Esports betting involves real money, so it’s important to approach every bet with caution and a little bit of research. That’s why esports titles that have aspects such as map pools, hero or agent picks, and statistics allow you to make more informed decisions. Below, we’ll go over the best esports games to bet on.
Best Sites to Bet on Esports Games in March
Best Esports Games to Bet On
Below we’ll take a look at four esports titles that check all the boxes we discussed above:
Counter-Strike 2
Image Credit: Valve
Counter-Strike 2 is the most popular esports betting title, and there are very good reasons why. You can expect top-tier CS2 tournaments almost every month, and most of them are played in a LAN environment, meaning there are little to no streaming delays.
These is an abundance of websites goldmines of statistics and data, allowing you to analyze a team’s recent form and their best maps. These sites give you everything you need to keep yourself updated with recent results and place good bets on CS2 odds.
Before every CS2 match begins, both teams will enter a veto phase, where they ban and pick maps. This phase determines which maps will be played throughout the series, which is something very important to take note of. Teams can be notoriously strong on one map, and be clueless on others.
CS2 is also one of the games where momentum plays a very heavy role on the outcome of a match. When a team is chaining together rounds and feeling it, they can carry the momentum and shut the enemy team down, especially since the opposing team will have financial constraints due to how the in-game economy works. This makes CS2 one of the best games for live betting too.
If you want to try betting on CS2 matches, we highly recommend betting on maps within a series. Take note of which team picked the map, and check whether the opposing team has a strong win rate to contend against it. To make bets safer, you can also select markets like round handicaps or use.
Dota 2
Image Credit: Valve
Dota 2 is arguably the best MOBA title to place bets on, mainly because of the drafting stage. Before every Dota 2 game starts, teams will go through the drafting stage, where they pick and ban heroes.
Sharp Dota 2 bettors will always sit through the drafting stage and analyze which team comes out with the better lineup. Sometimes, lineups end up having no damage, or getting heavily countered in the laning stage, so keep an eye out for alarms that could suggest a team’s draft is going to face issues.
Dota 2 is perfect for live esports betting because of how heroes and different lineups work. Some drafts are exceptionally strong in the early game, while others need time to come online. So, you can watch how a match is playing out and see whether teams are going to maximize their power spikes.
Also, remember that the meta in Dota 2 is always changing. In-game updates and patches, some heroes become way stronger than others, which is why they become high-priority picks in drafts. Make sure to watch out for these heroes and understand what makes them so strong.
We think the smartest way to bet on Dota 2 is on a per-map basis, because of how the drafting stage works. You should always stick around for the draft and decide which teams ended up with the better picks.
League of Legends
Image Credit: SiliconANGLE
League of Legends is another MOBA game where the drafting stage plays a major role in how the game is going to play out. Having a solid lineup already puts you ahead of the enemy team before the creeps even spawn.
Dota 2 gameplay can be a little chaotic, but League of Legends matches are typically more structured, meaning games are more predictable. The top teams will focus on textbook play, with calculated macros and timings, which can make games go a little slow. However, there is significantly less randomness, making it easier to bet on.
The professional League of Legends scene included highly-competitive regions like the LCK (Korea) and the LPL (China). The best part is these regions typically have their own tendencies.
- The LCK is known for slower and more disciplined gameplay.
- The LPL is usually more chaotic and loves to skirmish.
If you understand these regional strategies, you can have more-informed League of Legends betting based on specific outcomes.
However, a single team fight in League of Legends can immediately determine which team wins the game, as there is no buyback feature like in Dota 2. So, betting on game winners can be a little volatile. Instead, we suggest going for markets like total kills, map duration, or first objective (like Baron or tower) can be the way to go, especially if you understand how drafts can play out.
VALORANT
Image Credit: Wallpapers.com
Finally, we have VALORANT, which is another 5v5 tactical shooter that works similarly to Counter-Strike. Even though the game was only released in 2020, it has become one of the most popular esports games to bet on in a relatively short period of time.
VALORANT maps are typically known for favoring one side, making them either attacker- or defender-sided. For example, maps like Haven, Lotus, and Abyss are considered very attacker-sided.
That is why some smart bettors tend to focus on predicting how teams will perform better in a certain half. This makes VALORANT betting markets like half winners or over total rounds attractive, as you can expect teams to get a high number of rounds on specific maps.
Similar to Counter-Strike, VALORANT teams must also go through a veto phase to pick and ban maps for the series. Again, you should pay close attention to each team’s map win rates and how well they’ve been performing on them recently.
it’s also worth noting that large comebacks (like from 11-5 or 10-4 deficits) are less common than in Counter-Strike. This is due to ultimate abilities. The winning team can collect their ultimates and let them all rip in a single round to secure a match point or close the entire game then and there.
What Makes an Esport Ideal for Betting?
Not all esports titles are great for betting and consistently making a profit. To make money in the long run, you’ll need to understand the game better so you can place smarter bets. Here are the main factors that make an esports game great to bet on.
Frequent Tournaments
It’s important to understand that betting is a long-term game. You need to take things slow and make money over time, and it’s hard to make a consistent profit if an esports title only holds tournaments once or twice a year. You need to pick a game that holds tournaments frequently, like every month.
Statistics for Analysis
The best esports betting games always have lots of statistics, which allows you to analyze matches before you lock in your slip. These stats can come in the form of a team’s recent form, specific win rates on maps or heroes, player ratings, and more.
Draft or Map Depth
Having additional depth is crucial for making educated bets. If you’re a smart bettor, you will always look into things like a team’s map picks or what heroes are being selected in the drafting stage. This is hands-down one of the best ways to place good bets.
Live Betting Support
In esports and gaming, momentum typically plays a huge role in professional matches. You want to ensure your chosen game allows for live betting, so you can see how a game is playing out and capitalize on comebacks or power spikes.
Simon Day
Simon has been writing about Gaming and Sports for over a decade, with his work featured in a variety of well-known gaming magazines. This year, he joined win.gg as an Editorial Specialist, where he continues to share his passion for the industry through insightful and well-crafted content pieces.
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