What Is Handicap Betting In Esports? The Complete 2025 Guide
Handicap betting gives one team an advantage or disadvantage to level the playing field between teams.
There are different types of handicap betting in esports, including rounds, maps, points, goals, and kills.
Handicap betting is a great option to get big wins on underdogs, but it’s a risky bet if you’re still a beginner.
Esports handicap betting is a way to level the playing field between two teams. Due to each team or player having a unique skill level, a handicap is used to give one side a virtual advantage or disadvantage. This makes esports betting more competitive and more rewarding on esports betting sites.
It’s especially popular in sports where the skill gap can lead to a one-sided result. In this guide, we’ll cover how esports handicap betting works and the different types of handicaps you may see.
What Is a Handicap Bet?
A handicap bet is a type of wager that gives one team or player a head start, making the betting market more balanced. It’s most common to see handicaps when one side is heavily favored compared to the other, which creates more competitive odds.
An example of this would be giving an underdog team a +1.5 map advantage, or giving the favorite team a -1.5 map disadvantage.
To win a handicap bet, the team or player must beat the handicap they’ve been given. If they have a negative handicap, then they must win the game by more than that margin. For example, if you bet on a team that has a -1.5 handicap in a best-of-three series, they will need to win 2-0 to cover the spread.
On the other hand, if you back the underdog with the positive handicap of say, +1.5, they simply need to win a single map (or avoid being swept) for the bet to land.
How To Place an Esports Handicap Bet
Handicap betting can be an exciting way to maximize your bets and bring a new level of excitement to your betting strategy and experience. Here’s how to place a handicap bet in a couple of steps:
- Find a reputable sportsbook that is licensed and regulated in the region you’re looking to access it from.
- Choose the esports title and match you want to place a bet on.
- Find the handicap market (sometimes referred to as spread betting). You can find it alongside the match winner and total maps/rounds bets.
- Choose which team or player you want to bet on. Remember to shop around for the best esports betting odds, so that you can get the best value for your money.
- Enter your stake and place the bet.
Esports Handicap Bet Examples
Handicap betting goes even further than simply betting on the winning team. There are different markets you can choose for a handicap bet. We’ll cover some of the most common markets below, explain what each one means, and what’s required to win the handicap bet.
Kill Handicap Betting
A kill handicap in esports refers to the total number of kills a player or team gets in a match. This market is especially popular in Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBAs) titles like League of Legends and Dota 2, but you can also find it in FPS titles.
If you bet on a -7.5 kill handicap, the team needs to end the round with eight or more kills than their opponent for your bet to win. But if you’re betting on the underdog (7.5), the team needs to get no more than seven fewer kills than their opponent to secure a win.
Strategy can be tricky in this market, but you can analyze some previous matches to get an idea of which team tends to perform better and get more kills if you’re placing a kill handicap bet.
Round Handicap Betting
In FPS (first-person shooter) titles such as Call of Duty or CS2, matches are split into multiple rounds. A round-based handicap is applied to the number of rounds that each team has won.
So, for example, if one team has a -3.5 round handicap, they’ll need to win at least four more rounds than the other team for your bet to win. On the other hand, if a team has a +3.5 handicap, they can lose by fewer than four rounds or win outright.
If you’re going with round-based handicap bets, it’s important to understand the team you’re betting on, especially when it comes to their strengths and weaknesses on different maps.
Map Handicap Betting
Map handicap betting in esports are most often used in a best-of-series. You’ll find these handicap bets in games like CS2, LoL, or Dota 2, where a best-of-three or best-of-five series is being played. This handicap applies to the wins per virtual map lead or deficit to a team.
For example, a -1.5 handicap in a best-of-three series would mean that the team needs to win 2-0 for your bet to win. A +1.5 means they just need to win on one map in the series.
This is another tough one in terms of strategy, but similar to a round-based handicap, you can get good value out of analyzing which maps the team is strong or weak on.
Goal Handicap Betting
Goal handicap esports betting is based on more sports-related titles, with FIFA or EA FC being the prime example. Goal handicaps in esports betting are very similar to real-world sports betting, where the handicap is applied to the number of goals scored during the match.
If you’re backing the underdog on +1.5, the player can win, draw, or lose by just one goal, and your bet will still win. However, if you’re on the -1.5 handicap, the player you’re backing needs to win the match by at least two goals.
Point Handicap Betting
The points handicap in esports refers to the point system used in the relevant title. Points handicap bets are often used in titles like Overwatch or certain fighting games, such as Tekken. This handicap is based on the total points scored across a round.
A team or player with a -5.5 point handicap needs to outscore their opponent by 6 points for your bet to win. If you’re backing the underdog in a +5.5 point handicap, they just need to keep the points total close (no more than 5 points behind their opponent) for your bet to win.
Pros & Cons of Esports Handicap Betting
Handicap bets often come with better odds and bring some balance to uneven matchups, giving you a chance to potentially secure some big wins. But it also comes with some serious risks, and you need to make sure to do thorough research and put together a solid betting strategy before committing to a handicap bet.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| Better value in one-sided matches | Requires a thorough understanding of the game formats, rules, and current meta |
| Makes uneven match-ups more exciting to bet on | Your bet could still lose even if the team or player you’re backing wins |
| Extra betting options across maps, rounds, kills, goals, or points | Odds could be misleading if you don’t understand handicaps |
| A great option for experienced bettors who understand the game and conduct thorough research | Riskier for beginners who are unfamiliar with esports |
| Greater chances of getting wins from underdogs in a matchup | Patch updates or changes in the meta could significantly impact your bets |
Conclusion
There are various types of handicap betting, including rounds, kills, maps, goals, and additional points. Each of these different types of bets correlates to different types of games. For example, a goal handicap would be used in EA FC, whereas a map handicap could be used in an FPS title like Call of Duty.
We’ve also covered the key pros and cons of handicap betting to help you decide whether this avenue would be good for your betting strategy.
While handicap betting can be an exciting new angle for your betting journey, it’s important to remember to bet responsibly. Try out a couple of handicap bets to get the hang of it, but remember to do your research and form a solid strategy first.
FAQs
What does handicap mean in esports betting?
Handicap betting is when one team or player is given an advantage or a disadvantage to create a more even playing field. This creates more balanced odds when matchups are uneven due to differing skill levels.
Which esports games use handicap betting?
Handicap betting is used in a wide range of different esports titles, including FIFA, EA FC, CS2, Dota 2, League of Legends, Tekken, Street Fighter, Valorant, Overwatch, and more. You get different types of handicap bets for each title, such as goals, kills, maps, rounds, and points.
How to win esports handicap bets?
You can win a handicap bet by predicting which team will overcome the “spread”. For example, the favourite in a -1.5 EA FC goal handicap would need to score at least two goals more than their opponent to cover the spread for your bet to win. To win these bets, you need to understand the players, teams, and meta.
Is handicap betting profitable in esports?
Handicap bets can be hugely profitable if you can spot potential in an underdog player or team. If you understand their performance and what makes them tick, you could land a good value handicap to get some good winnings. But you can’t just guess; you need to do thorough research and place strategic bets.
What are the risks of handicap betting in esports?
Handicap betting is risky because esports are unpredictable. Momentum can swing fast in matches; underdogs could outperform favourites, or favourites could drop a bad performance. If you don’t do thorough research and just place bets based on a guess, handicap betting carries a considerable risk of losing.
