Asian handicap is a form of betting in which one of the opponents is given a head start in terms of score. Asian handicap is offering bigger flexibility compared to the ordinary European handicap, and the main trait of Asian handicaps is the elimination of the draw, which in turn reduces the number of possible outcomes from three to two. The odds on Asian handicaps also tend to have very low juice, making them a favorite of many bettors. There are many combinations of possible winnings, which include returning the stake, returning half of the stake, winning with half of the stake etc.

Asian handicap (0) eliminates the draw from the outcome of a match. Also known as the Draw No Bet, it returns the stake in case of a draw. Same applies to all handicaps on round number, such as (-2), a handicap which will return the stake if the favorite wins by two goals (or points) exactly.

Asian handicap (-0.5) and similar half-point handicaps eliminate the draw and the bet will be either won or lost, nothing in between. It is pretty straightforward. The handicap amount is added to the underdog and if, for example, the handicap is 2.5, the favorite will have to win by at least three goals to cover the handicap. In case of a 0.5 handicap, it's enough to win by one goal. This bet is equal to betting on the favorite to win the match.

Asian handicap (-0.75) and similar three-quarter handicaps are actually made up of two handicaps. Half of the stake goes to the smaller handicap (-0.5) and the other half to the bigger handicap (-1). This makes numerous combinations possible. Here is an example of a (-0.75) handicap on a football match and the table of possible outcomes when betting on a favorite and on the underdog.

SCORE     BET (-0.75)    BET (+0.75)
0:0        Lost                 Won
1:0         50% of the stake wins     Lose 50% of the stake
0:1         Lost                 Won
2:0         Won                 Lost
0:2         Lost                 Won

Asian handicap (-0.25) is also made up of two handicaps, (0) and (-0.5) and the stake is equally divided between the two.

SCORE    BET (-0.25)    BET (+0.25)
0:0        Lose 50% of the stake     50% of the stake wins
1:0         Won                Lost
0:1         Lost                Won
2:0         Won                Lost
0:2         Lost                Won

The handicaps may be raised and lowered depending on the sport and the quality difference between the two opponents.
A handicap of (-17.0) on basketball will still behave the same as a (0) or (-1) handicap, with the difference of having a bigger margin.
Likewise, a (-2.25) will still behave like all other quarter-handicap, and (-3.75) will still be a three-quarter handicap.