Asian Handicap Betting in Malaysia – How Asian Handicap Betting Works at Online Sportsbooks in MY

Asian Handicap betting is a popular form of wagering both in Malaysia and Southeast Asia, but also worldwide. Used predominantly to bet on football, the Asian Handicap is a different way to wager which involves betting on a team not just to win but to win by more than a certain number of goals.

There are other ways to bet on the Asian Handicap too, but many bettors do not understand this method of wagering. So, this Asian handicap guide will explain exactly what Asian handicap betting is, talk about handicap betting in general, as well as provide some important advice to maximise the chances of your bets being winning ones.

Asian Handicap Explained

Sports betting is on the up in Southeast Asia, with revenue predicted to reach over half a billion dollars in 2024. By comparison, the entire US market garnered nearly $11 billion in 2023. Looking at the numbers, it’s no surprise that Asian Handicap betting originated in this region. However, it was actually called Hang Cheng originally and the story goes that in the late 1990’s an Indonesian bookmaker emailed one of his UK counterparts to ask for an English name for this type of bet. He came up with “Asian Handicap” and the name stuck.

An Asian Handicap sports bet opens up more favourable wagering opportunities for punters by introducing a “handicap” for the favourite by subtracting from their final goals tally or giving the outsiders a head start. Then the team who scores the most with the handicap betting rules applied is considered to be the winner from a wagering point of view.

Here’s an example for an Asian handicap table:

The Asian Handicap is also popular as it reduces the number of outcomes you can wager on from three (Team A wins, Draw, Team B wins), to two, as the draw cannot be bet on. And the prices are always around the 2.0 mark.

And as an added bonus, if the result is a draw once your betting handicap has been taken into account, your bet will not be a losing one as your stake will be returned.

Handicap Betting in Football Explained

Handicap betting is particularly popular when it comes to football betting. This is because if one team is a heavy favourite then their price will be so low that you would have to wager a large amount to make a decent profit, whereas backing the other side would reward you with a large price but a very small chance of winning!

Handicap betting evens things out and allows you to secure a more generous price for the favourite in a particular matchup, or be able to bet on the underdog with more confidence.

Examples of Handicaps Available Online in Malaysia 

Now it’s time for a look at a few specific examples of Asian Handicap markets, using a match between English Premier League title chasers Manchester City and Arsenal as an example.

AH 0.00

This means that there is no handicap, and the match result is used to determine the outcome of the bet, with a draw leading to a void wager and your original stake back.

Manchester City -0.25 Arsenal 0.25 

When you see quarter-goal handicaps that end in .25 or .75, it means that your bet stake will be split 50/50 between two different handicaps. So for example, if you back underdogs Arsenal with a +0.25 handicap, this will cover two bets – one on the match result (handicap +0) and one on the handicap +0.5. 

If Arsenal win then both halves of the bet will be winners. If they draw then half your bet would be a winner thanks to the 0.5 goal head start they received and half your stake would be returned for the +0 part of the bet.

On the other hand, if you bet on Manchester City -0.25 then they would have to win in order for both sides of your bet to win. If they drew, half your stake would be returned for the -0/+0 bet, and the other half that was wagered on Man City -0.5 would be lost.

Manchester City -0.5 Arsenal 0.5 

This is a single bet and if you backed Arsenal then they would need to draw or win for the wager to be a winning one, as 0.5 goals would be added to their final total. 

And if you bet on Manchester City, they would have to win, as 0.5 would be deducted from their goals tally.

Manchester City -0.75 Arsenal 0.75 

This is another wager that covers two bets, one with a handicap of -0.5/+0.5 and another with a handicap of -1/+1. If you backed Man City, then they would have to win by at least two goals for both halves of your bet to be a winner. 

Should they win by a single goal, then the -1/+1 half of your bet will see your half-stake returned to you, with the -0.5/+0.5 part being a winner. And if Man City draw or lose, then both sides of your bet would fail.

Betting on Arsenal +0.75 means that any draw or Gunners victory will lead to both sides of your bet being a winner. In addition, if they lost by one goal then half your stake would be returned to you, 

Manchester City -1 Arsenal 1

This is another single bet where a bet on Man City -1 would mean they would have to win by two goals for your wager to be a winning one. Should they win by one goal, your stake would be returned and if they drew or lost, then your bet would be a losing one. 

If you bet on Arsenal, if they lost by a single goal, your stake would be returned and if they lost by more than a single goal, then your bet would lose. And the good news is that any other outcome would be a winning one!

Manchester City -1.25 Arsenal 1.25

The 1.25 handicap covers two bets – one with a handicap of 1 and the other with a handicap of 1.5. So, if you bet on Manchester City +1.25 they would need to win by two clear goals for both sides of the bet to be a winner. If they won by one goal then the -1.5 handicap bet would be a loser and you would get your stake back for the -1 handicap wager.

Betting on Arsenal +1.25 means that if they win or draw, both bets will be winners. If they lose by exactly one goal then you would win the +1.5 part of your bet and get your money back for the +1 portion of the bet.

Manchester City -1.5 Arsenal 1.5

This is another single bet and if you backed Arsenal +1.5 then they would need to draw, win or lose by exactly one goal for the wager to be a winning one, as 1.5 goals would be added to their final total. 

And if you bet on Manchester City, they would have to win by two goals or more, as 1.5 would be deducted from their goals tally.

Manchester City -1.75 Arsenal 1.75

The 1.75 handicap covers two bets – one with a handicap of 1.5 and the other with a handicap of 2. So, if you bet on Manchester City +1.75 they would need to secure victory by at least three goals for both sides of the bet to be a winner. If they won by two goals then the -1.5 handicap bet would be a winner and you would get your stake back for the -2 handicap wager. And if they won by 1 goal, drew or lost the game, both sides of the bets would be losers.

Betting on Arsenal +1.75 means that if they win, draw, or lose by exactly one goal then both bets will be winners. If they lost by exactly two goals then you would lose the +1.5 part of your bet and get your money back for the +2 portion of the bet.

Manchester City -2 Arsenal 2

Our final example is another single bet where a bet on Man City -2 would mean they would have to win by at least three goals for your wager to be a winning one. Should they win by two goals, your stake would be returned and if they drew or lost, then your bet would be a losing one. 

If you bet on Arsenal, if they lost by exactly one single goal, drew or won then you would have yourself a winning wager! Any other result and your stake would be lost.

An Overview of Handicap Bet Results

Even with our expert guidance, it can be tough to work out betting results at Asian sportsbooks, so we have created an Asian handicap chart to help you.

Types of Asian Handicap Betting Markets

You can split Asian Betting markets into three specific categories, which we have outlined in detail below.

Level Asian Handicap Betting

This type of Asian sports betting is the easiest to understand as there is no handicap! You are betting on the winner of the game just as you would normally, with the only difference being that the draw is removed as a betting option and if the match ends level your stake will be refunded.

Single Asian Handicap Betting

When it comes to this type of Asian Handicap sports bet, the favourites will be given a goal handicap which they must overcome, for example, -0.5, -.1. -1.5 or -2 goals. On the other side of the coin, the underdogs will be given a head start, so +0.5, +1, +1.5 or +2, for example.

That handicap will then be applied to the final score to generate the handicap score, which will determine the outcome of the bet. Handicaps that end in .5 can only have two possible outcomes, which is either team winning, while handicaps that are a whole number such as 1 can lead to three different outcomes, which is either team winning along with the handicap draw, which will always lead to your stake being refunded.

Check out the handicap betting table below for a full rundown!

Split Handicap Betting

The most complicated of the Asian Handicap betting rules is certainly the split handicap, where you split your stake on a team over two handicaps.

These markets are often called quarter-goal Asian Handicaps, as they are presented with .25 or .75 at the end. For example, you may choose to bet on a team with both a -0.5 and -1 handicap, which will be presented as 0.75, due to the fact that the number lies exactly in the middle of the two handicaps.

Or there could be a -1.25 handicap, which is a combination of the -1 and -1.5 handicaps.

Here’s a table to explain it further:

The Advantages & Disadvantages of Asian Handicap Betting in Sports

Just like any form of betting, there are certainly pros and cons when it comes to the Asian Handicap, so we wanted to present both sides of the coin when in comes to these types of betting markets.

Why You Should Bet on Asian Handicaps

The biggest advantage of Asian Handicap betting on football is that you are reducing the number of match result betting outcomes from three to two, as you are taking the draw out of the equation. And this means that you are increasing your chances of winning.

Furthermore, the Asian Handicap gives you a useful way to bet on a team that is heavily favoured to win a match, but at a price that is more generous than if you were to bet on them on the standard win/lose/draw markets. And if you are willing to take higher handicaps such as -2 or -3 then the Asian Handicap odds can really shoot up.

And finally, the Asian Handicap opens up new possibilities if you think that the underdog in a particular matchup can avoid defeat. And that’s because, if you bet on a team with a plus handicap you actually have multiple ways to win, which is them winning the game, drawing, or even losing by less than the head start they have been given.

Why You Shouldn’t Bet on Asian Handicaps

One of the main disadvantages when it comes to the Asian Handicap is that it can be quite difficult to understand and many bettors may be put off by the fact that you have to put a bit of work into learning about it before you even reach the stage where you can place a bet!

Furthermore, due to that complexity, there is an increased chance of misunderstanding the markets which could lead to losing bets that you expected to win, for example.

Lastly, when it comes to betting on the underdog, while your chances of winning are increased by utilising the Asian Handicap, the price you receive would not be as high as if you bet on them to win, or even draw, in the standard match result markets.

Our Top Five Asian Handicap Tips

Some of these tips will ensure you are getting the best possible Asian Handicap odds, others are related to responsible gambling and some are general tips that should apply to all forms of betting on an Asian handicap betting platform.

Most Popular Sports for Asian Handicap Betting in Malaysia

Asian handicap betting in sports is usually limited to football betting, mainly because they make a tied game (after a handicap has been applied) a push as opposed to a loss, and football is one of the few team sports globally where draws are very common and ties are not broken via extra time or some other method.

While Asian Handicap football betting is certainly the most popular type of handicap wagering in Malaysia, there are many other sports and betting sites with Asian handicap that are popular in the country where handicap betting can be utilised, such as tennis and rugby.

Football

The most-watched sport in Malaysia is undoubtedly football and that popularity extends to betting too. The English Premier League reigns supreme but boosted by a new TV deal, the homegrown Malaysian Super League should continue to go from strength to strength in the future.

The Malaysian national team is also on the up, thanks to their qualification for the Asia Cup in 2024, which will be their first appearance since 2007. And the presence of the Malay Tigers in Qatar should lead to a boost in betting revenue as millions of Malay football fans tune in and place a bet.

Tennis

Tennis development in Malaysia has been transformed in the last decade and as a result, the sport’s popularity has increased. Betting on tennis is also on the up and handicap betting is a good way to do it!

In this case, the handicap is usually applied to the number of games won, rather than sets. For example, Novak Djokovic is playing Daniil Medvedev and the bookies are anticipating a close encounter, with a +2.5 game handicap being applied to Medvedev and a -2.5 handicap to Djokovic.

The final score is a Djokovic win by a score of 5-7, 7-5, 7-6, 6-7, 6-4, meaning the total games score was 31-29 in his favour as well. However, despite winning the match, a -2.5 handicap wager on Djokovic would have been a losing bet, while a +2.5 wager on Medvedev would have been a winner.

Rugby

Rugby may not immediately spring to mind when thinking about the most popular sports in Malaysia, but it has had a steady presence in the country for over a century. The Malaysia Rugby Union was founded in 1921 and became a full member of the World Rugby governing body in 1988.

Today, there are over 300 rugby clubs and more than 600 schools that teach the sport in Malaysia, along with a variety of men’s and women’s teams that compete at home and abroad.

When it comes to standard rugby handicap betting the principles are the same as football but as you can see above, the totals are higher, due to the fact that rugby scores are much larger.

What Other Types of Handicap Bets Are Available in MY?

It’s important to remember that there are other types of handicap bets that are available, which naturally leads to the question “What is handicap betting”?

Non-Asian Handicap Betting

The main difference between normal handicap betting and Asian Handicap betting when it comes to football is that if the match result is a draw after the handicap market you have bet on has been applied, you will get your money back. If the same situation occurs in standard handicap betting then you would lose your stake.

Furthermore, the handicaps are much simpler in non-Asian Handicap betting as they are always whole numbers. And speaking of draws you can also bet on the handicap draw, so for example, if you bet on the handicap draw with the favourites having a handicap of -1, then if they win by exactly one goal your bet will be a winner.

Goals Betting

You can also take advantage of an Asian handicap betting platform system for total match goals and individual team goals.

For instance, you may see an Asian Totals market just like the one below. If you bet on “Over 2.25 Goals” then your bet will be split equally between the “Over 2 Goals” and “Over 2.5 Goals” markets. 

If there are less than two goals your entire bet will be a losing one, if there are exactly two goals you will lose one half and receive the other half back and if there are three or more goals then your entire bet will be a winner!

First Half / Second Half Betting

Most Asian handicap goals apply to the final match result but you can also bet on the first-half result and second-half result separately at some Asian handicap betting sites. 

For example, you may want to wager on Team A +0.5 just in the first half, meaning that they would need to be winning by at least one goal at half-time for your bet to be a successful one. 

Or, you could bet on that same team +1.5 in the second half, meaning that whatever the half-time score was, for betting purposes, it would be reset to 0-0 and that team would have to “win the second half” by at least two goals.

This is a particularly popular bet when your research tells you that one or both of the teams playing are quick starters, or tend to score lots of second-half goals.

Best Sportsbooks for Asian Handicap Betting in Malaysia

Now that you’ve learned all you need to know about Asian handicap betting it’s time to put your knowledge to the test. For the best odds, bonuses and special features we recommend the following online gambling sites in Malaysia.

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Conclusion

Whether you are completely new to the Asian Handicap or looking to improve your knowledge of this type of wagering, we’re confident that the information in this article will not only help you understand the intricacies of this type of handicap betting but also see the advantages of wagering in this way.

The information and advice contained within this article should also enable you to enjoy your betting experience even more and hopefully increase the amount of winning wagers you enjoy. And of course, we wish you the very best of luck on your brand-new betting journey!

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