better form is considered the favorite (top team), while the other team is considered the underdog. In Handicap betting, the favorite gives a certain number of goals (called the handicap) to the underdog to determine the final outcome.
For example, in a match between Manchester City and Southampton, if Man City is considered stronger and is handicapped 2.0, the final result of the match is Man City 2-1 Southampton, but when adding the handicap, it becomes Man City 2-3 Southampton. This means the bet on Southampton wins.
From this concept, bettors can understand what Handicap 1 is. Wintips believes that this is a type of Handicap bet, where the top team gives the underdog a handicap of 1.0. After the match result, 1.0 is added to the underdog's score to determine the bet result.
What are the characteristics of Handicap 1?
Wintips explains that since Handicap 1 is well-defined, let's explore its characteristics in more detail.
How is Handicap 1 typically used in matches?
The answer is that Handicap 1 bets often appear in matches where the difference between the two teams is not too large, the squads are fairly balanced, and there is often a home advantage influencing the bookmaker's odds.
Handicap 1 still only has two betting options: the away team wins or the home team wins, with a 50/50 chance of winning the bet. However, players have the advantage that if the bet ends in a draw, they will receive 100% of the bet amount back from the bookmaker.
In particular, Handicap 1 bets are settled based on the full win or full loss formula, without considering half-wins or half-losses.
How to read Handicap 1 odds specifically from the betting board
On the bookmaker's betting board, Handicap 1 bets adhere to the principles of Asian Handicap odds:
Bet placement time: Can be in the First Half (H1) or the Full Time (FT).
Handicap/Asian Handicap symbol: HDP (abbreviation for Handicap).
The home team's name is on top.
The stronger team's name is in bold.
In the Handicap betting column, there are two indicators: on the left is the odds, here it is 1.0, aligned with the favorite team; on the right is the equivalent odds for each team.
How is the payout for Handicap 1 calculated?
According to conventions, there are currently three outcomes for a bet: Win – Draw – Lose.
Win: Win enough money=Bet amount x Win odds.
Lose: Lose enough money=Bet amount x Lose odds.
Draw: Receive back the amount of money placed on the bet.
Example of calculating Handicap 1 payout
In the match between Arsenal and Tottenham, Arsenal is the home team and the favorite, giving Tottenham a 1-goal handicap, calculating the result for the entire match.
Suppose a bettor places a $100 bet on Arsenal in this Handicap 1 bet. Assuming the match ends with the following results:
Arsenal 3-1 Tottenham: Win the bet, winning amount=$100 x 1=$100.
Arsenal 2-1 Tottenham: Draw the bet, get a refund.
Arsenal 1-1 Tottenham (or lose to Tottenham): Lose the bet, losing amount=$100 x -0.556=$55.6.
What about a Handicap 1 draw? Is it the same as Handicap 1?
When exploring Handicap 1, players may also come across the concept of Handicap 1 draw. So, is Handicap 1 draw the same as Handicap 1?
These two terms are indeed related, as Handicap 1 draw also refers to the favorite team giving a 1-goal handicap to the underdog.
However, Handicap draw refers to the case where, after adding the handicap to the underdog, the player's bet is considered a draw.
In the example mentioned earlier (Arsenal 2-1 Tottenham), adding 1 goal to Tottenham results in Arsenal 2-2 Tottenham, making the bet a draw.
In the case of a draw, players will receive the exact amount of money they placed on the bet.
Effective strategies for betting on Handicap 1
Wintips new bookmaker suggests some highly effective strategies for betting on Handicap 1 based on insights from experienced bettors:
Choose the team based on home – away status
According to the experience of long-time bettors, there are some handy tips for choosing a team without having to extensively research the correlation of strength between the two teams:
If the favorite team is the away team: Regardless of which side has higher odds, choose the away team for this Handicap 1 bet.
If the favorite team is the home team:
If the odds (payout) for the home team are higher: Choose the away team.
If the odds for the home team are lower: Choose the home team.
As in the example above, the odds for Arsenal are clearly twice as high as Tottenham. Therefore, choose the away team Tottenham for this bet, and at worst, you will receive the full bet amount back.
Bet based on the correlation of strength between the two teams
This is just a small tip for choosing a reasonable side in Asian Handicap bets. However, it's best to rely on the current correlation of strength and form between the two teams.
The chosen team should be the one with better form, with an impressive track record in the last 3-5 matches.
Choose a team based on the head-to-head history and home – away form
Head-to-head history between two teams is a quality indicator to compare the strength and tactical limitations of both.
Based on the head-to-head history, you can see which team has the upper hand in their encounters. This will be the team you should choose for this bet.
In addition, players should pay attention to the statistics of away form versus home form. Some teams perform well away but struggle under the psychological pressure of playing at home. This is also valuable data for effective analysis.
Use the point ratio formula to bet on Handicap 1
Wintips suggests that the football point formula is one of the most grounded tips for effective betting analysis. Players will use the home/away results and points of the away team to determine which side has the advantage in this Handicap 1 bet using the formula:
Point ratio=(A – B) x 100
Where:
A is the average points of the home team/home ground in the last 3-5 matches.
B is the average points of the away team/away in the last 3-5 matches.
It's best to use matches within the same tournament for this formula. In that case, the point difference will be between (-300 and 300). The closer to 300, bet on the home team. If it's between 0 and -300, bet on the away team.
In conclusion
Understanding what Handicap 1 is, along with effective betting skills, allows you to confidently participate in betting. Wintips believes that this is a favorable odds for bettors, with over 80% success from a draw to a win in Handicap 1 bets. Ignoring this opportunity may lead to regret later on. For more insights and recommendations, you can check out our betting site reviews.