French Ligue 1

The French Ligue 1 is one of the most competitive top divisions in world football. At the time of writing thirty games have been played this season and the top six teams are separated by only three points. It was not always this way and, although Bordeaux are the current champions, they broke a run which saw Lyon win an incredible seven league titles in a row. Their success last year, and the emergence of teams such as Lille and Auxerre, have seen more and more betting on the league, with much of that being placed on the fast-growing Asian Handicap.

The Asian Handicap works by eliminating the draw as a result from matches by offering handicaps of a number of goals or half-goals. If one team is favourite to win a game they could be offered at improved odds with a handicap of, for example, -1. If they then draw the match, the bet is lost. If the favourites win by one goal, the bet is returned and if they win by two or more goals then the bet is won.

Half-goals and quarter-goals are also available on the Asian Handicap. A half-goal means the result will not be a push, the bet is either won or lost. However, if the handicap is -1.25 (-1, -1/4) then the bet is split into two parts. Half of the bet is placed on -1 goal and is settled as such, and the other half is settled on -1.5 goals. It is, then, possible to win half and see the rest returned, win or lose both parts, etc.

Asian Handicap betting is growing rapidly and the margins are relatively small, attracting more punters every day. Known in Asia as ‘Hang Cheng betting’, the term ‘Asian Handicap’ was suggested by online gambling entrepreneur Joe Saumerez Smith in 1998.

French Ligue 1 betting odds

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