Handicaps in sports betting help to balance uneven matchups. They’re common in games where one team or player is much stronger than the other. Bookmakers apply a handicap to make both sides feel like fair betting options. A handicap basically gives one side a head start and the other a disadvantage before the game starts. It only affects betting and not the actual game score.
Why handicaps exist
In many sports, favorites win more than underdogs. If betting on a sports betting app or at a retail sportsbook were only about picking a winner, odds on the favorite would be very low and not offer much of a return. A handicap resolves this by adjusting the score to balance the odds, which creates more engaging bets.
How a handicap works
In an NFL match of the Patriots versus the Jaguars, a bookmaker may apply a minus handicap to the Patriots as the stronger team. The Patriots may start with -6.5 points and the Jaguars with +6.5 points. If you bet on the Patriots, the team would have to win seven or more points for your bet to win and win six or fewer points or lose the game for your bet to lose. A bet on the Jaguars would win if they lost by six points or fewer and lose if they lost the game by seven points or more.
Handicap betting is widely available, whether you bet on hockey, tennis, or basketball. In hockey and basketball, the handicap applies to the number of goals. In tennis, a handicap usually applies to the total number of games each player wins in a match.
Types of handicap betting
In sports events in 2026, handicap betting will offer better odds, more strategy, and more ways to bet than just picking a winner.
Three-way handicap betting lets you place a bet on the possibility of a handicap tie. When a whole-number handicap is used, the adjusted score can end in a tie. If that happens, the bet is settled as a push, and your stake is refunded.
Half-point handicaps such as -2.5 and +2.5 eliminate a tie. The favorite must win by at least three points to cover the bet. If this doesn’t happen, the bet on the underdog would win.
An Asian handicap is popular in soccer and involves splitting your stake across two handicaps, such as –0.25 or +0.75, which reduces the risks.