Handicap betting is a popular betting market and is available for a multitude of sports on online sports betting sites. What is handicap betting in cricket? Let’s try to understand that with an easy example.
Read on.
What is handicap betting in cricket?
Just like with other sports, handicap betting in cricket is used to create a more level playing field between the teams, in terms of betting odds. This type of betting is more used when one of the teams is at a heavy advantage, and the opposing team is an underdog with a poor track record.
For example, in a game between Australia and Zimbabwe, the Australians are overwhelming favorites, and there will be very few punters backing the Zimbabwe team in spite of their long odds. In such a case, the bookie might add a handicap or a `virtual advantage´ for Zimbabwe by giving them a handicap of (+20) runs. It means that the Zimbabwe team has a head start of 20 runs. So even if Zimbabwe loses the match by 15 runs, the handicap bet of those backing Zimbabwe may be settled as a winner.
Betting sites like bet365 are some of the most popular ones for handicap betting in cricket. In Bet365 India, if the team which bat first wins, or if the game ends in a tie, a `Runs handicap´ is applied, while if the team which bat in the second innings wins, then a `Wickets handicap´ is applied before settling the bets.
Conclusion
What is handicap betting in cricket? While handicap betting in cricket is a great way to improve returns on your bets, especially if you are backing an underdog and they win. You can also lengthen the odds of a favorite team. However, handicap betting requires proper research and understanding of the concept, as the `amount of handicap´  is usually the key and the difference between winning or losing a bet.
