An Asian handicap calculator is most useful on the quarter lines, the −0.25s and −0.75s where half your stake can win while the other half comes back. Pick a line and your odds, put in a score, and the free calculator above shows what you’d get back. It also shows every other result at once, from a three-goal win to a three-goal defeat, so you can see where the bet pays before kick-off.
It’s set to £10 on −0.25 at 1.95 with the game finishing 1-1. That’s a half loss: £5 back.
Asian handicap calculator: how each line settles
The handicap is added to your team’s score, then the bet is settled on the adjusted result. Lines come in three kinds:
| Line | Example | What can happen |
|---|---|---|
| Whole number | −1, 0, +1 | Win, push (stake back) or loss |
| Half | −0.5, +1.5 | Win or loss. No push possible |
| Quarter | −0.25, −0.75, +1.25 | Your stake is split across the two lines either side, so you can also get a half win or a half loss |
Take −0.75. Half your stake goes on −0.5 and half on −1. If your team wins 2-1, the −0.5 half wins and the −1 half is a push. At 1.95 on £10 that’s £9.75 plus £5, so £14.75 back. Win by two and both halves win: £19.50.
The five results
- Full win: the whole stake wins at your odds.
- Half win: half wins, half is returned. Only on quarter lines.
- Push: the adjusted score is level and your stake comes back.
- Half loss: half is lost, half is returned. Also only on quarter lines.
- Loss: the whole stake goes.
The quarter lines sit between their neighbours. +0.25 on an underdog falls between draw no bet (0) and +0.5. Against +0.5, a draw only pays half instead of in full, but the odds are longer. Against 0, a draw pays half your winnings instead of just handing the stake back. Defeat loses the lot on all three.
Why bet the handicap at all
A three-way match bet has a draw in it. Asian handicaps take the draw out, so a line like 0 (draw no bet) or −0.25 leaves two sides at prices close to evens. That makes it much easier to compare one bookie’s margin with another’s, and the bookmaker margin calculator shows how much each one is taking.
Odds can go in as decimals, fractions or American. To turn them into a percentage chance, use the odds converter. Building a multiple from several handicaps? The acca calculator handles that, and the bet calculator has every other bet type.
Handicaps change how a bet pays, not the bookmaker’s edge. BeGambleAware.org is free and confidential if it stops being fun.