If you’re looking to give esports betting a real shot, the most important thing to understand is how betting odds work. The idea of esports odds is quite simple – getting higher or better odds means you’ll be paid more money for each bet you win. So, this directly impacts the amount of money you make in the long run.
Esports has been blowing up in popularity, with a solid lineup of different gaming titles. Because of this, fans have the option to bet on esports matches on the most popular e sports betting sites. In this guide, we’ll tell you how these odds work, how to understand them, and how you can make money from betting.
Best Esports Betting Odds In March
What are Esports Odds?
Esports odds work very exactly the same way as sports odds. When you visit any esports betting website, you’ll see lots of numbers that are listed next to team names, players, or various outcomes.
The concept of betting revolves around these odds, as they are what you call esports odds. These odds tell you two things:
- The probability of an outcome happening
- How much money will you win if you place a bet on it and are successful
Implied Probability – How It Works
Esports odds are built around the idea of implied probability. This pretty much tells you how confident a betting website is in a particular result or match.
For example:
If Team A is priced at 1.60 odds to win a particular series, the implied probability is: 1 ÷ 1.60 = 62.5%.
So, we can pretty much conclude that the bookmaker thinks Team A has a 62.5% chance of winning the match. Since this value is higher than 50%, we consider Team A the favorites for this particular matchup.
Esports Odds Format Explained
Now, esports has become a global phenomenon, and fans from all around the world are actively betting on these matches. That is why betting sites tend to display odds in different formats, as some are catered to specific regions in the world.
The three most common esports odds formats you’ll come across are:
Decimal Odds (e.g. 1.90)
The decimal format is the most widely used format across most international bettors. This format is very simple and shows your total payout, including the original stake.
The number always starts at 1.00 and goes higher. This is because 1.00 includes your original stake. The higher the number gets, the more you get back if your pick is correct.
Lower decimal odds, like 1.30, indicate safer or more favored outcomes. Meanwhile, higher odds, like 3.65, represent riskier bets with bigger potential returns.
Overall, decimal odds are very easy to read and understand. This is why most international betting platforms default to decimal odds for new users.
American Odds (e.g. -111 or +120)
As the name may hint, American odds are catered to the US audience. This format uses positive and negative numbers to indicate how risky a bet is to show how much money you would need to bet or win relative to $100.
- Negative odds tell you how much you need to bet to win $100.
- Positive odds tell you how much you would win from betting $100.
That being said, lower and negative numbers reflect favorites, while higher and positive numbers are the esports betting offers that represent underdogs.
So, if you sign up for an American betting platform, you might come across this format immediately.
Fractional Odds (e.g. 9/10 or 5/3)
Finally, we’ll talk about fractional odds. These are most commonly used by betting sites in the UK and Ireland. This format displays odds as a fraction, which shows your potential profit relative to your bet amount.
The first number represents how much you could win, while the second number represents how much you need to bet. Fractions where the first number is greater indicate underdog bets, while fractions where the second number is higher represent favorites.
Fractional odds will require some quick mental math before placing a bet, and that isn’t everyone’s strong suit. These quick calculations become especially troublesome if you need to place a bet quickly, where you only have a few seconds to decide. That’s why fractional odds are the least popular format.
Important Note: You Can Switch Between Formats
If you’re feeling overwhelmed with the different odds formats, we’re here to tell you there’s nothing to worry about. Almost every verified betting site allows you to switch between odds formats and choose what you prefer.
So, if you like decimal odds, but a website you signed up for presents American odds, you can always find the option to switch over the display.
If you’re completely new to esports betting, we highly recommend sticking to decimal odds – they are the easiest to understand and what most bettors use.
How are Esports Odds Payouts Calculated?
Betting might seem complicated at first, especially with all of these different numbers and meanings covering your screen. But, understanding payouts and how these odds are calculated is pretty easy once you get the hang of it.
The standard decimal odds payout formula is:
- Stake x Odds = Total Return
So, for example:
- Betting $100 at odds of 1.80 returns $180
- This includes your initial bet of $100 and the profit of $80
And:
- Betting $100 at odds of 4.40 returns $440
- This includes your initial bet of $100 and the profit of $340
Even if you’re using American or fractional odds, the final payout will still be the same. The format only changes how odds are displayed – not how you are paid out!
Types of Esports Betting Markets
Different esports titles have varying outcomes to bet on, as games work differently depending on their genre and format (like WC3 esports betting, for example). However, here are some of the universal betting markets you can expect to see on any esports title:
- Match Winner: Bet on which team wins the overall match or series.
- Map Winner: Bet on which team wins a specific map in the series. (e.g. Map 2 of a Best of 3)
- Correct Score: Predict the correct ending score of a match (e.g. 2-0 or 2-1 in a Best of 3)
- Handicap: Give map or round advantages or disadvantages to specific teams within a match.
- Outright/tournament winner: Long-term bet where you predict which team is going to win the entire tournament at the end.
You can also place bets as the match is playing out – live betting or in-play. Odds are dynamic and are updated based on what’s happening in the game.
Best Sites for Competitive Esports Odds
Hopefully, you’ve understood what esports odds are and what they mean. The last step is to dive into the action and choose an esports betting site to play on. Here are our top recommendations of websites that offer competitive odds:
Stake
Stake is one of the most well-known esports betting sites in the industry. The platform is known for its very simple and sleek interface, making it the perfect starting point for beginner bettors.
Roobet
Roobet is an excellent choice for people looking for solid esports betting odds. The site is famous for its different bonuses, interesting partnerships and a wide range of esports that you can bet on.
GG.Bet
GG.Bet is an esports-focused betting platform that sponsors numerous professional esports teams. We love this website for its outright odds, so check it out if this market is something you’re interested in.
1xBet
Finally, we have 1xBet. We’ll admit that the website doesn’t look as modern as it should, but the platform offers some really good odds and has a wide range of betting markets to make up for it.
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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