“Handicap 1 (+0.5 / -0.5)” is a bet on the home team to win the match, covering both a draw and a victory with any positive margin.
How to best play the “Handicap 1” (+0.5/-0.5) bet?
Most often, Handicap 1 (+0.5/-0.5) occurs in tennis and, much less frequently, in football, typically in matches between relatively equal opponents. For example, in the 1/16 round of the Roland Garros tennis tournament, Roberto Bautista (odds 1.79) faced Pablo Carreño (odds 2.14). Bookmakers offered odds of 1.77 for Bautista’s win with a +0.5 handicap and 1.67 with a -0.5 handicap.
Bets with Handicap 1 (+0.5/-0.5) are best suited for conservative accumulator bets with total odds not exceeding 2.0.
Possible outcomes of the “Handicap 1” (+0.5/-0.5) bet
Win: Bets with Handicap +0.5 and -0.5 win if the home team wins, even with the minimum score of 1–0. In this case, the score with the handicap would be 1.5–0 or 0.5–0.
Loss: Bets with Handicap +0.5 and -0.5 lose in the event of a draw or any win by the away team.
Refund: A refund with odds of 1.0 is not provided for this type of bet. The wagered amount may be returned to the bettor only if the match is canceled or its result annulled.
