Complete Guide to Goal Kick Handicap Betting for Beginners

Complete Guide to Goal Kick Handicap Betting for Beginners
Reputable bookmaker arcaea continuously introduce new betting markets to keep players engaged. Popular ones like Over/Under, Asian Handicap, and 1×2 remain at the top of the list in football betting. Recently, a new type of Asian Handicap market has emerged—Goal Kick Handicap Betting—and it has quickly gained attention from many punters. So, what should beginners know before getting involved in this market?
Understanding Goal Kick Handicap Betting
From the name alone, it’s clear this is a rather unique bet. Although it has been around for some time, it’s still relatively unknown to many bettors.
In goal kick handicap betting, the count is based on each time the ball completely crosses the defending team’s goal line (without a goal being scored), and the goalkeeper restarts play with a goal kick from the penalty area. That counts as one goal kick.
Some bookmakers may exclude certain situations—such as free kicks taken from the 16.5m line or passes deliberately played back to the goalkeeper. These special cases depend on the bookmaker’s rules, so players must follow their specific terms and odds settings. Normally, you just predict which team will have more goal kicks. If you’re correct, you win; if not, the bookmaker takes your stake.
Rules of the Market
Unlike standard Asian Handicap betting, here you don’t predict an exact number of goal kicks. Bookmakers won’t set a fixed total—your task is simply to predict which team will have more goal kicks than the other.
Tips for Beginners in Goal Kick Handicap Betting
If you’re new to betting and unsure how to analyze odds for this market, don’t worry—w88, a trusted bookmaker, has compiled essential tips for you.

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1. Research the Teams You’re Betting On
Research is vital in any betting market, including goal kicks. Study the team you plan to bet on, focusing on:
Players’ fitness levels
Injuries, suspensions, or lineup changes
Coach’s experience and strategy
Tactical approach for the match
Head-to-head history between the two teams
Checking recent match results is also important. If a team has been performing well, their morale will likely be high. Conversely, consecutive losses can negatively impact confidence and performance.
2. Favor the Underdogs
In most betting markets, stronger teams have the advantage. But in goal kick handicap betting, the opposite can often be true—underdogs may actually have the upper hand.
Why? Stronger teams tend to dominate possession and attack constantly, forcing the weaker side’s goalkeeper to take more goal kicks after defending shots (whether they result in a save or miss). This means underdogs often rack up more goal kicks over the match.
This pattern is most common when there’s a clear skill gap between the two sides, which you can easily identify from league standings or form tables.