What is Handicap Betting in Cricket?

Written by: Joe • 28.10.2024

handicap betting in cricket

If you’re new to online cricket betting or even a pro wanting to discover more, you’re in the right place. OCBscores will explain in clear detail what handicap means in cricket betting. Punters can pick up useful information and have fun by learning on this page.  

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Definition of Handicap Betting in Cricket 

When a betting platform mentions a handicap, what does it mean exactly? Well, a handicap bet is a method of making things more even between two teams in a cricket match. When it’s clear that one team is the favourite, then a handicap will be added to that team, which provides a slight advantage to the underdog. 

Handicap betting is applied simply to make the match more interesting and exciting, as there are now expectations that a team will win by a certain number of runs. 

Types of Handicap Betting 

Different methods of cricket match handicap betting can be explained, but each one adds a fun dynamic to wagering on a game. 

Handicap betting is designed to make some games more competitive and to give you more tactics and flexibility with your cricket bets. 

Runs Handicap Betting 

For instance, let’s say it’s the T20 Cricket World Cup, and India is playing a match against Scotland. As the better team, India could have a handicap in cricket betting of -10 runs. Therefore, India will have to win the match by more than ten runs for your bet to be successful.  

On the other hand, Scotland must either win the game outright or lose by less than ten runs for the bettor to be successful. Runs handicap betting is certainly the most popular method of this type of bet. 

Wickets Handicap Betting 

This form of handicap betting is concentrated on how many wickets a team will lose during the match. India would likely have a handicap of -3 wickets, which means they have to win the game but give up less than 3 wickets for you to get a successful bet. Scotland would have a +3 handicap, which means they win the match completely or lose by less than 3 wickets for the bet to be successful.  

Series Handicap Betting 

For this form of handicap in cricket betting, the emphasis is on the result of a series or tournament, such as the T20 World Cup or IPL.  

From the above example, if India would play Scotland in a best-of-five series, for example, then India is the favourite with a handicap of -1.5 matches. They would have to win two matches, at the very least, for you to have a successful bet.  

A wager on Scotland would have a +1.5 handicap, which means they could win 2 matches or lose less than two matches to have a successful bet. 

Benefits of Handicap Betting in Cricket 

Making things more even – The handicap helps to ensure a balanced setting, especially when it’s evident that one team is far stronger than the opponent. Betting on the underdog isn’t so hopeless if you think that the favourite won’t cover the handicap. 

Betting possibilities are increased – You have greater power over your bets, especially if you consider a handicap in cricket betting for runs, wickets, or the series. You can also hedge bets to have fewer possible losses on the outcome. 

Typically better odds – In most cases, placing a wager on the underdog with a handicap will give you far more exciting odds than a simple bet on a win or loss. 

Works in any format – If you’re simply a cricket fan, then you can enjoy handicap in cricket betting regardless of whether you watch Test matches, ODI games, or T20s. You can even follow series that you may not have been previously interested in if the handicap and odds are good enough. 

Increases thrill level – While it’s enjoyable to place a bet on your favourite team to win or a star player to make a century, something is exciting about seeing a team play when you know there’s a -20 runs handicap on the line. 

Conclusion 

We find handicap betting pretty interesting. It engages all cricket fans, irrespective of their favourite teams or players. You can explore the suggested top betting sites to find the best Handicap odds.

Handicap betting gives the underdog a chance in cricket matches while making it tougher for the favourite to win, thereby giving a fair chance to all the players. Have fun by remembering to gamble responsibly.

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FAQs

It’s simple enough once you discover the system that minus is for the favourite, and plus is for the underdog. The simplest option for new gamblers is the runs handicap.

It’s simply a betting system that makes things more balanced between two sides in a cricket game. If a team is a clear favourite and likely to win, a handicap is placed on the bet so that the underdog has a small chance at victory.

Yes, you can find these bets in Test matches, T20, and ODIs. As well, you can even bet on series such as the T20 World Cup or The Ashes, for example.

Joe Garland, sports contributor at ocbscores.com
JoeContributor

Joe is a massive sports fan, but he's most passionate about cricket, the NBA and the NFL. Joe is an expert sports contributor at OCBscores, and will provide you with only the best sports betting guides and tips to help maximise your betting potential.

Fact checked by: DhruvLast updated date: 17.02.2025