HandPickedBetIf you have ever used SportyBet and come across markets such as Handicap 0:2, Handicap 0:3 or Handicap 2:0, you may wonder what the numbers mean and how to know whether your bet has won.
Handicap betting can look confusing because the numbers are not the actual score of the match. They represent a virtual goal advantage that is applied to the teams before the handicap result is determined.
SportyBet describes Handicap as predicting the winner of the match while taking the handicap shown in brackets into consideration. Its football betting markets also show three selections under a handicap line: Home, Draw and Away.
In this guide, we will explain what handicap means in SportyBet, what Handicap 0:2 means, what Handicap 0:3 means, what Handicap 0:4 means, and how to know whether your particular selection wins or loses.
What Does Handicap Mean in SportyBet?
A handicap in SportyBet gives one team a virtual goal advantage for the purpose of calculating the betting result.
For example, with Handicap 0:2, the away team receives a two-goal advantage.
With Handicap 2:0, the home team receives a two-goal advantage.
SportyBet’s help information gives the same basic explanation: (0:1) indicates a one-goal advantage for the away team, while (1:0) indicates a one-goal advantage for the home team.
But there is an important point many beginners miss:
Handicap does not mean you are automatically betting on the team receiving the advantage.
Under a Handicap 0:2 market, SportyBet can give you three choices:
- Home (0:2)
- Draw (0:2)
- Away (0:2)
SportyBet’s current football market displays these three options for Handicap 0:2.
Therefore, you must choose Home, Draw or Away.
The handicap is then applied to the actual score to determine which of those three outcomes wins.
What Does Handicap 0:2 Mean in SportyBet?
Handicap 0:2 means the away team is given a two-goal advantage for the handicap calculation.
Think of it as adding two goals to the away team’s score before deciding the handicap result.
For example, imagine:
Home 1–2 Away
The actual score is 1–2.
Apply the 0:2 handicap:
Home 1–4 Away
The handicap outcome is Away.
Now your actual bet depends on what you selected.
- Home (0:2) → ❌ Lost
- Draw (0:2) → ❌ Lost
- Away (0:2) → ✅ Won
This distinction is extremely important.
The fact that the handicap outcome is Away does not mean every Handicap 0:2 bet wins. Only someone who selected Away (0:2) wins.
Handicap 0:2 Example: Actual Score 2–0
Let’s use another example.
The actual match finishes:
Home 2–0 Away
Apply the 0:2 handicap:
Home 2–2 Away
The handicap outcome is now Draw.
Therefore:
| Your Selection | Result |
|---|---|
| Home (0:2) | ❌ Lost |
| Draw (0:2) | ✅ Won |
| Away (0:2) | ❌ Lost |
This is why you should always distinguish between the handicap-adjusted result and your selected bet.
If you selected Away because you thought the away team would win the handicap, you would lose this particular bet. If you selected Draw, you would win.
Handicap 0:2 Examples
Here are several examples showing how the market works.
| Actual Score | Handicap Score | Handicap Outcome | Home Selection | Draw Selection | Away Selection |
| 0–0 | 0–2 | Away | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| 1–0 | 1–2 | Away | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| 2–0 | 2–2 | Draw | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| 3–0 | 3–2 | Home | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| 1–2 | 1–4 | Away | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| 2–2 | 2–4 | Away | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| 3–1 | 3–3 | Draw | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| 4–1 | 4–3 | Home | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
This table demonstrates the most important rule:
The handicap creates a result, but your selection determines whether you win or lose.
What Does Handicap 0:3 Mean?
Handicap 0:3 gives the away team a three-goal advantage.
Suppose the actual match finishes:
Home 2–1 Away
Apply the handicap:
Home 2–4 Away
The handicap outcome is Away.
Therefore:
- Home (0:3) → ❌ Lost
- Draw (0:3) → ❌ Lost
- Away (0:3) → ✅ Won
SportyBet’s football markets also display Handicap 0:3 with Home, Draw and Away selections.
Handicap 0:3 Example: Home Wins 3–0
Suppose the actual score is:
Home 3–0 Away
Apply the three-goal advantage:
Home 3–3 Away
The handicap outcome is Draw.
Therefore:
- Home (0:3) → ❌ Lost
- Draw (0:3) → ✅ Won
- Away (0:3) → ❌ Lost
Again, the actual winner of the match does not necessarily determine the handicap winner.
What Does Handicap 0:4 Mean?
Handicap 0:4 gives the away team a four-goal advantage.
For example, if the actual score is:
Home 3–0 Away
Apply the handicap:
Home 3–4 Away
The handicap outcome is Away.
Therefore:
- Home (0:4) → ❌ Lost
- Draw (0:4) → ❌ Lost
- Away (0:4) → ✅ Won
But if the match finishes:
Home 5–0 Away
the handicap score becomes:
Home 5–4 Away
Now the handicap outcome is Home.
So:
- Home (0:4) → ✅ Won
- Draw (0:4) → ❌ Lost
- Away (0:4) → ❌ Lost
What Does Handicap 0:1 Mean?
Handicap 0:1 gives the away team a one-goal advantage.
For example:
Actual score:
Home 1–1 Away
Handicap score:
Home 1–2 Away
Handicap outcome: Away
Therefore:
- Home (0:1) → ❌ Lost
- Draw (0:1) → ❌ Lost
- Away (0:1) → ✅ Won
But consider:
Home 1–0 Away
After the handicap:
Home 1–1 Away
The handicap outcome is Draw.
Therefore:
- Home (0:1) → ❌ Lost
- Draw (0:1) → ✅ Won
- Away (0:1) → ❌ Lost
What Does Handicap 2:0 Mean?
Handicap betting can also give the advantage to the home team.
Handicap 2:0 means the home team receives a two-goal advantage.
For example:
Actual score:
Home 1–0 Away
Apply the handicap:
Home 3–0 Away
The handicap outcome is Home.
Therefore:
- Home (2:0) → ✅ Won
- Draw (2:0) → ❌ Lost
- Away (2:0) → ❌ Lost
SportyBet’s football markets show Handicap 2:0 with separate Home, Draw and Away selections.
Another Handicap 2:0 Example
Actual score:
Home 0–1 Away
Apply the handicap:
Home 2–1 Away
The handicap outcome is Home.
So:
- Home (2:0) → ✅ Won
- Draw (2:0) → ❌ Lost
- Away (2:0) → ❌ Lost
But if the actual score is:
Home 0–3 Away
the handicap score becomes:
Home 2–3 Away
The handicap outcome is Away.
Therefore, only Away (2:0) wins.
Home Handicap and Away Handicap Explained
The position of the numbers is important.
The first number represents the home team, while the second represents the away team.
Handicap 0:2
- Home = 0
- Away = +2
The away team receives two goals.
Handicap 2:0
- Home = +2
- Away = 0
The home team receives two goals.
Handicap 0:3
- Home = 0
- Away = +3
The away team receives three goals.
Handicap 3:0
- Home = +3
- Away = 0
The home team receives three goals.
A simple way to remember this is:
The number on the left belongs to the home team.
The number on the right belongs to the away team.
What Does Home Handicap 0:2 Mean?
When SportyBet displays Home (0:2), it means you are selecting the Home outcome after applying the 0:2 handicap.
It does not mean that the home team automatically has a two-goal advantage.
With 0:2, the advantage belongs to the away team.
For example:
Actual score:
Home 3–0 Away
Handicap score:
Home 3–2 Away
The handicap outcome is Home.
Therefore, Home (0:2) wins.
What Does Away Handicap 0:2 Mean?
Away (0:2) means you are selecting the Away outcome after the 0:2 handicap has been applied.
For example:
Actual score:
Home 1–2 Away
Handicap score:
Home 1–4 Away
The handicap outcome is Away.
Therefore:
Away (0:2) → ✅ Won
But if the actual score is:
Home 2–0 Away
the handicap score becomes:
Home 2–2 Away
The handicap outcome is Draw.
Therefore:
Away (0:2) → ❌ Lost
This is one of the most important examples to understand when learning handicap betting.
What Does Away Handicap 0:3 Mean?
Away (0:3) means you have selected the away team after a three-goal advantage has been applied to the away side.
Suppose the match ends:
Home 1–0 Away
Apply the handicap:
Home 1–3 Away
The handicap outcome is Away.
Therefore:
Away (0:3) → ✅ Won
But if the home team wins 4–0:
Home 4–3 Away
The handicap outcome is Home.
Therefore:
Away (0:3) → ❌ Lost
Handicap 0:2 vs Handicap 0:3 vs Handicap 0:4
The difference is the number of goals given as the virtual advantage.
| Handicap | Team Receiving Advantage |
| 0:1 | Away +1 |
| 0:2 | Away +2 |
| 0:3 | Away +3 |
| 0:4 | Away +4 |
| 1:0 | Home +1 |
| 2:0 | Home +2 |
| 3:0 | Home +3 |
| 4:0 | Home +4 |
The larger the number, the bigger the handicap.
How Do You Know If Your Handicap Bet Won?
This is the easiest way to check your bet.
Step 1: Look at the handicap
For example:
0:2
Step 2: Apply it to the final score
If the actual score is:
2–0
add two goals to the away team:
2–2
Step 3: Find the handicap outcome
The result is:
Draw
Step 4: Compare it with your selection
If you selected:
Draw (0:2) → ✅ Won
If you selected:
Home (0:2) → ❌ Lost
If you selected:
Away (0:2) → ❌ Lost
This four-step process removes most of the confusion surrounding handicap betting.
Handicap Result Is Not the Same as Your Bet Result
This deserves special attention.
Imagine the actual match finishes:
Home 2–0 Away
With Handicap 0:2:
Home 2–2 Away
The handicap result is Draw.
But saying “the bet won” would be incomplete.
Why?
Because there were three possible selections:
- Home
- Draw
- Away
Only the person who selected Draw (0:2) won.
Someone who selected Away (0:2) lost.
Someone who selected Home (0:2) also lost.
So whenever you see a handicap result, always ask:
“Which selection did I choose?”
Handicap vs Asian Handicap
Do not confuse the standard Handicap market with Asian Handicap.
SportyBet lists them as separate markets. Standard Handicap uses selections such as Home, Draw and Away with handicap figures such as 0:2, 0:3 and 2:0. Asian Handicap uses lines such as -1.5 and +1.5 and has different settlement rules.
SportyBet explains that Asian Handicap can have different outcomes depending on whether the handicap is a quarter-ball, half-ball or whole-ball line. Whole-number Asian Handicap lines can result in a void, while half-ball lines are settled as won or lost.
Therefore, don’t assume that every handicap displayed on a betting platform works in exactly the same way.
Common Handicap Betting Mistakes
Mistake 1: Thinking 0:2 Is the Predicted Score
It isn’t.
0:2 is the handicap.
The actual match could finish 2–0, 3–1, 0–0, 1–2 or any other score.
Mistake 2: Thinking Away Automatically Wins 0:2
Not necessarily.
With Handicap 0:2, the away team receives the two-goal advantage, but the market still has Home, Draw and Away selections.
You must choose which outcome you think will occur after applying the handicap.
Mistake 3: Confusing the Handicap Outcome With Your Bet Result
If the adjusted score is 2–2, the handicap outcome is Draw.
That only means a Draw selection wins.
An Away selection loses.
Mistake 4: Confusing 0:2 With 2:0
They give the advantage to different teams.
0:2 → Away +2
2:0 → Home +2
Mistake 5: Confusing Handicap With Asian Handicap
These are separate markets with different formats and settlement rules on SportyBet.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does handicap mean in SportyBet?
Handicap means the final result is calculated after taking the displayed handicap into consideration. SportyBet describes its Handicap market as predicting the winner in regular time while considering the handicap shown in brackets.
What does Handicap 0:2 mean?
Handicap 0:2 gives the away team a two-goal advantage for calculating the handicap result.
What does Handicap 0:3 mean?
Handicap 0:3 gives the away team a three-goal advantage.
What does Handicap 0:4 mean?
Handicap 0:4 gives the away team a four-goal advantage.
What does Handicap 2:0 mean?
Handicap 2:0 gives the home team a two-goal advantage.
If the handicap result is Draw, does my bet win?
Only if you selected Draw.
For example, if the handicap-adjusted score is 2–2:
- Home selection → ❌ Lost
- Draw selection → ✅ Won
- Away selection → ❌ Lost
What does Away (0:2) mean?
It means you have selected the Away outcome in the Handicap 0:2 market.
What does Home (0:2) mean?
It means you have selected the Home outcome after the 0:2 handicap is applied.
What does Draw (0:2) mean?
It means you are predicting that the match will be a draw after the 0:2 handicap is applied.
Is Handicap the same as Asian Handicap?
No. SportyBet treats Handicap and Asian Handicap as separate markets, and their settlement rules can differ.
Final Thoughts
Understanding what handicap means in SportyBet becomes much easier when you separate two things:
The handicap-adjusted result and your selected outcome.
For example:
Actual score: 2–0
Handicap: 0:2
Adjusted score: 2–2
Handicap outcome: Draw
But that does not mean every Handicap 0:2 bet wins.
- Home (0:2) → ❌ Lost
- Draw (0:2) → ✅ Won
- Away (0:2) → ❌ Lost
That same principle applies to Handicap 0:1, 0:3, 0:4, 2:0 and other standard handicap lines.
Once you understand how the handicap is applied and remember to check which of Home, Draw or Away you selected, handicap betting becomes much easier to read.
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