Welcome to Parimatch — the top online gambling app in Africa. Thanks to our innovative technology, we’re making it easier for sports fanatics to bet on global sporting events from their smartphones. With our easy-to-use interface, it takes no time at all to get going with the Parimatch mobile app.
One popular wagering strategy on the Parimatch app is known as a handicap. But what is it?
The Parimatch customer care team has put together this comprehensive guide to walk you through this methodology. Breaking down the integral facets of the strategy, this rundown delves into the meaning of this concept, the principles of its works, and the situations where it’s most appropriate to use this wagering technique.
This handicap wagering guide also gives you a step-by-step tour through placing handicaps on Parimatch. We’ll give you a walk-through of our handicap market options and sports, as well as signpost your journey to placing handicaps on the Parimatch mobile app.
So, let’s get started. Here is handicap betting explained!
Contents
What Is Handicap Betting?
Handicap betting is a kind of wagering where a certain advantage in the form of a certain number of goals is given to the weaker team, or a disadvantage is applied to the stronger team.
It is a great way to balance chances between the team that win the game and the underdog in order to control the outcome you think may occur.
A handicap is placed on one team by the bookmaker. In order for the team to become a clear winner, they must overcome this virtual advantage or disadvantage or make use of it. As a bettor, it’s your job to determine the correct handicap to win your bet.
For example, imagine Leeds United playing Manchester City, and you’ll think Leeds win. Not only do you think they’ll win, you think they will win even if you took away one goal.
So, you wager on Leeds United with a negative handicap of -1. This would mean that if their match ends at 3, the final score with the handicap would be at least two goals (3-1=2). If Man City scored no goals, you’d win the handicap bet, as Leeds United would effectively win 2:0. If Man City scored one goal, you’d still win as the score would be 2:1. However, if Man City scored two goals, you’d lose the wager as the handicap score ends in a draw – 2:2, even if Leeds United scored three goals.
What’s interesting, though, is how you manipulate the handicaps to obtain better odds. For bettors, increasing the handicap makes it a higher-risk stake, but it pays off with much higher odds. This is how.
Handicap Betting: Explained in Detail
Handicap betting is a way to even out the ratios when one side is a guaranteed winner. By using a virtual deficit, bettors can work the ratios to predict the most likely outcome. Most often used to give a side a clearer chance of winning, especially if they’re the underdog, handicap betting is sometimes called “betting against the spread“.
While it may appear that you need to be an expert to give spread wagering for a go, the Parimatch mobile app is so simple to use that beginner will have no trouble getting the hang of spread stakes.
Here’s a simple explanation to get you started.
Spread stakes make wagering a little more interesting than regular gambling. It also gives bettors higher ratios because the bets are a little riskier.
Picture this. You play a tennis game against Roger Federer. He is most likely going to win every time. If someone were to stake on Federer, they would make a small profit each time. However, it would be tiny.
This is where the phrase “even the odds” comes in. Now imagine that Federer has to play with his left hand. He’s now at a disadvantage, making it more likely that the game ends in your favor. However, we’d probably still wager on Federer. Yet because it’s now harder for the professional tennis player to win, the ratios are higher, and our bet will return a bigger profit.
In this sense, a betting handicap is when a spread is placed on one side, which they must overcome to win the wager. Say, Team 1 is the favorite, and Team 2 is the underdog, and you give Team 1 a spread of (-2). Team 1 must win the match, taking into account two fewer goals. So if Team 1 wins 4:1, you would minus two goals for the handicapped final score to be 2:1. In this scenario, Team 1 still wins, and the wager pays out. However, if Team 1 had won 3:1, this would be a draw handicap bet with 1:1 in place, and the stake wouldn’t win.
How Does Handicap Betting Work?
Spread wagering may seem complicated in theory, but once you try it on the Parimatch platform, it all becomes clear. That’s why we’re going to give you some examples of spread wagering to illustrate how handicaps work in practice. This will help you to understand how to place spread stakes confidently, how to read handicap ratios, and how to calculate your potential winnings.
For the sake of ease, we’ll use the example of soccer handicap betting to simply explain how handicap betting works.
Soccer Handicap Betting Explained
The Parimatch state-of-the-art Android/iOS app offers a plethora of exciting soccer matches to place handicap bets on. Hosting pre-match, live, and virtual soccer handicap bets, the Parimatch betting app provides users with a one-stop shop for handicap soccer bets.
But how do you get started placing soccer handicap bets on Parimatch? How does soccer handicap betting work? What is the handicap meaning in a bet?
Let’s take a real soccer example. Below is a match with Manchester United (“1”) versus Liverpool (“2”). Liverpool is a clear favorite to win.
| 1 (-3) | 19.50 | |||
| 1 (-2) | 13.00 | 2 (+2) | 1.01 | |
| 1 (-1.5) | 6.40 | 2 (+1.5) | 1.09 | |
| 1 (-1) | 5.60 | 2 (+1) | 1.12 | |
| 1 (0) | 2.48 | 2 (0) | 1.53 | |
| 1 (+1) | 1.41 | 2 (-1) | 2.90 | |
| 1 (+1.5) | 1.27 | 2 (-1.5) | 3.55 | |
| 1 (+2) | 1.09 | 2 (-2) | 6.40 | |
| 1 (+2.5) | 1.07 | 2 (-2.5) | 7.20 | |
| 2 (-3) | 12.50 | |||
| 2 (-3.5) | 13.00 |
As you will notice, the outcomes look something like this: Manchester United – 1(-1.5) or Liverpool – 2 has a one-goal advantage (+1). The 1 and 2 on the outside of the brackets represent the match winner (home or away team, respectively). The numbers in the brackets represent the handicap. On the Parimatch platform, this number shows how many goals are given to the team (numbers with a “+”) or subtracted (numbers with a “-“).
So, let’s look at the table above. The top left outcome reads like this: 1(-3). This means that Manchester United (1) will win even with 3 goals taken from their score at the end. This is highly unlikely, which is why the odds are so high. However, if you bet 10,000 TZS on this outcome and a miracle happened, you’d receive a payout of 195,000 TZS with sheer winnings of 185,000 TZS.
Handicap Betting Types
At Parimatch, we’re all about providing access to a diverse and broad range of sports, betting types, and betting options. Our competitive odds on global sporting events make the Parimatch app the ideal spot to place pre-match, live, and virtual handicap bets on everything from volleyball to soccer, from cricket to American football.
But what is the handicap meaning? What are the different types of betting techniques on offer on the Parimatch platform? How do these betting strategies differ? How do different spread wagering strategies work? Here are the different spread wagering types explained.
What’s a Level Handicap Bet
The term “level handicap bet” means nobody gets extra goals or has goals deducted. In the chart above, you can see a line with “1(0)” and “2(0)” options. These are examples of a level handicap.
To win the bet, you need to select which team will score the most goals. There is no option for a draw in the bet. If a draw occurs, bets are refunded.
This way, a level handicap bet is the same as “to win” or “draw no bet“.
What is a Single Handicap Bet?
A single handicap is the basic type of a handicap bet, sometimes called a European handicap — the very same thing we discussed in the beginning. A single amount of goals are added or deducted from the score of one team, be it 1 goal or a virtual “1.5” goal. This type of handicap betting works best when there is a significant difference in strength between the two sides.
What Are Split Handicaps / Double / Asian Handicap Betting?
If you have two sides that have minimal difference between them, you may employ split wagering. The term Asian handicap means a technique used when there is a favorite and an underdog, but the gap between their competencies is small.
Let’s take the American football game between the Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots. You can see that Asian handicaps that look like this:
| 1 (-1.25) | 1.85 | 2 (+1.25) | 1.95 |
Why is there a quarter in the added/subtracted goals? This way, the Asian handicap bet is “split” between the closest half-goal options. If, in this case, you bet 10,000 TZS on the New England Patriots, it would mean your bet is split in half between 1(0) and 1(+0.5). In other words, half of your stake is on the 0-point handicap, and the other half is on the 0.5 handicap. This way, you can win and draw (win one-half of a wager) or lose and draw (lose one half of a wager).
Let’s say you bet on the Patriots. This way, half of your bet goes on Patriots to win, draw, or lose by less than 1 goal. Another half of your bet is for the Patriots to win, draw, or lose by less than 1.5 goals.
Now, in fact, the Dallas Cowboys wins over the Patriots with a 1:0 score. Half your bet would be refunded due to a handicap tie (Patriots lost by exactly one goal). The second half would win (Patriots lost by less than 1.5 goals).
So, your payout is (5,000 TZS *1.0) + (5,000 TZS *1.95) = 14,750 TZS.
How to Place Handicap Bets on Parimatch
At Parimatch, we’re proud to present our next-generation sports betting app. Stepping into the future, Parimatch brings its customers the most innovative betting experience in all of Africa directly from your smartphone. By simply downloading our easy-to-use sports betting app, you’ll have access to worldwide sporting events and a wealth of strategic betting options — directly from your fingertips.
For the beginners out there, don’t be put off. The Parimatch betting app is designed with simplicity in mind. Our sleek dashboard and intuitive interface are crafted to be user-friendly, making it more than simple to get to grips with placing handicap bets online.
If you’d like to get started today, make sure you’ve signed up for your Parimatch account.
A Brief How-To Guide to Handicap Bets on Parimatch
If you already have a Parimatch account and you’re familiar with our platform, you’ll have no trouble at all knuckling down to find handicap bets. Just like all our other sports betting options, you’ll find handicap bets in the top menu on any sporting event page.
If you need help to place your handicap bets on Parimatch, just follow these instructions:
- If you don’t already have a Parimatch betting account, you’ll need to register. The registration process is super quick and can be done by heading to the yellow “Join” button in the top right-hand corner of the Parimatch landing page. Follow the sign-up instructions to complete registration.
- Once signed up and fully registered, deposit funds into your Parimatch account in order to prepare yourself to place handicap bets.
- When topped up, decide whether you would like to place pre-match, live, or virtual sports handicap bets. For pre-match bets, head to the “Sports” section. For live handicap bets, head to “Live”, and for virtual sports handicap betting, head to “Virtual”.
- Say you wanted to place a pre-match handicap bet, you’d click “Sport”. This will give you a list of all the available sports to bet on, with the most popular tournaments and leagues at the top.
- If the tournament or league you want is there, click that. If not, click the sport you’d like to place a handicap bet on. This will lead you to a list of all the countries hosting games that you can wager against.
- Click the country in which your game is located, and a dropdown menu will appear showing all the tournaments, cups, championships, and leagues in that country.
- Select the league or cup you’re interested in. This will bring you to a screen listing all the available games in that competition or league.
- Choose the game you’d like to place a handicap bet on. This will lead you to the match screen, which showcases all the available betting options for that match.
- Find a “Handicap” category and click the bet you’d like to put on, and the box will turn highlighted. A number will also appear in your betslip.
- Once you have placed all your bets, head to the betslip to finalize your bets. All the bets you intend to place are listed on this screen. Check your bets here.
- If all your bets are entered correctly, scroll down and click the big button that says “Place bet” to finalize your bets.
Top Markets for Handicap Betting on Parimatch
The best of many bookmakers, Parimatch, is known for its unparalleled access to diversity in sports betting. Our platform provides an unprecedented array of sports to bet on, with a wide array of betting strategy options to do so. With competitive odds and a sleek Android/iOS app, Parimatch is providing an all-in-one solution for your next-generation betting needs.
When it comes to handicap betting on Parimatch, we won’t let you down. We offer handicap betting across the board, enabling users to apply this technique to their top sports in many different formats.
Parimatch Has Handicap Bets on a Wealth of Sports
Are you tennis mad? Are you a football fanatic? Perhaps you’re more into volleyball or can’t miss a basketball match? Luckily for you, the best of many bookies, Parimatch offers handicap betting on a variety of sports. These include soccer, tennis, volleyball, handball, basketball, hockey, ice hockey, and more.
Place Pre-Match, Live, or Virtual Sports Handicap Bets on Parimatch
We like our users to have access to handicap bets whenever, wherever This is why we present our customers with a variety of betting formats for placing handicap bets. If you’d like to set it and forget it, place a handicap bet before the game begins for pre-match odds. If you’d like to get in with the action, you can place live handicap bets as the matches and games are happening.
Be aware that the odds change constantly when you’re betting live. For die-hard sports betting fans, you can now place virtual sports handicap bets in our virtual betting section in the Parimatch app. This means you have handicap bets at your fingertips day and night!
Top Reasons to Choose Parimatch for Handicap Bets
Are you tired of waiting in the queue at the bookies to place a handicap bet with poor odds? When you’re limited by the selection of your local bookmakers, you’ll find that handicap betting doesn’t seem that fun. Don’t you want an all-in-one place you can go to place a plethora of handicap bets on national and international sporting events — without even leaving your seat? Of course, you do!
But the convenience and great range aren’t the only things Parimatch has to offer. Still unsure about handicap betting on Parimatch? Consider this:
- The Parimatch sports betting app is state-of-the-art software that enables you to place bets all in one place. Our quick-processing app can deal with high traffic, while our systems never crash. With top security embedded in all our software, Parimatch provides a 21st-century solution to betting online that doesn’t eat all your data, doesn’t drain your battery, and doesn’t take up too much storage. Our lightweight, sleek betting app is the ideal user-friendly tool for international sports betting directly from your IOS or Android smartphone.
- Parimatch believes in providing access to sporting events that aren’t always available on other apps. Where competitor betting companies and bookmakers offer a restricted range of handicap bets, Parimatch prides itself on offering a diversity of sports for placing handicap bets, as well as an impressive array of handicap odds.
- Parimatch loves to provide value to our customers. That’s why we create the best user experience every time you use the app. But our sleek interface and wide range of sports aren’t the only value we provide. Those placing handicap bets will notice that Parimatch has sensationally competitive odds, giving you a good chance of high potential winnings.
- At Parimatch, we believe that each customer is as important as the next. The Parimatch community is integral. That’s why our customer service team is on hand 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to provide customer care to the community, no matter the problem. Call us, email us, or pick us up on live chat.
More Betting Markets for You
Betting markets are types of bets offered to you by a bookmaker. We try to provide you with the widest selection of bet types so that you could place the most profitable wager on any upcoming event. Here is a list of betting markets on Parimatch:
- Moneyline (to win)
- 1×2 (three-way)
- Double chance
- Asian handicap
- Odd/even
- Correct score
- BTTS
- Draw
- No draw
- HT/FT
Get Handy with Handicap Bets on Parimatch
Thanks to the sleek simplicity of the Parimatch next-gen betting app, you can now satisfy all your betting purposes without all the fuss. While the handicap meaning in betting seems a little tricky to understand, to begin with, handicap betting is accessible to all levels of sports bettors. Whether you’re just starting and want to wager a handicap bet in football, or you’re slightly more experienced and are trying to play the underdog for a tennis match to win your bet, you’ll find that Parimatch has everything covered.
Not only is Parimatch able to provide users with a lightweight mobile app that makes it perfect for placing handicap bets on the go, but we also offer the most diverse range of handicap bets in all of Africa. Our online betting system means no more waiting at the bookies to place handicap bets. Instead, you simply log into Parimatch and choose between a wealth of international sports tournaments and leagues.
Hopefully, thanks to this comprehensive guide, you understand a little more about when and how to use handicap betting. Just remember, if you have a clear favorite and a clear underdog, you’ll want to place a single handicap bet. For situations where there is no difference between the two teams, you can place a level handicap bet. If there is only a slight discrepancy between the two sides, try splitting your handicap bets. Split handicap bets can be a great way to gain cumulative profit.
If you’re unsure who the favorite is, always look at the odds. Low odds mean a scenario is more likely. If there are low odds for a team to win, they’re the favorite. High odds on a team to win make them the underdog.
All in all, handicap betting is a great strategy to level the playing field in all kinds of scenarios. A little more exciting than traditional betting, some bettors simply love the strategy as it allows them to back their favorite team, compensating for the difference!
If you need more help on what handicap betting is, how it works, or how to place a handicap bet on Parimatch, don’t hesitate to get in touch. Our customer care team is on hand by phone or email 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Alternatively, you can speak to one of our team on the live chat function in the Parimatch app. Don’t have the app, download it now to start handicap betting today!
FAQ
What does +1.5 handicap mean?
+1.5 handicap in betting is a positive handicap assigned to the underdog team. The 1.5 value means that the underdog team starts with a one-and-a-half goal head start. On the other hand, -1.5 will mean that the favorite team is starting with one and a half goals down.
How do handicap bets work?
This means that the bookmaker creates a “handicap” that must be overcome for a win. In reality, it means you are betting on a team that starts the game with a “handicap” that can be an advantage or a disadvantage. For example, in soccer, the said team will have to score more goals to win against the opposing team. Another situation is when the opposing team is given a head start, so the team you bet on has to catch up.
What does it mean handicap in betting?
Handicap in betting means that a team you placed a wager on starts at a disadvantage or an advantage. This can be anything from it requiring to score more goals to win or the opposing team being given a head start on the game.