Handicap in basketball is a market that offers better odds in games with favorite teams. In this type of bet, you can give a points disadvantage to the favorite team and a points advantage to the underdog.
For example, consider the following markets at a betting house:
- Boston Celtics: – 3.5 – Odd 3.00
- Brooklyn Nets: + 3.5 – Odd 3.23
In this case, the Celtics are considered favorites, and you can bet on the -3.5 handicap, which means they need to win by more than 3.5 points for your bet to be a winner.
Meanwhile, the Nets have a handicap of +3.5, which means you can bet that they will lose by up to 3 points and still your bet will be a winner.
Handicap by Quarters
In the handicap by quarters market in basketball, bettors can make predictions about the teams’ performance in each specific period of the game. It follows the same example as above, but accounted for only during the specified quarter in the bet.
For example, if a team is favored to win a quarter, it may receive a negative handicap, while the underdog team receives a positive handicap. Bettors can then bet on whether the handicapped team will overcome or not the advantage or disadvantage assigned during that quarter.
Handicap by Halves
In the handicap by halves market in basketball, bettors make predictions about the teams’ performance in each specific half of the game. For example, if a team has a Handicap of -5, it means it is favored to score five points more than the other team in that part of the game.
