$/€ 3-Way Handicap Explained
Lina Almans
21 December 2023
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What Is It?
3-way handicap (aka European handicap, point spread, or line betting) is a type of bet that gives or takes away some points (+3, -2, etc.) to or from a team before the match starts.
It has 3 markets to bet on (1X2):
- 1 team wins
- Draw
- 2 team wins
It is not like Asian handicap, which has no room for a draw (only two ways to go).
Main feature: 3-way handicap has no refunds. You win or lose!
How It Works?
Suppose you want to bet on the match Arsenal vs Brighton.
The line is: (Arsenal -1, Draw +1, Brighton +1)
- Betting on Arsenal (-1) means they need to win by more than 1 goal.
- Betting on Draw (+1) means Brighton needs to win by exactly 1 goal
1. - Betting on Brighton (+1) means they need to either win or draw the game.
1 Team Wins
This handicap means that a certain number of points are subtracted from the favorite team or added.
For example, if you bet on the match Arsenal (-1) vs Brighton, it means that Arsenal has a -1:0 disadvantage before the game even starts. So, if the game ends in a tie, or Arsenal loses, you lose your bet.
Here are the possible outcomes for home win handicap:
| (Home -1) | Actual Score | Adjusted Score | Outcome |
| Arsenal | 3-0 | 2-0 | Win |
| 1-0 | 0-0 | Lose | |
| 2-2 | 1-2 | Lose |
Note: How to get an adjusted score? Just add (+) or subtract (-) the handicap from the actual score.
Draw
The draw option is a bit tricky to understand. It’s when we expect a draw from the game, but keep the handicap in mind.
For example, if you bet on Draw (+1) in the Arsenal vs Brighton game, you’re betting that Brighton will have one more goal than Arsenal. So, if the final score is 0:1, 1:2, 2:3, you win your bet.
How do you know who the handicap on a draw is for? Well, the rule of thumb is: look at the sign of the handicap, and then look at the team with the same sign for a win. In our example, Brighton has a handicap of (+1), which means that the draw is for the underdog, and you need them to win by exactly 1 goal.
| (Draw +1) | Actual Score | Adjusted Score | Outcome |
| Draw (Brighton) | 1-1 | 1-2 | Win |
| 1-0 | 1-1 | Lose | |
| 3-1 | 3-2 | Lose |
2 team wins
This spread means that a certain number of points are added to the underdog team. This means that they can win, draw, or lose by less than the handicap and still make your bet win.
For example, if you bet on Brighton (+1) in the aforementioned match, it means that Brighton has a 1-goal advantage before the game kicks off. So, if the game ends in a draw or Brighton wins, then the wager is yours.
Here are the possible scenarios for away win handicap:
| (Away +1) | Actual Score | Adjusted Score | Outcome |
| Brighton | 2-2 | 2-3 | Win |
| 3-2 | 3-3 | Lose | |
| 4-2 | 4-3 | Lose |
3-Way Handicap vs Asian Handicap: What’s the Difference?
One of the main differences is that 3-way handicap has no refunds, meaning you either win or lose the wager.
On the other hand, Asian handicap has such an option, meaning you can get your stake back if the handicap is exactly matched (match ends in a draw).
Let’s use the same example and bet on Arsenal (-3) to look at how they differ.
| (Home -3) | Actual Score | Adjusted Score | Outcome (3-Way) | Outcome (Asian) |
| Arsenal | 4-0 | 1-0 | Win | Win |
| 3-0 | 0-0 | Lose | Refund | |
| 4-4 | 1-4 | Lose | Lose |
Pros and Cons of 3-Way Handicap
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FAQ
What are the possible outcomes of 3-way handicap?
It has three possible outcomes: home win, draw, or away win.
How are 3-way and Asian handicap different?
Asian handicap only has 2 outcomes: win or lose. 3-way handicap has 3 outcomes: win, lose, or draw.
What does it mean to bet on 3-way handicap +1?
It means that the underdog team starts the game with a 1-goal advantage.
- How do you know who the handicap on a draw is for Brighton? Look at the sign of the handicap (+), and then look at the team with the same sign for a win. In our example, Brighton has a handicap of (+1), which means that the draw is for the Brighton, and you need them to win by exactly 1 goal. ↩︎
