When you are betting on 3 way handicaps, you are betting on a scenario in which the starting score is not 0-0. While it is not one of the most popular markets, as match winner, total goals and goalscorer bets are arguably the favourite go-tos of football punters, but you shouldn’t let that stop you from using them. There are many different strategies and ways to go about 3-way handicap betting, something we will look at here.
Plus, if you play your cards right, you can score lengthy odds on your accas, or, using these handicaps differently, they can add an extra cushion of protection on your wagers to reduce the risks significantly. Odds can vary quite greatly between the top bookies in the UK, as can the format or name that they assign these special markets.
What is 3-Way Handicap Betting?
It is exactly the same as a 3-way match winner or match outcome bet, but the teams don’t start at 0-0. Instead, there are 3-way markets for starting scores of 1-0, 0-1, 2-0 or 0-2, thus creating a handicap. There are two ways we have seen these alternate starting scores denoted:
- +1 Handicap / -1 Handicap
- 1:0 Handicap / 0:1 Handicap
In the first, the +1 or -1 aways relates to the home team. Therefore, if Arsenal hosts Tottenham, the +1 Handicap gives Arsenal a 1 goal lead at the start of the game. Conversely, a -1 Handicap would mean Tottenham gets the +1 goal. The other format is pretty self-explanatory, in that 1:0 is a 1-0 starting score in favour of the home team, and 0:1 favours the away team.
| 3 Way Handicap Examples | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wager | Which Team Gets the Goals | Home Team Bet Winning Scorelines | Away Team Bet Wins if | Draw Bet Wins if |
| 1:0 Handicap AKA +1 Handicap | Home Team +1 Goal | Home team wins or the match ends in a draw | Away team wins by 2+ goal margin | Away team wins by 1 goal margin |
| 0:1 Handicap AKA -1 Handicap | Away Team +1 Goal | Home team wins by 2+ goal margin | Away team wins or the match ends in a draw | Home team wins by 1 goal margin |
| 2:0 Handicap AKA +2 Handicap | Home Team +2 Goals | Home team wins; the match ends in a draw; or, the home team loses by a 1 goal margin | Away team wins by 3+ goal margin | Away team wins by 2 goal margin |
| 0:2 Handicap AKA -2 Handicap | Away Team +2 Goals | Home team wins by 3+ goal margin | Away team wins; the match ends in a draw; or, the away team loses by a 1 goal margin | Home team wins by 2 goal margin |
| 3:0 Handicap AKA +3 Handicap | Home Team +3 Goals | Home team wins; the match ends in a draw; or, the home team loses by a 1 or 2 goal margin | Away team wins by 4+ goal margin | Away team wins by 3 goal margin |
| 0:3 Handicap AKA -3 Handicap | Away Team +3 Goals | Home team wins by 4+ goal margin | Away team wins; the match ends in a draw; or, the away team loses by a 1 or 2 goal margin | Home team wins by 3 goal margin |
The big difference between 3-way handicaps and handicaps is that you are given the choice to bet on a draw. You can find alternate handicap lines that give your chosen team +1, 1, +2 or even -2. But you won’t find any other bets that allow you to back draws with handicaps. But there is more.
How Other Handicap Wagers Work
In standard 2-way handicaps, you bet on a team to win, with a betting line that either works in their favour, or makes their job more difficult. Full number betting lines (European Handicap) can also end in draws. For instance, you bet on Chelsea -1 and they end up winning the match by a single goal. If the scoreline is level, your bet is pushed and you will receive a refund on your stake. In Asian handicaps, there is a .5 at the end of each line, thus eliminating the possibility of a draw.
Now in 3-way handicaps, your bet cannot be pushed. Because there is an option to bet on a draw added to the mix. So if you bet on Chelsea with a -1 line and they win the match by a single goal, you will lose your bet.
Best Bookies for 3-Way Handicap Betting
This may be quite a niche betting market, but you will find alternate handicap betting offered at all the biggest UK sports betting brands. But if we were to nitpick and look for fault, we could point out that there are some differences in the prices of the lines offered, some bookies just offer +1/-1 and no +2/-2 handicaps, and the really good ones also have cash out offers and Bet Builder options.
To any football betting strategists out there, here are our top suggestions for punters who are specifically looking for premium alternate handicap betting.
#1. Ladbrokes
A stalwart in the UK bookmaking industry, Ladbrokes is a keen choice for punters to make handicap wagers. It has a great array of features including bet builders and cash outs, and you can browse from lots of different lines. What we specifically liked was that it has First Half 3-way handicaps and Second Half 3-way handicaps.
Besides handicaps, Ladbrokes has a huge array of footie betting markets spanning from cards to player bets and even shots. It leaves very little to the imagination, and as a punter it doesn’t get much better.
#2. Boylesports
BoyleSports has a streamlined interface that makes it easy for punters to dig into all kinds of statistics and projections. We really like the way it displays these resources to punters, and the huge assortment of footie betting markets that BoyleSports provides. 3-way handicapping is very much a part of that package, and these wagers come with cash out options. Plus, you can do match 3-way handicaps or First Half 3-way handicaps, potentially even combining them into accas should you wish to do so.
Promotions are very much a part of the excitement at BoyleSports, with betting boosts, early payout offers and acca boosts or insurance offers. BoyleSports is definitely a good choice if you are into alternative handicap betting and building accas.
#3. bet365
The coverage at Bet365 is second to none, as this bookie has a colossal assortment of bets to offer. The acca building possibilities are endless, and there are so many different types of goals wagers, corners bets, time markets, goal scorer bets to be had. We like how they really cover every single line where handicaps are concerned, from 3-way handicaps to Asian lines and even double Asian handicaps (.25 and .75 handicaps – learn more at our Asian Handicap table).
This attention to detail is carried through to the live betting markets, and even in your acca building endeavours. To elevate the experience, you also have a huge array of fixed promotional offers such as early payouts and accumulator boosts, in addition to piles of daily enhanced odds offers.
#4. BetFred
BetFred has quality odds and a generous selection of betting markets on footie. It is the bookie that dares to give you +3/-3 handicaps, and even go as high as +4/-4 should there be such a disparity between the two teams playing. The Bet Builder function has been optimised to include as many different wagers as possible, and allowing punters to take free reigns on their predictions.
The bonuses at this betting site are highly exciting too, with acca insurance offers, bet builder leaderboards, Double Delight & Hattrick Heaven, and even a #PickYourPunt function that allows you to create custom and unique wagers.
#5. BetVictor
BetVictor is one of the best horse racing betting apps, but it also covers footie, basketball, cricket, tennis, and many other sports. Punters will love the frequent bet builder boosts, Specials betting markets, and exceptional acca building opportunities. 3-way handicap betting is offered at BetVictor, and you can add these bets into your bet builder to hit lengthier odds. They can be combined with any number of quality markets, including Goalscorers, or Player Assists/Tackles/Fouls, and even goal markets and match props.
On the subject of handicaps and goals, BetVictor has a unique Early Payout offer on match bets. You can bet on match winners, or for slightly shorter odds, try a 1 Up Early Payout wager or even a 2 Up Early Payout bet. It does make you rethink your 3-way handicap betting strategy, but we think it is a handy tool to have for any punter who focuses on handicaps and margin betting.
#6. Betway
Betway supplies 3 way handicaps on footie matches and these are easy to tie into bet builders or accas. The betting site has plenty of statistics, comparing tools and software to give punters the edge, and its bet builder tool is highly intuitive. It is not just easy to grasp, but Betway’s bet builder is fast and efficient to use. It can really come in handy when placing live accas or building in-game bets, and you can add all the 3-way handicaps to your heart’s content.
You can also snap up regular free bets through the Free Bet Club, take advantage of regular Betway Boosts, and opt into many more recurring promotions. And you can make those accas on the go using the Betway mobile betting app.
Features That Enhance Alternate Handicap Betting
One of the distinguishing features that separates a top bookie from an average one is having a bet builder function that allows these alternate handicaps to be combined with other selections. Should you want to combine corners bets, goalscorers, cards, or any other specific props relating to a match into the equation, you can do so.
Cash outs are also a must, as at their essence, these 3-way handicaps are very similar to match bets. These offers will differ, naturally, to the cash out offers you would get with a normal match bet. Say your chosen team has a handicap of +1 and the score is 0-0 at half time. In a winning position thus far, your cash out offer is better than if you had simply bet on a match winner bet. But should you place a -1 handicap and your team scores the only goal before half time, the adjusted scoreline is 1-1 and so you will not receive as great a cash out.
+1 and -1 are the most common footie alternate handicap lines, but top bookies may also offer lines of +2/-2, or even as high as +3/-3. But don’t take it as a sign of a mid-range bookie if you don’t find these high alternate lines. Because it also very much depends on the match, and the perceived difference between the two teams. In a match between two relegation-zoned teams, you may not find +3/-3 lines as neither is expected to score 3 or more goals. It could happen, but this is such a rarity that the bookie wouldn’t normally offer it.
Strategy for 3-Way Handicaps
There are many handicap betting strategies that you could use, backing either the favorite or the underdog, and with 3-way handicaps you can also throw in backing draws.
On average, football matches in the Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A and the other top competitions generally have an average score of around 2.5 or thereabouts. Therefore, the +2 handicaps and -2 handicaps are really borderline in terms of winning or losing. But these bets provide either very lengthy or very short odds, depending on whether you want to give your chosen team a 2 goal margin to clear, or a 2 goal advantage.
Double Chance vs 3-Way Handicaps
There is definitely a market for betting on teams +1 handicap, however short these odds are. It gives your chosen team the leeway of a draw, so if the scores are level at the end of the match you will still win. Now here, you may ask, so what is the difference between a +1 Handicap bet and a Double Chance wager?
The answer, in theory, is none, but the odds may differ slightly. Here is an example of a random EPL match between Leicester and Newcastle. We are interested in the odds on +1 betting on either team, as well as the equivalent Double Chance bets.
I’m going to convert these bets into decimal odds, to make it simpler to pinpoint which one has the best odds.
| 3-Way Handicap vs Double Chance | ||
|---|---|---|
| Match Winner (+1) | 1:0 or 0:1 3-Way Handicap | Win or Draw Double Chance |
| Leicester City | 1.625 | 1.6 |
| Newcastle United | 0.111 | 0.125 |
If I was going to back Leicester, I would pick the +1 Handicap bet. If they win the game, I win; if the game is level, I win; and I will only lose if Newcastle United wins. Should I back Newcastle, I would take the double chance wager on Newcastle or draw. Again, if Newcastle wins, or the game ends in a draw, I will win my bet. You get the idea.
Backing “Draws” (1-0, 2-1, etc)
But this market is not just a tricky “alternate double chance”. No, it is also a highly useful one for backing draws. Or in other words, betting on a team to win by exactly one goal. For instance, when there are two very evenly matched teams.
Think about teams who can hold onto 1 goal leads, or those that can are renowned for scoring late goals that can potentially decide a match. There are many scenarios in which +1 or -1 handicap bets on draws can work, and it covers scorelines of 1-0, 2-1, 3-2, and so on.
-1 Handicaps (3-Way) Versus -1.5 Handicaps (2-Way)
Finally, let’s look at -1 three way handicaps. You are essentially placing a bet on a team to win by 2 goals or more, just the same as a -1.5 handicap bet. If your team wins only by 1 goal, you lose your bet, in both -1 3-way handicaps and in -1.5 handicaps. If you bet a simple -1 handicap in a two way betting market, your bet is pushed and you will receive your stake back.
But just because this market is virtually the same as -1.5 handicaps doesn’t mean the odds will always be equal. Just take a look at the screenshot below on a Serie A match.
It is a bit small, as we wanted to combine two windows. Here is a table that lines up the bets we want to compare; -1 handicaps in 3-way handicap markets and straight -1.5 handicaps in 2-way handicap markets.
| 3-Way Handicap vs -1.5 Handicap (2-Way) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Match Winner (-1) | -1 3-Way Handicap | -1.5 2-Way Handicap |
| Bologna | 6.5 | 6.4 |
| Napoli | 6 | 5.9 |
In these real examples that we have used, the 3-way handicap odds are better for betting on either Bologna (-1) or Napoli (-1). The returns are just a bit longer if you use 3-way handicap bets, which is quite remarkable. However, we have also tested other sample matches and found that in some cases, the 2-way handicap -1.5 bets have longer odds.
The lesson: always double check both types of handicaps to determine if you are getting the best odds on your wager.
If you want more tips and strategies for other betting markets, be sure to check out our expert strategies, betting market guides, or take a peek at our weekly free footie betting tips.
