BATHURST, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 30: A general view is seen as the crowd watches on during the round nine NRL match between the Penrith Panthers and the Canberra Raiders at Carrington Park on April 30, 2016 in Bathurst, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

The National Rugby League is Australia and New Zealand's (and arguably the world’s) biggest rugby league competition.

It is one of the most popular sports for bettors worldwide because of its high value for money and substantial betting volumes.

Handicap betting is popular in point-based sports betting such as football, rugby, basketball, and tennis, but it is also popular in racing, especially horse racing.

Handicap betting changes the way chances are given, and it's critical to learn how to read the latest odds for NRL and make profitable handicap bets.

What are handicap bets and how do they work?

Handicap bets are wagers on sports that give a team a virtual shortfall, or handicap, to overcome at the end of the game.

Bookmakers in the NRL handicap teams are more likely to win a game, putting them at a disadvantage against weaker opponents.

Simply said, a handicap bet levels the playing field and adds excitement to rugby games for bettors.

How do NRL handicap bets work?

In games with highly predictable results or clear winners and losers, handicap betting is also known as spread or line betting.

Line or spread betting is a strategy bookmakers use to spice up a game with widely known results.

The game typically involves giving the underdog an advantage with a positive handicap and then having an opponent with a negative handicap.

The larger the gap in the two points, the higher the handicaps.

Rugby bet types

Doubles betting enables bettors to wager on who will win the game at half time and full-time.

Multi bet is a wager that combines many single bets into a single wager, with the odds increasing with each successive leg of the bet.

Futures markets are wagers made far ahead of time on a certain game or event.

Exotic bets on rugby are wagers exclusive to the sport in question that includes Number of Tries, Man of the Match, and more.

Same game multi bets let you make numerous bets (sometimes known as "multi bets") on the same NRL match using a mix of legs.

Handicap betting tips

If you're new to handicap rugby betting in the NRL, here are some helpful tips to help your strategy and maximize your profits.

Research the teams

Every NRL team has its own set of strategies and playing tactics.

Some people want to win by scoring tries, while others prefer to win by defending and relying on penalties.

Ideally, it would help if you bet on the rugby team that scores the most tries since this will give you a much better chance of winning.
If you're betting on the underdog, though, this technique may pay off.

Follow the advice of your bookmaker

While there is a lot you can learn on your own, the best approach to enhance your odds of winning is to use the information on your betting platform, particularly the recent scoring averages of home and away teams.

You can predict the point difference between winning and losing teams by checking the current NRL odds and placing your bets appropriately by checking the latest NRL odds.

Trust your gut feelings

Are you a die-hard supporter of the NRL who is well-versed with the super league teams, strategies, players, and other play areas?
Before the game starts, try to come up with a handicap prediction.

You can assess whether the expected result of a game is following your bookmaker's handicap bet before placing your wager by predicting the likely outcome.

By avoiding betting on that specific game, you might gain not only a lot of money, but you could also save a ton of money.

Stay away from high-equality handicap bets

It would help if you avoided handicap bets in rugby league games when there is a lot of equality.

Even though the odds increase, it's practically hard to win and make money with them, particularly if you're a newbie.

Conclusion

Handicap betting is one of the most intriguing rugby betting options available today.

However, these bets are not ideal for novices because of their intricacy and larger stakes.

They are, nevertheless, suitable for bettors and bookmakers trying to improve odds and make betting in one-sided sports easier.

Before you start betting, make sure you understand the fundamentals of NRL handicap betting.