Best Asian Bookies in 2024 – Top Asian Handicap Betting

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The Best Online Asian Handicap Betting in 2024

Welcome to our comprehensive guide to Asian handicap betting. This page will explain how Asian handicap betting works, how to place a bet, and why it is such a useful option. You will learn more about the origins of Asian handicap betting and how it compares to spread betting.

We will also highlight the best sites for Asian lines where players can get top odds for sports bets.

Everything You Need to Know About Asian Handicap Betting

This page will turn you into an expert on Asian handicap betting and you’ll soon understand how it differs from a traditional handicap line, and the flexibility it offers soccer fans. You will learn why Asian handicap betting is so popular – not just in Asia, but across the world – and the best sites for Asian lines.

Our Asian handicap betting chart will also highlight the various potential outcomes of each bet. You should therefore bookmark this page and return to it if you are ever unsure of what a particular Asian handicap line entails.

What is Asian Handicap Betting?

Traditional handicap betting on soccer is very basic. If you give a team a -1 handicap, it needs to win by two or more goals. If you give it a -2 handicap, it needs to win by 3 or more goals. If you give a team a +2 handicap, it can win, draw or lose by a single goal.

This is also known as European handicap betting, 3-way handicap betting, or handicap with tie betting, and it does not provide much flexibility when betting on a low-scoring sport like soccer.

Asian handicap betting opens up a wealth of additional possibilities. It introduces the potential for a bet to result in a push, and you can also earn a half-win or cut your potential loss in half by taking up the option for quarter goal Asian lines. The best way to explain what is Asian handicap betting is to use an example:

Asian Handicap Explained

Let’s say you want to bet on a Premier League game between Chelsea and Burnley. You think Chelsea will win the game comfortably, but the odds on the Blues winning are just -420. If you want more value, you can consider giving Chelsea a handicap. This is similar to betting on the point spread in football or basketball.

If you check out the 3-way handicap betting markets, you might find Chelsea priced at -150 to win by two or more goals, or Chelsea at +185 to win by three or more goals. You might decide the odds are too low on the first option, and that Chelsea winning by at least three goals is a little optimistic.

In that case, you can head to the Asian handicap betting section, where you will be presented with many more options.

Betting Option 1

Within this section, you would expect to find Chelsea -1.75 priced at -105. That Asian handicap line presents you with three potential outcomes:

1. Chelsea could win by three or more goals, and you would secure a full win.
2. Chelsea could win by two goals, and you would get a half-win.
3. Chelsea could win by a single goal, draw or lose, and your bet would fail.

Betting Option 2

Another option would be to bet on Chelsea with -2 Asian handicap at odds of +130. This presents the potential for the bet to result in a push. Once again, there are three potential outcomes:

1. Chelsea wins by three or more goals and your bet pays off.
2. Chelsea wins by two goals, the bet results in a push and you get your money back.
3. Chelsea loses, draws, or wins by a single goal, and your bet loses.

Betting Option 3

Yet another option would be to be on Chelsea -2.25 at odds of +155. The three potential outcomes on this Asian handicap bet would be:

1. Chelsea wins by three or more goals and your bet is successful.
2. Chelsea wins by two goals and you lose half your stake (risk amount).
3. Chelsea wins by a single goal, draws or loses, and your bet fails.

As you can see, the Asian spread gives you many more options than the standard 3-way soccer handicap betting markets.

You can also go the other way and give the other team a plus handicap. For example, you could bet on Burnley +1.25, +1.5, +1.75, +2, +2.25, and so on.

Betting Option 4

If you were to bet on Burnley +1.75 on the Asian handicap spread, you would have three potential outcomes:

1. Burnley wins the game, draws or loses by a single goal, and your bet pays off.
2. Burnley loses the game by two goals, and you incur a half-loss.
3. Burnley loses by three or more goals, and your bet fails.

The Asian handicap table further down this page highlights the various potential outcomes on each option.

Where did Asian Handicap Betting Originate?

As you would expect, Asian handicap betting originated in the world’s largest continent – specifically in Indonesia. It is known as “Hang Cheng” betting across the Indonesian archipelago.

The concept is very similar to spread betting on NFL or NBA games. The oddsmakers assess the relative strengths and weaknesses of each team, factoring in home advantage, injuries, motivation, recent results, head-to-heads, and so on. They determine which team is the favorite and which team is the underdog.

If you do not want to bet on the moneyline, you can bet on the Asian spread. This allows you to gain more value when betting on the favorite, or give your wager a better chance of success when betting on the underdog.

Hang Cheng betting took out the potential for a draw (tie) result on soccer games by having Asian lines such as -0.5, -1.5, -2.5, -3.5, +0.5, +1.5, +2.5, +3.5, and so on. It later evolved to introduce quarter-goal and full goal Asian spread lines, making it a lot more sophisticated than traditional handicap spread betting, because it provided many more possibilities for the bookmakers and the bettors.

In 1998, an Indonesian bookmaker called Joe Phan tasked journalist Joe Saumarez of Vegas Insider with translating Hang Cheng betting for a western audience. Saumarez coined the term “Asian handicap”.

The evolution of the Asian spread, with the quarter-goal and full-goal soccer handicap betting lines, helped it grow popular in the UK and Europe. It then spread to the United States, and American sports fans can now choose from a wealth of Asian spreads on soccer games in the MLS, EPL, Serie A, Liga MX, Champions League, Europa League, and other tournaments.

What are the Asian Markets Available?

The most common form of Asian handicap betting relates to the result. If you think a team will win comfortably, you can give it a goals handicap, starting at -0.25 and going all the way out to -5.5 at some Asian handicap spread betting sites.

If you think an underdog has the potential to exceed expectations, you might decide to give it a plus handicap. Once again, it tends to start at +0.25 and it can go all the way up to +5.5 or higher. It can go particularly high when there is a huge gulf in quality between two teams, such as the USMNT vs. Martinique. In that case, you would need to give the USMNT a large handicap to get any value on the game.

You can also bet on the Asian total goals line at some online sportsbooks. The concept is similar in that it introduces the potential for a push, a half-win or a half-loss.

A traditional over/under total goals line market would allow you to bet under 1.5 goals, over 1.5 goals, under 2.5 goals, over 2.5 goals, under 3.5 goals, over 3.5 goals, and so on. In each of those bets, there are just two outcomes: win or lose.

Some Asian total goals markets offer the potential for three results. For example, if you bet on over 3 goals on the Asian betting line, there are three outcomes available:

1. There are four or more goals in the match and your bet wins.
2. There are three goals in the game, your bet pushes and you get your money back.
3. There are two goals or fewer in the game and your bet loses.

Alternatively, you might bet on over 2.75 goals on the Asian betting total goals line, with three potential outcomes:

1. There are four or more goals in the match and your bet wins.
2. There are three goals in the game and you get a half-win.
3. There are two goals or fewer in the game and your bet loses.

The beauty of Asian betting is that it gives you more options, whether you bet on the result or the total goals line.

Which Bookies Offer the Best Asian Lines

These are the best online sportsbooks for soccer betting:

• BetOnline
• Bovada
• MyBookie
• BC.Game
• Everygame
• XBet
• LuckyBlock
• BetUS
• BetNow
• BUSR
• Jazz

BetOnline stands out for offering some intriguing Asian handicap lines. We should point out that BetOnline displays its quarter-goal Asian handicap lines differently to most other gambling sites.

For example, instead of -1.75, BetOnline would display the line as -1.50, -2.00. Instead of +1.25, BetOnline would display it as +1.00, +1.50. That is because you are essentially placing half your stake on one of those options and the other half of it on the second option.

BetOnline is one of the few online sportsbooks available to all US players that offer some Asian handicap lines. It also stands out for providing great bonuses, a strong user experience, quick payouts, and two super live dealer online casinos.

Asian Handicap Versus Spread Betting

Asian handicap betting is very similar to spread betting on a football or basketball game. For example, if you bet on the New York Giants -2.5 against the Dallas Cowboys, they need to win by 3 or more points for your bet to pay off. If you bet on New York -3, and the Giants win by 3 points, the result is a push, and you get your money back.

Therefore, full-goal Asian spread betting and half-goal Asian spread betting will be very familiar to fans of football and basketball. The main difference is the quarter-goal betting, which provides the option for a half-win or a half-loss. You do not see quarter-point betting on NFL or NBA sides and totals.

It is not really necessary for Asian handicap markets on high-scoring sports like football and basketball, but the spread is a very valuable tool on soccer. It would be great to see this type of betting introduced on baseball and hockey games. NHL fans can bet on the puckline, which gives a team a -1.5 or a +1.5 handicap, but it would be great to see more nuanced Asian handicap lines alongside pucklines and run lines at the top online sportsbooks.

Half Goal Asian Handicap

Soccer differs from sports like football, baseball, basketball and hockey, because there are three potential outcomes: home win, draw (tie), or away win. MLS, Premier League, Liga MX, Serie A games and so on often result in a draw.

Even if a soccer team wins in extra-time or on penalties in a knockout tournament, a bet on that team to win is settled as a loser if the game finishes as a draw after 90 minutes. That is not the case with moneyline betting on football, baseball, basketball and hockey, which factor in overtime when grading moneyline bets.

The half-goal Asian handicap line removes the potential for a draw. If you bet on New York Red Bulls -1.5 against Philadelphia Union, there are just two potential outcomes: New York wins by two or more goals and your bet succeeds, or the Red Bulls lose, draw or win by a single goal and your bet fails.

Likewise, if you bet on the Seattle Sounders +0.5 against Toronto FC, there are two outcomes: the Sounders win or draw the game and your bet pays off, or they lose and the bet fails. A bet on a team with a +0.5 handicap soccer line is also known as double chance, because you get two chances of success: the team wins or draws, and you get paid out either way.

Full Goal Asian Handicap

Full-goal Asian spread betting is a very useful handicap betting soccer option, because it presents you with the potential for your bet to push.

For example, let’s say you believe the Colorado Whitecaps can beat Real Salt Lake by two goals, but you fear the winning margin may be just a single goal. In that case, you could bet on Colorado with a -1 Asian handicap soccer line.

This presents three potential outcomes. If Colorado wins by two or more goals, your bet pays off. If it wins by a single goal, the Asian spread bet is graded as a push and you get your money back, paid in cash. If it draws or loses the game, your bet is settled as a loser.

It is also a useful tool if you think an underdog has a shot at securing a draw, but you fear it may lose by a single goal. For example, you might bet on DC United +1 against New England Revolution. If DC United wins or draws, your bet pays off. If it loses by a single goal, you get a full refund, and you only suffer a loss if New England wins by two or more goals.

The potential to push gives you a degree of insurance, which is why many soccer bettors prefer the Asian spread to the traditional handicap betting soccer lines.

Quarter Goal Asian Handicap

This is where Asian handicap odds betting gets really interesting and unique. Quarter-goal Asian spread markets introduce the possibility of earning a half-win or only suffering a half loss.

For example, let’s say you believe Liverpool will secure a reasonably comfortable victory in a Premier League game against Southampton at Anfield. You might then decide to bet on Liverpool -1.75 on the Asian handicap. Let’s say you bet $100 at odds of +150.

How does Asian handicap work in this instance? As is often the case, there are three potential outcomes:

1. Liverpool wins by three or more goals and your bet pays off. You will earn a $150 profit and get your $100 bet amount back, leaving a total return of $250.
2. Liverpool wins by two goals and you get a half-win. In that case, half of your stake ($50) is written off. The remaining $50 is graded as a successful bet at +150. That earns you a $75 profit, and a return of $125, meaning you are $25 ahead.
3. Liverpool wins by a single goal, draws or loses, and your bet fails.

If you see an Asian spread of -0.75, -1.75, -2.75, and so on, it means there is the potential for a half-win. If you see an Asian spread of -0.25, -1.25, -2.25, it means there is the possibility of a half-loss.

When it comes to a plus handicap, the opposite is true. A line of +0.25 or +1.25 gives you the potential for a half-win, whereas an Asian spread of +0.75 or +1.75 leaves the potential for a half-loss.

For example, you might find Asian handicap odds of +200 on Chicago Fire +0.75 in an away game against Atlanta United and decide to bet $100 on it. Once again, there are three possible outcomes to this bet:

1. Chicago Fire wins the game or draws, and your bet pays off. You earn a $200 profit and you get your $100 stake back, resulting in a return.
2. Chicago Fire loses the game by a single goal, meaning you lose half your stake. You are returned $50.
3. Chicago Fire loses the game by two or more goals, and your bet fails.

We could provide hundreds of examples, but hopefully, you get the picture now. The Asian handicap chart below explains the different potential outcomes on all the key Asian handicap odds betting options.

What Makes Asian Handicap Betting So Popular?

Asian handicap betting can level out the playing field, allowing the best online sportsbooks to offer odds close to +100 on either team covering. It helps you get a lot more value when betting on a favorite, or you can give an underdog a plus Asian handicap to improve your chances of success.

Half-goal Asian handicap betting is popular because it removes the potential for a draw from the equation. Full-goal Asian handicap betting is great, as it adds in the option for a bet to push, while quarter-goal betting gives you even greater flexibility.

That is the main selling point of Asian handicap betting: the sheer breadth of wagering options it provides soccer bettors. It may initially seem daunting, but we have broken it down to ensure it is easy to understand. The Asian handicap table below is a particularly useful visual aid for anyone wondering: how does Asian handicap work? What does Asian handicap mean?

Asian Handicap Chart

You can use this Asian handicap chart to quickly learn the potential outcomes on any Asian spread bet. It goes up to +2.00 and down to -2.00, as the vast majority of Asian handicap bets fall within that range.

If you want to place an Asian handicap bet that falls outside this range, the Asian handicap table can still help. For example, if you want to bet on a team -2.25, just check out the -1.25 section and add 1 to each outcome.

You should bookmark this Asian handicap explained page and use the table for reference on a regular basis.

How to Sign Up at the Best Asian Handicap Betting Sites

You should be able to sign up for an account with the best Asian handicap betting sites in just a few minutes. We have provided a detailed guide to completing each step of the process below, but the best sportsbooks also provide 24/7 customer support via live chat, phone or email in case you get stuck.

Joining

You can begin the registration process by finding an Asian handicap betting site you like the look of and click on the link provided on this page. You will then see a “Join Now” button at the top right of the homepage. Click on that button to trigger the registration form.

Enter Info

You will be asked to provide some basic details – first name, last name, email address, country, residential address, phone number and date of birth. You will also need to choose a password, which will allow you to log into your account. When you have entered all the details, click “Create Account”.

Verification

A verification email will be sent to the email address you provided. Open it and click on the link provided to activate your new account. A further verification process may be needed before making your first withdrawal. If so, you may be asked to upload scans of photo ID and proof of address.

Claiming a Bonus

You will be able to claim a welcome bonus when you sign up for an account with a new online sportsbook. BetOnline offers a 100% match deposit welcome bonus up to a maximum of $1,000 if you use crypto for your initial deposit. You will get an extra 5% if you choose Bitcoin as opposed to an altcoin. If you do not want to use crypto, you can claim a 50% deposit match sign-up bonus worth up to $5,000, which comes with a less onerous rollover requirement.

Start to Play

When you have verified your account, made an initial deposit and claimed your welcome bonus, you can start to play. Visit the soccer section and find a game you like the look of. Click on it to see your list of betting options. If you find an Asian handicap line that appeals to you, click on it to add that selection to your bet slip. You can then type in the amount you would like to wager and confirm the bet.

Comparing the Best Asian Spread Betting Sites 

These are the top soccer betting sites that US sports bettors from across the country can access today. BetOnline is our number one overall sportsbook for Asian handicap betting, as it has introduced some high-quality Asian lines with very competitive prices on a broad selection of games in North America and Europe.

Asian Handicap Betting: The Final Word

Asian handicap betting is a vital weapon in any soccer bettor’s arsenal. It allows you to extract a great deal of value when betting on a favorite, while it also provides you with appealing terms when wagering on an underdog. Asian handicaps are a lot more flexible than standard handicaps too.

It might initially seem complex and overwhelming for beginners to the wonderful world of soccer betting. However, it is actually very simple when you grasp some basic principles. This guide has explained how to enjoy Asian handicap betting in very clear terms, with lots of examples, but we encourage you to return to our Asian handicap chart on a regular basis to check the potential results of each bet you place.

It is now time for you to sign up for an account with our top Asian handicap sportsbook, BetOnline, and start to take advantage of this exciting soccer betting option!

Asian Handicap Betting FAQs