There is a lot you can do to increase your chances of winning at the odds. You can play smarter, as we discuss in our article that you can read here , and you can gain knowledge about both the teams and the leagues you choose to bet on. But one area that is often a little under-communicated is the knowledge about the different betting options you have. And that is why we plan to write more articles that can be of help to you out there.
Because when is it a good idea to play mark instead of over 1.5 goals for the favorite, or vice versa? When is it a good idea to go for corner bets instead of mark/goal? And when should you choose "both teams to score" instead of "over 2.5 goals"? These are things that you often just have to experience and learn from, but all our experts have been through it. And it is these assessments that are the basis when we publish our free betting tips and analyses.
So let's get started. And the first article out is Asian vs European betting;
Asian betting
In short, Asian betting is a way of betting where you have three possible outcomes. Unlike European betting, where you either win or lose. Because when you bet on the Asian variants, the game can go to "push", in addition to being able to lose/win. "Push" corresponds to 1.00 in odds, and you get your money back. But let's look at the different markets where the choices are most often between Asian and European betting;
Asian Handicap
Many of us are used to European handicaps. That is, bets where our team starts with, for example, -1.5 goals. In such cases, the team we are betting on must win by at least two goals. If they lose, draw or only win by one goal, the bet is lost. These bets often give good odds, with corresponding risk. And that is exactly why Asian handicaps are so good; you lower the risk.
Because even though the odds are naturally lower when betting on Asian variants, the risk is also lower. And that's why Asian betting is great when you turn up the stakes. And at bookmakers you will often see Asian handicaps in a separate section, and it should therefore be easy to distinguish this type of handicap from the traditional one.
Let's show what we mean with an example;
PSG is playing at home against Marseille, and the home team is at 1.34 in odds. If we then choose the European variant, we play PSG -1.5 goals at 1.98 in odds. PSG must therefore win by at least two goals for us to have bets accepted.
But most bookmakers also offer Asian handicaps on this match, and there you will see that PSG -1 gives 1.52 odds. Significantly lower odds, but you then have a chance to get your money back, if you have played it as a single, or that it goes to 1.00 odds if it is included in a coupon with several matches, if PSG only wins by one goal. If they lose, or play a draw, the bet is lost.
Asian over/under game
And the same principles apply when it comes to over/under bets. Because here too we have the traditional European variants such as over/under 2.5 goals etc. A bet with only two outcomes; win or lose. But you will see that in the Asian section of the bookmakers there may be bets such as "over 2 goals" or "over 3 goals". These bets give you your money back if there are exactly two or three goals, depending on which bet you choose. So here too you have three possible outcomes; win, lose or push. We can show with an example;
You bet over 2.5 goals, at odds of 1.50, in the aforementioned match between PSG and Marseille, and the match ends 3-1. The bet pays off, as there were four goals.
But let's say you think 1.50 is a bit low, and you think there's a good chance that this match could be high-scoring. And so you instead bet on the Asian variant "over 3 goals" at odds of 1.77. And since the match ended 3-1, this bet also gives a profit. But; of course, it comes with a small risk. If the match had ended 2-1, the European over bet would have given a profit, while the Asian over bet would have given you your money back. Something to think about.
Let's make it even more difficult, because Asian betting doesn't stop there. We can also bet on variations that give half-loss and half-win. Complicating, we know. But let's explain;
Asian Handicap -1.25/1.75
Sometimes the odds of -1 Asian handicap are too low. But you still want the security that an Asian bet provides, and therefore drop the European variant with -1.5 goals. Then -1.25 may be the thing for you. And once again, it is easiest to show with an example;
We're sticking with PSG against Marseille, and in this match, the -1.25 handicap gives 1.64 odds. So slightly higher than the 1.52 that -1 gave. And the easiest way to explain -1.25 is that you actually divide your bet into two coupons. If you bet 100kr on the game, the bookmaker takes 50kr and puts it on -1, and then they put the other 50kr on -1.5. Are you in? 1.25 is halfway between 1 and 1.5. And when the score is 3-1, you win on both. So win/win.
But let's say PSG won 2-1. Then there would be a push on one 50-kroner, while you would have lost on the other, since PSG did not win by two goals. So in this case there would be a push/loss on your hundred-kroner.
And the same principles apply at -1.75. Then your stake is divided between -1.5 and -2, since 1.75 is halfway between 1.5 and 2. So in our example, where PSG won 3-1, it would have given you a win on one bet, and a push on the other. Win on the first one, because PSG won by two goals, and a push on the second one because PSG won by exactly two goals. So here you end up with a win/push.
Asian Over/Under 2.25/2.75
And again it is exactly the same when it comes to over/under bets. Because there may be matches you do not want to bet over 3 or over 3.5 goals, and then for example over 2.75 is fine. And in our match you would have got win/win, since there were four goals in the match between PSG and Marseille. Because remember; the bookmakers then divide your bet in half, where half is placed on over 2.5 goals, while the other half is placed on over 3. But if the match had ended 2-1 you would have ended up with win/push, all the time over 2.5 went in, but there were exactly three goals and therefore the other half ended in push.
You may have understood it by now, but I also consider over 2.25 goals. Because it is often possible to find matches that offer good odds of over 2.5 goals, but you have a feeling that it could end 1-1. Then over 2.25 can be a nice option. Because here too, the bookmaker divides your bet in half, and places half on over 2 goals and half on over 2.5 goals. And if the match ends 1-1, you get push/lose. But if it ends, for example. 2-1, you get win/win.
Asian betting in brief
Asian betting offers lower odds, but also lower risk. And we use these variations when we are playing with high stakes, or we find a match that could potentially go against what the bookmakers are expecting. At the same time, we ensure a refund if things don't go quite as planned.
And although we don't recommend it, Asian betting is great for those who want many items on the same coupon. Then you can get a push on some of the matches, and the coupon lives on.
Thank you for your attention, and I hope you have benefited from the first article from 90mf-academy. We promise more articles in the same series, so that we can experience gains more often.
