3-Way Handicap

The 3-Way Handicap — also known as the European Handicap — is a football betting market where a virtual goal advantage or deficit is applied before the bet is settled.

Unlike the Asian Handicap, it offers three possible outcomes after the adjustment: a home win, a draw, or an away win. This market is especially popular in fixtures with a clear favourite because it can deliver more balanced odds than a standard match-winner bet.

Example of a 3-way handicap bet at bet365:

What Does 3-Way Handicap Mean?

Suppose Manchester City are playing Brighton and the bookmaker offers Manchester City -2. For settlement purposes, two goals are subtracted from Manchester City’s final score.

A bet on Manchester City -2 therefore requires the favourite to win by at least three goals. A two-goal victory produces a handicap draw, so any stake placed on Manchester City -2 would lose.

How Does a Positive Handicap Work?

A positive handicap works in the opposite direction. If Brighton +2 are offered against Manchester City, two goals are added to Brighton’s final score.

Brighton +2 wins if Brighton win, draw, or lose by a single goal. A two-goal defeat results in a handicap draw, while a loss by three or more goals means the bet loses.

3-Way Handicap vs Asian Handicap

The most important difference is what happens when the adjusted score is level.

For example, if Manchester City beat Brighton 2-0:

• In a 3-Way Handicap market with Manchester City -2, the adjusted score is 0-0. A bet on Manchester City -2 loses because the handicap draw is the winning outcome.
• In an Asian Handicap market with Manchester City -2, the same 2-0 result normally produces a full refund.

The same handicap line can therefore produce a completely different outcome depending on the market type.

How 3-Way Handicap Bets Are Settled

Full-time bets are settled on the basis of 90 minutes plus stoppage time. Extra time and penalties do not count unless the bookmaker states otherwise. First-half and second-half markets are also available and use only the score from that period.

Pros and Cons of 3-Way Handicap

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