What is Handicap in Betting Basketball?

2024/07/26

Handicap betting removes the imbalance between the strengths and expected results of the two playing teams. It works by introducing a point differential or handicap to the scores of each team before starting the match. In this scenario, a favorite or strong team has to win by a great margin to win the bet. Let us understand what is Handicap in betting basketball from an example.

For example, in a PBA match between TNT and Hotshot, TNT is a stronger team, and Hotshot struggles to win the match in the whole event. The betting platform will add a handicap of -5 to the TNT team score before the match starts.

So TNT will start its score from 5 points down; on the other hand, Hotshot will get a +5 handicap, which means they will start their score from 5 points down. Now one can place the bet on a specific team-winning score, remembering in his mind the handicap score.

What is Handicap in Betting Basketball?

Types of Handicap Betting:

There are two different types of handicap bets in the basketball market. Here is a brief description of both types in our sports betting guide.

Functional Handicap Bet:

In fractional handicap betting for basketball, you either win or lose, and there is no in-between situation. This is because handicaps come in halves. As we know, basketball scores are whole numbers; there is no chance of a tie, so it is a win-or-lose situation.

For example, in a match between Hotshots and TNT, Magnolia Hotshots wins 80-77, and you bet on TNT with a +2.5 handicap. So, you lose the bet because, when you add the handicap, TNT does not score enough points. So, with fractional handicaps, there are only two scenarios either you win or lose, with no room for a draw or refunds.

Integer Handicap Bet:

In this type of betting handicap, 3-way betting is introduced, where three possible outcomes are possible with a chance to get your money back.

Considering the example that we discussed earlier, if you go for TNT with a +3.0 point handicap and Magnolia Hotshots wins 80-77, your bet will end up as a tie.

So, if you bet on Magnolia Hotshots to win, they have to win by more than 3 points. If they only win by 2 points, you will lose your bet. It means this is more like predicting the score difference, and if it doesn't match up, you might lose your bet on the match.

Popularity of handicap betting

Handicap betting is very popular among sports bettors for several reasons:

  • They offer a wider variety of betting options, allowing punters to find interesting and potentially lucrative opportunities.
  • They help reduce risk by adjusting the balance between teams and thus creating fairer betting conditions.
  • They make events less predictable by giving an advantage to the lower ranked team or player, which provides bettors with a more challenging and exciting betting experience.

Risks associated with handicap betting

Despite its popularity, handicap betting presents certain risks and it is important to know What is Handicap in betting basketball and risks associated with it?

  • The accuracy of the handicaps awarded can vary from bookmaker to bookmaker, so it is important to carefully analyse the offers in order to maximise your chances of success.
  • Handicap betting often requires taking into account a greater number of factors than straight bets, such as past statistics, current form and specific match conditions.
  • When betting on an event with a very tight spread, the risk level increases. In these situations, it is crucial to have a thorough knowledge of the teams and players involved in order to make an informed choice.

Tips for Using Handicap Betting Effectively

To get the most out of handicap betting, here are some tips and sports betting guides:

  1. Conduct a thorough analysis of teams, players, statistics and trends before making a decision. Information is the key to success in sports betting.
  2. Be flexible and feel free to explore different handicap types, such as Asian or European handicaps, to find the one that suits you best.
  3. Compare offers from different bookmakers to make sure you are getting the best possible handicap and odds.
  4. Keep in mind that the skill level of teams and players may vary depending on external circumstances, such as injuries, weather or commitments in other competitions. Take this into account when making your betting decisions.


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Effective Basketball Betting Tips & Strategies

If one wants to earn great money from betting on basketball games,. Here are some sports betting guides and tips that can help a bettor maximize the chance of winning bets.

  • First of all, a bettor needs to have a compound knowledge of the basketball game, such as game rules, point scoring, game positions, Point scoring types, squad strengths, playing 6, and fouls.
  • PBA holds different types of competitions, including the Commissioner Cup and the Governor’s Cup. Before betting during these competitions, you need to know the rules of the games and how they work.
  • Make thorough research about the individual players of both teams, such as their performances in different competitions, winning contributions, scores, and different relevant records.
  • It will be an affecting factor to go through the head-to-head record of both teams in the previous matches in different competitions. It will provide informed data such as the strength and the weekends of both teams, along with the winning advantage of one team over the other.
  • Keep an eye on the current status of the player, such as inquiries, forms of the player, and other stats, through newspapers or other platforms.
  • Listen to the analysts and game experts to get complete information about a game, such as winning predictions and team formations.
  • For any team in any sport, home advantage plays a vital role in winning a game, so along with other details, get attached to such information.
  • In betting, there are chances of both losing and winning, so keep in mind that you can afford the loss in the worst situations. So it is necessary to manage your budget before placing a bet on your favorite team.
  • As mentioned earlier, there are different types of betting in a basketball game. So keep your budget managed and aligned and find which betting suits your budget

The abovementioned basketball betting guides and information will help you place a successful bet during the basketball match. So it is important to have thorough knowledge about, what is Handicap in betting basketball, overall betting systems, and game theory.

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