Let's say Liverpool play against Leyton Orient in the FA Cup. Liverpool are clear favorites, and you are looking to place a bet on them to advance to the next round. However, when you find out that the odds on a home win is only 1.1, you are reconsidering your initial decision.
In games where there is a clear favorite, the odds might be unfavorable. Therefore, bookmakers offer a handicap in order to create desirable bets on both the favorite and the underdog.
In the example above, the odds book could look something like this:
Liverpool -1.5 (1.90) | Leyton Orient +1.5 (2.10)
When determining the outcome of your bet, 1.5 points will either be added to Leyton's score or subtracted from Liverpool's. If the final score turns out to be Liverpool 2-0 Leyton Orient, a bet placed on Liverpool will result in a win. If the final score is 1-0, the bet on Liverpool is lost.
Full, Half and Quarter Goal Handicaps:
The Asian handicap can be divided into three categories, depending on its value. The full goal handicap consists of only whole numbers, for example +1, +2 or +3. This means that a draw is still possible, and in this case, your stake will be returned.
The half goal handicap could look like +0.5, +1.5, +2.5 etc. This eliminates the possibility of a draw and reduces the number of possible outcomes from three to two.
The quarter goal handicap is nothing but a mix between the full and half goal handicaps. Let’s take an example of +1.25. In this case, your money is split in two: One-half goes to a bet with the handicap of +1. The other half goes to a bet of +1.5.
With the quarter goal handicap, your bet can end in more ways than two. Consider a handicap of either -0.25 or +0.25, and the following results: