The Basics
First of all, you need to understand what the +0.5 handicap betting system is. Essentially, this means that you will place a wager on the game with a half-time handicap of +0.5, which means you’ll place a bet on the game 15 minutes before the start of the 2nd half.
This is slightly different to normal betting systems, which means you might not be used to calculating odds and making wagers on teams you’re not actually watching. But don’t worry, it’s not as difficult as it seems.
Step 1: Identify The Best Odds
When you’re accustomed to placing wagers on sporting events, the second half of a football match (after halftime) is the best part. The action often speeds up, and even the least exciting games become more interesting. This is all because, mathematically speaking, the 2nd half of a football match has a much higher winning chance than the 1st half.
This is also the case with +0.5 handicap systems. You should identify the best odds available for each team, and make sure you read the fine print before you place a wager. Some books will only allow you to make certain types of bets or offer certain odds, so find out what those are ahead of time.
Step 2: Identify The Best Match To Place A Wager On
Once you’ve got your eye on a couple of likely victors in the upcoming match, it’s time to find the best odds available to place a wager on them. Start by looking at the current market or asking a bookmaker for his opinion on which teams are most likely to win.
Then, take a look at the previous matches between these two teams to see if there’s any pattern to their results. Are they usually very competitive games, or does one team dominate the other? These are all important questions, because what you’re essentially doing is picking a winner of a competitive game featuring two evenly matched teams. Don’t just look at the head-to-head results between each team, but instead analyse their overall records in other games to get an idea of what to expect in this game as well!
Step 3: Calculate Your Handicap For The Game
Finally, you need to come up with a handicap for the game that you’re interested in picking. If you’ve done everything correctly so far, this should be an easy task. You need to take the total amount of points scored over the last 10 games between these two teams, and add half of those points (to account for the fact that the game is not yet over) to the total. This will then form your handicap for the game.
For example, if Arsenal have scored 22 goals in 10 games and Liverpool have conceded 18 goals, you would add 14 goals (22+18) to your total to get a final score of 40 goals. In this case, you would place a 0.5 bet on Arsenal, since their score is closer to being +0.5 than Liverpool’s score is. Remember, the closer the score is to being +0.5, the higher the probability of a win for the team with the lower score.
The Application
The +0.5 handicap system can be used just like any other betting system, with a few caveats. First of all, you need to place your bet before halftime or the result of the 1st half is applied. The 2nd half begins as soon as halftime ends, and all bets placed after that are not respected.
Secondly, in the unlikely event of a tie, there is no betting option. You’ll either need to wait for one of the teams to score a goal, or, if it goes into extra time, you’ll need to place a bet on the outcome of the penalty shoot-out. Still, these two teams are unlikely to ever score exactly the same number of goals, so it’s unlikely you’ll ever need to use this option.
And, finally, you need to keep in mind that the system is only as good as your personal math skills and the accuracy of your calculator. All bets should be placed before the end of the game, since all bets are final and results won’t change once the game has ended.