Handicap betting in basketball games is the second most popular option used by bookmaker players. The action line of most companies allows you to choose the best handicaps to your taste – risky or insurance options are available in both pre-match and in play. Betting on handicaps in basketball has both dangers, advantages, and negative features. In this article from Telecomasia.net, we will talk about what is a handicap in basketball, analyze the nuances of betting on this type of market, and also talk about strategies for handicaps and the best bookmakers offering an attractive action line of these events.
What is a handicap?
A handicap is a market that indicates the difference in the score in a certain period. In basketball, it is calculated by the bookmaker in three-game segments, a quarter, half, and the whole game. In rare cases, bookmakers give an extra line of handicaps for overtime.
Bookmakers, when placing handicaps in the line, indicate what approximately the gap in the score between the teams may be. For example, in the match between the Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas, you can see that H1 (-6.5) and H2 (+6.5) are valued at the same 1.95 odds. This suggests that the bookmaker considers the average gap of 6-7 points between the teams at the end of the match. Mainly in basketball, the line betting odds are calculated taking into account the overtime in the mainline.
Types of handicaps
The list for basketball matches contains the following types of handicaps:
- Asian handicap. These are fractional values, such as H1 (-11.5), H2 (+12.75). The first example is half Asian handicap, and the second is a quarter handicap. Half handicaps cannot be calculated as a return, and when betting on quarters, a return of half of the bet amount is possible;
- European handicap. It is expressed by an integer number, H1 (+4), H2 (-7). They are characterized by a high probability of calculation of the return.
A priori handicaps are divided into plus and minus handicaps. Plus handicap means that the team will win the match if you add the bookmaker’s handicap to the final score. For example, Utah and Denver play. We bet on H2 (+5.5). The match ends with a score of 129:127 in favor of Utah. If we add 5.5 points to the 127 points scored by the Denver basketball players, we get 129:132.5, which means that Denver won and the bet is a winning one. The minus handicap works on the same principle, only we have to subtract from the final score the handicap offered by the bookmaker. If after subtracting, the team still scored more points, the bet is won.
Recommendations for beginners
More often beginners try to choose big negative handicaps – we have analyzed this mistake above. But this does not mean that beginners should constantly bet on positive handicaps. An important point in playing basketball handicaps is doing a thorough analysis. It is only necessary to bet on a relatively large gap when finding profitable odds then the bet will be justified even in the event of a loss. Players need to look at how the teams have previously played each other, what lineups they will approach the game, for which team the match will be an away one (it is not unreasonable to analyze the away performance). There are many nuances to analyze, and it is worth paying attention to each one to give the most accurate prediction.
The basis for betting on a basketball handicap will be a game between a favorite and an underdog, in which the strong team has little problems with the lineup and lack of motivation. Often bookmakers by habit give a high average handicap, and at this point, it is reasonable to bet on a plus handicap in favor of the underdog. In basketball, there is a concept of ‘clutch’. These are the final minutes of the game with a small difference in the score: no more than 8 points. If in the course of analysis you conclude that in the match ‘clutch’ is possible. The best way to play is a plus handicap on the weaker opponent.
It is not recommended to bet at the very beginning of the season, even if the teams had a lot of friendly sparring before the start of the championship. At this stage, the difference between the teams is not clear. The favorites often lose because of the lack of good physical condition and lack of teamwork. The underdogs, on the other hand, are accustomed to always act in a single power play manner, which allows them to hold the frame instead of indulging in the intricacies of tactical play. Therefore, the wins of the underdogs are frequent, and the game on the plus handicap is the best option. But at these stages of the season, play with minimum denominations as the risk is too high.
Pros and cons of playing point betting
The advantages of playing basketball on a handicap include:
- The simplicity of analysis. There is no need to calculate the accuracy of the gap between the teams at the end of the match. All you need to do is roughly estimate how the game might unfold, allocate yourself a certain range of figures and look at the odds on the markets. If you are happy with the odds, you can bet;
- A large number of profitable bets. To find value bets, you need a good knowledge of tournaments, so you can spot where the bookmaker has made a slip in the betting odds;
- Large amplitudes. Some bookmakers give a lot of events in the action line for matches, up to 30 pairs of handicaps. This creates a wide margin for choosing the best bet option.
The main disadvantage of playing for handicaps is the desire to play at high odds. That is why it is recommended to bet on a cold-headed match, which will give you more value.
A useful handicap strategy
In basketball betting, there is the spurt strategy used for handicaps as well. Its essence is that during the match teams may not score for a long time and regularly miss spurt opponents. For example, the game has started, and after 4 minutes of the first quarter, the team is losing 2:11. This is a good entry point for the losing team’s plus handicap in the 1st quarter – we’re not talking about a full game. Wait for the losing team’s coach to take a timeout. Immediately after that, choose a less risky option for the plus handicap and place your bet. Usually, after a timeout, the game evens out, and the team behind makes every effort to equalize.
Important: use the flat system according to this strategy. Also, don’t play matches that have an obvious favorite.
Conclusion
Betting on handicaps in basketball is popular because of the availability of large amplitudes. Many bookmakers are generous with their action lines, even in unpopular leagues. Betting on a handicap has its pitfalls and positive features, and bettors should not forget about the need for constant analysis of each match on which the bet is planned. Playing with the spurt strategy live will allow players to find good moments to place bets and provide themselves with good profits in the long run.
