Handicap betting

Handicap betting is a betting option used to level the playing field between two sides in a sports match, whilst simultaneously evening the odds offered on both sides in the contest. Handicaps reflect the bookmaker’s rating of each team in a football match. A team with a poor record will effectively be given a head start by the bookmaker, with additional goals added to its final score, whereas a form team will have goals subtracted from its final score.

Handicap betting example
William Hill offers a handicap betting market on a match between Andorra and England in a World Cup qualifier. England is priced at 10/11 at a handicap of -2, while at Andorra is priced at 13/5 with a +2 goal advantage in the handicap betting market.

If a punter bets on England winning the match in this market, and England win the match by 3 or more goals the bet will pay out at the specified odds. If Andorra win the match, or lose by less than 2 goals they will pay out at their specified odds in the handicap betting market.