Ladbrokes are one of the highest profile names in the betting world with their vast network of shops appearing in high streets all over the UK. The bookmaker also runs an impressive betting service online, one which offers a great selection of handicap and Asian handicap bets.
Sports coverage
So, what sports does Ladbrokes offer in the handicap markets?
Well, it’s enough to satisfy most handicap betting appetites. While they cover the popular sports with a decent spread of handicap and Asian handicap betting options, Ladbrokes also offer a limited number of handicap bets for those sports that are a little bit out of the ordinary.
Let’s start with a look at the sports you would expect to find handicap and Asian handicap bets for: football, rugby league, rugby union and tennis. While Ladbrokes have all of these sports markets fitted out with a good selection of handicap markets, they are by no means bursting with a vast variety of weird and wonderful handicap options.
Here’s a breakdown of what exactly you should expect to find in the way of handicaps and Asian handicaps from the big sports on Ladbrokes:
- Football – 3-way handicap betting, Asian handicap betting, 1st half 3-way handicap and 1st half Asian handicaps.
- Rugby league – 3-way handicap betting and 2-way handicap betting.
- Rugby union – 3-way handicap betting, 2-way handicap betting and cashout handicap betting.
- Tennis – game handicap betting.
If none of the above tickle your fancy, then you will always be able to find handicap betting options among the more obscure sports. Sports from further afield such as Aussie rules, basketball, handball and ice hockey will often come with handicap bets, sometimes under the name of “point spread”. The same rules apply here to a normal handicap, it’s just a different name.
Market depth
Much like their sports coverage, the market depth of Ladbroke’s handicap and Asian handicap is a bit hit and miss. In some aspects they really impress with their vast range of alternative handicap selections; if you look at a a typical football, rugby union or rugby league fixture, you will most often find a whole spread of different handicap options to get your teeth into. What’s more, you will find Asian handicaps offered on football fixture right down at the bottom of the football leagues, which is something that is often neglected by other online bookmakers.
This depth is often lacking in other areas however. For example, even though Asian handicap betting can be found throughout the roster of football fixtures, you will tend to only be offered one or two lines. This means that you won’t see the full spread of Asian handicap options, and that you will only be able to bet on a limited selection of odds, typically odds that are in favour of the bookmaker.
Another disappointing aspect of Ladbroke’s handicap game is the lack of real depth in the tennis markets. Even higher profile matches will only offer game handicaps with set handicaps and games per set handicaps nowhere to be seen.
Positives
Ladbrokes offer a very decent spread of handicap and Asian handicap betting options to their punters. One major bonus is that their website is easy to use and all handicap bets are clearly laid out, meaning that even newcomers to online betting can place their handicap bets with no fuss.
Ladbrokes also provide an impressive selection of alternative handicaps in certain football and rugby matches, meaning that the punter has a chance to go big or play it safe with longer and shorter odds.
Negatives
Ladbrokes tend to fall short on their handicap betting service. They could improve by making an effort to broaden their selection of Asian handicap bets in the football markets so that bettors can experiment with some more exciting odds. Also, they could strive to include some more interesting handicap bets along the lines of half-time handicaps in rugby and games by set handicaps in tennis.
Verdict
Ladbrokes are a great bookmaker when it comes to choosing a bookmaker for handicap and Asian handicap betting. They give you a decent variety of sports and a satisfactory spread of handicap markets within the majority of those sports.
However, it sometimes feels like the handicap and Asian handicap betting options on Ladbrokes could go a little bit further to match their competitors in terms of depth and variety.