Can you explain a ‘3-way handicap’ in soccer?

A ‘3-way handicap’ is a type of soccer betting market that offers three possible outcomes for a match while applying a handicap to one of the teams involved. This type of handicap bet is commonly used to level the playing field when there is a clear difference in quality between two teams.

The three possible outcomes in a 3-way handicap are:

Home Team Wins:

In this scenario, the home team, which may be the stronger team in the match, wins after the handicap is applied. This means that if you place a bet on the home team, they must win by a margin that covers the handicap for your bet to be successful.

Draw:

If the match ends in a draw after the handicap is applied, this outcome is a winning bet if you placed a wager on the draw. The handicap should balance the strengths of the two teams, making it more challenging for either team to secure a clear victory.

Away Team Wins:

This outcome occurs when the away team, typically considered the underdog, wins after the handicap is applied. If you placed a bet on the away team, they must win by a margin that covers the handicap for your bet to be successful.

Here’s an example to illustrate a 3-way handicap:

Let’s say Team A is considered the stronger team, and Team B is the underdog. The bookmaker offers the following 3-way handicap:

Home Team (Team A) -1.5 goals
Draw
Away Team (Team B) +1.5 goals

In this case, the handicap is set at 1.5 goals in favor of Team B. If you bet on Team B to win with the handicap, they must either win the match or lose by no more than one goal for your bet to be successful.

Conversely, if you bet on Team A, they need to win by a margin greater than 1.5 goals for your bet to win. If the match ends in a draw, the “Draw” option is the winning bet.

Keep in mind that the actual handicap values can vary, and they depend on the perceived difference in quality between the two teams. The goal of the 3-way handicap is to provide more balanced odds and a more competitive betting market, especially in matches where one team is heavily favored over the other.