what is handicap in football

In football, handicap refers to a type of bet that evens up the chances of both teams winning a specific event. This is achieved by giving one side an advantage, such as an extra goal or more points. Handicap betting is used to level the playing field between two teams that are not evenly matched. It is a way for betting sites to add or remove goals/points to manipulate one teams advantage or disadvantage over the other. For example, in a match between two teams, the bookmaker may give a virtual advantage to the weaker team and a virtual disadvantage to the stronger side. Handicaps are displayed in brackets after the name of the team, and when a handicap is a decimal number, its called a "no draw handicap bet," effectively eliminating the possibility of a draw. Handicap betting is widely used in football and is prevalent in Asian markets. It can be an excellent way of placing bets on teams that wouldn’t normally have a chance of bringing in a winning return, as it evens up the chances of a two-way outcome.