What are Asian Handicaps ?

Asian Handicap? The definition:-
Asian Handicaps are a type of bet offered by bookmakers on football matches. Punters are required to choose a team to bet. Handicaps are given to the weaker team by the stronger team.
Handicaps given are based on factors such as team performance and home ground advantage.
Normally, the result at the end of the 90 minutes will decide either you win or lose the bet. You will find that there other types of bets (handicaps offered for 1st half & 2nd half of the game, running ball handicaps - real time during the course of the game and extra time handicap) apart from the 90 minutes result.

The types of Handicaps
You can see the following handicaps (0+0.5), (0.5), (0.5+1), (1), (1+1.5), (1.5), (1.5+2), (2) and so on... I will explain the handicaps one by one in the following segment.
What does it means...?
So, if a team give a handicap of (0.5) goal, the other team shall have (0.5) goal advantage.
Normally, (-0.5) representing that the team is giving a (0.5) goal advantage to the other team which is represented by a (+0.5).
The scenario
A bookmaker is offering the following Asian Handicap for the following matches:
Man Utd (-0.5) vs Liverpool (+0.5)

The details
From the above fixture, Man Utd are the favorite to win the game as Man Utd are giving Liverpool a (-0.5) goal handicap. If your choose Man Utd, you will start the match with a disadvantage of (-0.5) goal. If you choose Liverpool you will start the match with a (+0.5) goal advantage. By choosing Man Utd, you are predicting Man Utd to win the match (Man Utd win is the outcome that you win your bet). While, choosing Liverpool means that the game will be won by them or it might ended in draw (You win your bet if the game is won by Liverpool or ended in draw).

Others strait forward handicaps
Handicap such as (1.0), (1.5), (2.0) and so on...

Asian Handicap:
1) Man Utd (-1.0) vs Blackburn (+1.0)
If your bet are on Man Utd, you are predicting Man Utd to win by more than 1 goal (such as 2-0, 3-0, 3-1, 4-1,4-2), then you win your bet. You lose your bet if Blackburn beat Man Utd or the game ended in draw. If Man Utd beat Blackburn by 1 goal (1-0, 2-1, 3-2) neither you nor the bookmaker win, your bet will be refunded.

2) Brazil (-1.5) vs Bolivia (+1.5)
If you bet on Brazil, you will only if Brazil win by more by 2 goals margin or more all other result (such as 2-0, 3-0, 3-1, 4-0, 4-1, 4-2). You lose your bet if Brazil did not win by 2 goals or more.

3) Argentina (-2.0) vs Trinidad & Tobago (+2.0)
Argentina need to win by 3 goals or more if you are to win your bet. If Argentina fail to win or win by only 1 goal margin, you will lose your bet. If the winning margin is exactly 2 goals by Argentina neither you win nor you lose the bet.

I think by now, more or less you should have understand how Asian Handicap works.
So, we move further to the last type of handicaps which determine you either win all, win half , lose all or lose half of your bet. . You will understand what I mean by win all, win half, lose all and lose half after the next section.

Handicaps with the possibility of winning or losing 50% of your bet
The special handicaps are (0+0.5), (0.5+1), (1+1.5), (1.5+2), ....

Asian Handicap:
Arsenal -(0+0.5) vs Man Utd +(0+0.5)
The above handicap shows that Arsenal has slight advantage over Man Utd by giving them a (0+0.5) handicap. You can also say that it's a handicap of "even and half" goal advantage to Man Utd.
Assuming that your bet is on Arsenal. You will win the bet if Arsenal beat Man Utd by any scoreline. However, you will lose your bet if Man Utd beat Arsenal. In the event of draw, you shall lose half of your bet, e.g. If your bet is USD100, you only l

Special handicaps continues...
Asian Handicap:
Chelsea -(o.5+1) vs Newcastle Utd +(0.5+1)
Chelsea are the favorite to win the game. Assuming that you bet on Chelsea, the "half and one" goal handicap means that Chelsea need to win by more than one goal margin for you to win the bet. However, if Chelsea win by single goal, you shall win half of your bet. You lose your bet if Chelsea lose or draw the game.

Handicap of (1+1.5) means that your team need to win by more than a single goal margin to win the bet. You will lose half of your bet if your team win by single goal margin. You lose you bet if your team fail to win.

By now, you should have understand the basic for Asian Handicap betting. The favorite team will give goal handicap to the weaker team. The difference in strength of both team decide the margin of goal handicap. GOOD LUCK!