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Asian handicap arbitrage – Guide to Asian handicap arbitrage betting in 2024

Did you know that you can find the best arbitrage opportunities in every type of betting, including Asian handicap arbitrage?

When done right, sharbing can be an extremely useful tool and even guarantee a payout no matter who wins or loses the match.

While this is a complex strategy, learning arbitrage techniques in Asian handicap bets will be well worth your time.

And this is why we created this guide: If you are not sure how this works, you are reading the right article.

Below, we will explain how Asian handicap arbitrage betting works with examples.

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What is Asian handicap betting in sports arbitrage?

In order to explain this complex topic, we need to start from the beginning. So let’s talk about Asian handicap bets and arbitrage betting first. Please note that we will give brief information here – in order to learn more, we recommend reading our Asian handicap betting and arbitrage betting guide.

Arbitrage betting

Each match has three outcomes: win, draw, or lose. Bookmakers offer different odds for each of these outcomes. However, odds are not the same in every bookmaker: there is a slight difference between them. Using this difference, it is possible to secure a profit by placing opposite bets for different outcomes. Take a look at the table below:

Team A to win at bookmaker A

Team A to lose at bookmaker B

Market margin

Odds
Team A to win at bookmaker A
2.20
Team A to lose at bookmaker B
2.00
Market margin
95.45%

Let’s explain this table in detail:

  • For the outcome of Team A winning, bookmaker A offers 2.20 odds. The probability of this outcome is 45.45%. How did we find this figure? Simply by dividing 100 by the offered odds (100 / 2.20 = 45.45)
  • For the outcome of Team A losing, bookmaker B offers 2.00 odds. The probability here is 50.00% (100 / 2.00 = 50.00).
  • When we add these probabilities, the result is 95.45% (45.45 + 50.00)

If the result is below 100, there is an arbitrage opportunity here. So if we place two different bets on both outcomes (win and lose), we can guarantee a payout regardless of the match result. In this example, we will place both a back (win) and a lay (lose) bet for Team A.

  • If you bet 200 EUR on Bookmaker A for Team A to win, the payout will be 440 EUR. This means that the bookmaker will refund your initial bet (200 EUR) and also pay 220 EUR. Your net profit is 220 EUR.
  • If you bet 220 EUR in Bookmaker B for Team A to lose, the payout will be 440 EUR. This means that the bookmaker returns your initial bet (220 EUR) and also pays 220 EUR. Your net profit is 220 EUR.
  • In total, you invested 420 EUR (200 + 220). One of these bets will pay you 440 EUR: You made a 20 EUR profit.

In other words, you are guaranteed to make a profit regardless of the match result: Basically, you are trying to even the payouts for all outcomes. This is very similar to matched betting and dutching, so to learn more, make sure to check out our guides and also our list of matched betting offers too. We have also prepared detailed guides about unmatched bets and partially matched bets.

Asian handicap bets

In handicap bets, teams are considered to have a handicap depending on whether they are favorites or underdogs. Favorite teams have minus, underdog teams plus points. To win these bets, the outcome must match the handicaps. Unlike the European handicap, it is not possible to place a bet on a draw outcome on Asian handicaps. This is actually an advantage because it means that you only need to use the win and lose odds for Asian handicap arbitrage. If we give some examples:

  • Asian handicap 1: This bet is for the underdog team and it means the team starts the match with a +1 goal. To win this bet, the result must be a win (by any points) or a draw. If the result is “lose by 2 points”, you lose the bet.
  • Asian handicap -1: This bet is for the favorite team and it means the team started the match with a -1 goal. To win this bet, the result must be “win by 2 points”. If the result is lose or draw, you lose the bet.

There are also alternative Asian handicap bets where two bets can be placed at the same time, such as Asian handicap 0.5 and Asian handicap -0.5, but we will not go into much detail as this is not the subject of this guide. You just need to grasp the basic logic of Asian handicap betting. In line with this information, you should have a basic idea about how Asian arbitrage handicap bets work. If you’re still unsure, check out the example below.

Asian handicap arbitrage example

Let’s explain how Asian handicap arbitrage bets work by giving a simple example. Basically, your goal is to still equalize the payout for different outcomes.

The fact that the bet type is Asian handicap does not change the basic arbitrage principle: You are still trying to secure a profit. For example:

Odds for USA wins -1

Odds for Europe wins +0.25

Bookmaker A
Odds for USA wins -1
2.10
Odds for Europe wins +0.25
1.90
Bookmaker B
Odds for USA wins -1
2.02
Odds for Europe wins +0.25
1.93

There can be only one winner of this match, and we will place a bet for both possibilities. To place a bet for the USA, we will use Bookmaker A because it offers higher odds. For the same reason, we will use Bookmaker B to place a bet in favor of Europe.

  • If we place 1.000 EUR at Bookmaker A and win, the payout will be 2.100 EUR. The net profit is 1.100 EUR.
  • If we place 1.088 EUR at Bookmaker B and win, the payout will be 2.099,84 EUR. The net profit is 1.011 EUR.
  • So, no matter which team wins, we will guarantee a 2.100 EUR payout.
  • We invested 2.088 EUR in total. This equals a net 12 EUR profit.

Of course, in order to win these bets, Asian handicap rules will apply, so:

  • USA (Asian handicap +1) must win the match by 2 points at least.
  • Europe (Asian handicap 0.25) must win the match (or the result must be a draw).

In other words, there are more variations you need to think about – if you are not sure that the USA can win the match by at least 2 points, for example, you should not place this bet. Because if the USA wins the match by only 1 point, you will get a refund on your initial bet, which will completely eliminate your profit margin.

Asian handicap arbitrage betting at Betfair

If you have noticed, in the examples we gave above, we always used two different bookmakers. If you play in traditional bookmakers, you should do the same in Asian handicap arbitrage betting. So you have to use a different bookmaker for the back bet and a different bookmaker for the lay bet. However, this is not required in the Asian handicap arbitrage Betfair option.

Betfair is also an exchange site, meaning it allows bettors to bet against each other and is one of the arbitrage friendly bookmakers. In other words, for Betfair Asian handicap bets, you can place both back and lay bets at the same time and the same place, you don’t need to use two different bookmakers.

On the Betfair exchange, you can find more odds and more options for lay and win bets compared to traditional bookmakers. More odds mean more arbitrage opportunities, so using Betfair for Asian handicap arbitrage is a much better choice.

Moreover, you can find exotic options such as 1st half Asian handicap. For more information, we recommend that you check out our making a living on Betfair and Betfair trading strategies guides.

Advanced Asian handicap arbitrage techniques

The example we gave above is sufficient to give a basic idea of ​​how Asian handicap arbitrage betting works. However, let’s give another example so that you can understand the subject better and this time, let’s make a more complex choice. It is possible to play Asian handicap and European handicap bets simultaneously with arbitrage techniques. This is called a “3-way handicap” and using it, you can increase your profit margin even further.

In the example below, we will place two Asian handicap (AH) and one European handicap (EH) bets. Thus, it will be possible to cover the draw outcome too. In this example, we will use the Betfair exchange for all these bets, but you can get the same results by using three different bookmakers.

  • This match is between Team A and Team B.
  • 82 odds with a -0.25 handicap is offered for the “Team A wins” outcome (AH 1).
  • 25 odds with +1.00 handicap is offered for the draw outcome (EH).
  • 35 odds with a -0.50 handicap is offered for the “Team B wins” outcome (AH 2).

Regardless of the outcome of the match, we can guarantee a payout. For this:

  • We place a bet of 100 EUR for AH 1. If this outcome happens, we will have a net profit of 11.82 EUR.
  • We place a bet of 58.66 EUR on EH. If this outcome happens, we will have a net profit of 11.83 EUR.
  • We place a bet of 11.49 EUR on AH 2. If this outcome happens, we will have a net profit of 11.81 EUR.

The reason we included EH in the Asian handicap arbitrage bet is to include the draw outcome: Normally, our bet would be refunded on the draw result. Whereas in this example, we are guaranteed to make a profit regardless of the outcome of the match, even if it is a draw.

Asian handicap arbitrage tips & tricks

Tip

  1. Asian handicap arbitrage bets are simpler as they do not include the draw outcome. However, if the match ends with a draw, in most cases you will receive a refund, which eliminates your already low-profit margin. For this reason, it would be best to use EH and AH arbitrage bets together as in the example above: This way you can guarantee a payout even if the match ends in a draw. This is the most ideal Asian handicap betting strategy.
  2. Asian handicap in play arbitrage betting can enable you to take advantage of odds differences more efficiently. In play odds are dynamic and it is easier to use the difference in your favor than pre-match odds. However, keep in mind that this requires some experience and it is very important that you can watch the match without interruption.
  3. Be aware of all betting systems and strategies to understand whether the match result will be in line with the handicap points. In this context, we strongly recommend that you look at our underdog betting and EVS betting.
  4. Football is the most suitable sport for Asian handicap arbitrage because it is possible to find more offers & odds differences due to its popularity. Note, however, that alternative goal line bets (and arbitrage opportunities) can also be used in other sports where the score is calculated by goals, for example over 0.5 goals. Sometimes, it is possible to find much more advantageous odds differences in other sports.
  5. We recommend that you play on our recommended Asian handicap bookmakers to find the best deals. This way, you can also use free bonuses to place your second bet.

Pros and cons of Asian handicap sports arbitrage betting

PROS

  • Almost guarantees a payout no matter what the match result is
  • Odds are higher when compared to European handicap
  • Free bet bonuses can be used

CONS

  • The draw outcome is not covered
  • Can be quite complex for beginners

Frequently Asked Questions about Asian handicap arbitrage:

Yes, especially when used with European handicap bets. However, the profit margins will be quite low: Do not expect to become rich with this technique.

No. Asian handicap arbitrage betting can be used at other bookmakers too. However, Betfair offers more odds differences to use and supports both back/lay bets.

Yes, and once again, especially when you use them with European handicap bets. This way, you can cover all outcomes: win, lose, or draw.

This depends on the sport and the match. The market (whether it is Betfair or any other bookmaker) is quite large for big events such as FIFA 2022. However, for smaller and local events, it can be quite poor.

Yes. In this type of handicap betting, the draw outcome is included. However, when compared to Asian handicap, the odds will be lower. That’s why it is best to use AH & EH bets together.

Try Asian handicap arbitrage betting today

Asian handicap arbitrage betting can be profitable and guarantee a payout whether the match ends with a win or lose.

You are betting on the odds difference, not the outcome of the match: That’s the beauty of Asian handicap arbitrage. You should try it today by creating an account at one of our recommended bookmakers and learn more about this arbitrage opportunity available in other sports, like tennis arbitrage betting: Good luck!