As one of the biggest and most recognisable bookmakers on the high street, you would expect Coral to offer a full spread of online coverage when it comes to handicap and Asian handicap betting.
While the bookmaker certainly does provide a decent amount of handicap bets for their online punters, Coral do fall short of expectations when it comes to giving a truly comprehensive coverage of this popular betting method. In fact, their coverage of Asian handicap betting is disappointingly limited.
Sports Coverage
So, what sports are on offer with handicap betting options on Coral’s online betting pages? You can expect to find the usual suspects of popular sports with all the standard handicap bets available. Here’s a breakdown of what exactly you can find on Coral:
- Football: 3-way full match handicap betting, 3-way first half handicap betting, 3-way second half handicap betting.
- Rugby League: 3-way full match handicap betting, 3-way first half handicap betting, 3-way second half handicap betting.
- Rugby Union: 3-way full match handicap betting, 3-way first half handicap betting, 3-way second half handicap betting.
- Tennis: Game handicap betting.
As you can see, all the popular sports for handicap betting are covered in some capacity on Coral. However, when compared to other high-profile betting websites, this coverage is lacking in its variety and expansiveness.
Handicap Bets
One notable absence from Coral’s handicap betting coverage is the apparent lack of Asian handicap options in the football pages of their sportsbook. For most Premier League matches the betting method is usually excluded from the full list of betting options, meaning that punters are missing out on this increasingly popular type of bet. This said, you will find the standard spread of handicap betting options throughout Coral’s football markets, all the way down to non-league football.
There is also a lack of 2-way handicap betting options in the rugby league and union sections of the Coral website. This means that for all handicap bets there will always be a possibility of a draw, making it more difficult for the bettor to pick a winning set of odds. For those who like a little something outside of the norm, you will be sure to find plenty of handicap bets available in less popular sports such as Aussie rules, American football, baseball, basketball, ice hockey and Gaelic football.
For American sports you might find that the handicap bets come under different names such as “spread” or “line” – these are just alternative ways of saying “handicap” and you will be able to see the positive and negative numbers which indicate the advantage or deficit relating to the handicap at hand.
Market Depth
Despite the somewhat disappointing lack of Asian handicap and non-conventional handicap options throughout their sports coverage, Coral do offer a good depth of alternative handicaps in the markets that they do offer.
A typical football match will give you a 3-way handicap section with options ranging from +5 to -5 goals across the three possible result outcomes. This means that you could get up to 30 different odds from all of the different handicap scenarios available.
If you are looking for a similar depth of handicap bets throughout Coral’s sportsbook then you will be disappointed as this comprehensive spread is most often found in the football markets only. For other sports such as rugby league and union you will tend to find that there is only one handicap scenario available to bet on.
Positives
Due to the lack of Asian handicap betting and extensive handicap markets on Coral, it is at first glance difficult to pick many positives from their online service. However, if you are football fan looking to place a simple 3-way handicap then Coral will provide you with a more than satisfactory service. With an impressively large amount of alternative handicaps on offer, you won’t be lost for option.
Negatives
Unfortunately, the negatives outweigh the positives in our evaluation of Coral’s handicap and Asian handicap betting service. With a real lack of Asian handicap bets on offer and a complete absence of 2-way handicaps in popular sports such as rugby league and union, the bettor is always faced with a 3-way choice. This means that there is always a draw outcome in the equation rather than there simply being a win or lose scenario, which can make the handicap betting experience unnecessarily complicated and frustrating for the bettor.
Verdict
All in all, Coral provide an average spread of handicap and Asian handicap betting options. If you are a seasoned handicap punter looking for strange and interesting handicaps then it would be best to overlook Coral. However, if you are simply in the market for a quick handicap on the football then Coral give you more than enough choice and variety to satisfy your appetite.