Handicap betting adds excitement to points based sports betting and is common on many major sports like football, basketball, hockey, tennis and so on. It is quite common to find handicap betting in racing type of sports, especially horse racing.
As a bettor in Canada you will find many top rated online sports betting sites that cater for handicap betting on all your favourite sports. If you are a beginner to sports betting or even simply to handicap betting, it is vital that you have a solid understanding of what handicap betting is and how it works because interpreting the odds is key to effective betting.
The Importance of Understanding Handicaps
Before placing any handicap bets you must have a good understanding of what they entail and what is on offer. Some sports have a larger point spread which means there are multiple types and options for handicap bets.
This type of betting is designed to allow the online sports betting sites to make a profit while bettors still have the opportunity of winning. It is never as simple as betting on the favourites or the underdogs because the odds calculated between the two teams are considered.
Some teams may have equal odds of winning which will result in the away team gaining the extra points and the home being handicapped.
What a Handicap Bet Is
Handicap bets were created by bookmakers to even out point scores and give a wider range for betting and allow the underdogs an opportunity to be bet on. When it is clear that one team is favoured by a large margin over the other team, the online sports betting site will allow handicap bets which essentially give the underdog a head start. This is done to prevent every bettor from betting on one side of the fence.
These extra points given to the underdogs are calculated into the final point score, which can lead to you winning regardless of whether the team won the game.
An example of this is placing a 0-3 handicap bet on a game between team one and team two. At the end of the game the point score is 2-0 which is results in a score of 2-3 with the handicap bet taken into account. If you had bet on team two to win then you win the bet because their ultimate score is higher.
How Handicap Bet Pay Outs Work
Canadian bettors, whether beginners or experts, will typically be paid out the same amounts regardless of whether team one or team two was bet on. The pay outs are paid according to what the final score and the handicap score is and what the value of the bet is.
This is unlike other types of bets such as money line bets which pay out significantly less than the bet when betting on the favourites and significantly more than the bet when betting on the underdog.
Handicap betting does however become quite involved and complex so it is wise to do all you can to increase your winning chances so that you can enjoy a pay out.