Handicap Betting: A Guide for South African Punters

HANDICAP BETTING: A GUIDE FOR SOUTH AFRICAN BETTORS

• WHAT IS HANDICAP BETTING?
• HOW HANDICAP BETTING WORKS
• HANDICAP BETTING IN OTHER SPORTS
• CRICKET
• TENNIS
• BENEFITS OF HANDICAP BETTING
• HOW TO PLACE HANDICAP BETS IN SOUTH AFRICA
• HANDICAP BETTING WITH LOTTOLAND!

WHAT IS HANDICAP BETTING?

Handicap betting assigns an advantage or disadvantage to teams in a match to balance the odds and provide more competitive sports betting options. This market is particularly useful in games with a clear favourite and underdog, where traditional Win/Draw/Win markets might not offer much value. When placing a handicap bet you will initally see two  main options:

1. Positive Handicaps (+): These give the selected team an advantage, such as +2, meaning they start the match with a two-goal lead.
2. Negative Handicaps (-): These assign the selected team a disadvantage, such as -1, requiring them to win by more than one goal to cover the handicap.

Handicap betting differs from markets like Over/Under Betting as it focuses only on the adjusted result of the match. Whereas Over/Under bets rely on the total number of points or goals scored, handicap betting relies solely on the match result, adjusted for your selected handicap.

HOW HANDICAP BETTING WORKS

While handicap betting can used in many different sports, two of the most popular are rugby and soccer. To best explain how handicap betting works in practice, lets look at some theorectical rugby and soccer bets. 

Consider a soccer bet for a PSL game between Mamelodi Sundowns and a lower-ranked team. If you bet on Sundowns with a -1 handicap, they must win by more than one goal for your bet to succeed. On the otherhand, betting on the underdog with a +2 handicap means your bet wins if they lose by no more than one goal, draw, or win outright.

For rugby betting, lets take the example of a match involving the Springboks against a weaker opponent. You might see a handicap of -15 for the Springboks which means that for your bet to win, the Springboks need to win by more than 15 points. Handicap betting in rugby often involves larger numbers due to the high-scoring nature of the game.

HANDICAP BETTING IN OTHER SPORTS

Handicap betting isn't limited to soccer and rugby. It applies to a wide range of sports, in particular cricket and tennis.

CRICKET

Handicap betting in cricket can involve runs or wickets. For example, in a T20 match, you might see a handicap of -20 runs for a strong batting team. To win this bet, the team must score 20 more runs than the adjusted target. Similarly, in ODIs, betting on a team with a +1.5 wickets handicap means they must lose by fewer than two wickets or win outright for your bet to succeed.

TENNIS

Handicap tennis bets often revolves around games or sets. For example, a handicap of -4.5 games means the favourite must win by at least five more games than their opponent. This is may be of particular interest in matches with clear favourites, offering a greater variety of odds.

BENEFITS OF HANDICAP BETTING

One of the main advantages of handicap betting is that it creates more balanced odds, especially in matches where there is a clear favorite. Instead of settling for low odds on a strong team, punters can find more value in markets where a handicap is applied. 

In addition to this, while it may require a little bit more research than the traditional Win-Draw-Win bet, handicap bets do not require a specific result to occur which makes it a more flexible option than Correct Score Betting.

Finally, by adding a handicap to the bet, punters are typically offered higher odds. This is due to the fact that the handicap adds an extra layer of risk to the bet, but this risk is rewarded with potentially higher payouts.

HOW TO PLACE HANDICAP BETS IN SOUTH AFRICA

1. Register an account with Lottoland.
2. Navigate to the sport and match you wish to bet on
3. Select the handicap option for you bet.
4. Enter and con firm your stake and wait for the result!

HANDICAP BETTING WITH LOTTOLAND!

Handicap betting offers South African punters a different way to enjoy matches, providing balanced odds and the potential for higher payouts. We hope that by now understanding its mechanics, you can feel confident in pacing handicap bets. Ready to get started? Register with Lottoland today!