What is Handicap?

Handicap betting levels the field between two unevenly matched teams by giving the underdog a virtual head start, or the favourite a deficit to overcome. A −2 handicap means the favourite must win by more than two for the bet to pay; a +2 handicap means the underdog can lose by one and the bet still wins. It is common in football, basketball, rugby and American football. Worked example (two-way basketball line): Team A is −5.5 and Team B is +5.5. If A wins 110-103, the seven-point margin clears the line and A −5.5 covers. If A wins 110-106, the margin is only four, so B +5.5 covers. Because the line is a half-point, there is no possibility of a tie. Were the line a whole number, such as −5, an exact five-point win would be a push and stakes returned. Handicap bets matter because they create more attractive odds on heavy favourites, who would otherwise be priced too short to be interesting. The common mistake is ignoring whether the line is whole (a push is possible) or half (no push), and conflating a simple handicap with Asian quarter lines, where the stake is split across two handicaps. Check the exact number before betting. See also the Handicap, the Asian Handicap, the Point Spread, the Push and Cover.