How to bet on live esports matches in CSGO, LoL, and Dota 2

Olivia Richman Published 19/12/2019

Live esports betting is becoming more and more popular, and it’s no wonder why. Watching an event in real-time gives you the most insight into making the best and potentially most profitable bet. While it can be a little more complicated than simply placing your a bet prior to the game, live esports betting is often the key to seeing the most success.

Benefits of live esports betting

Picture this: Your favored Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team suddenly makes a horrible selection in the second buy round. The League of Legends squad you thought would lose suddenly surges far ahead in gold. Things happen in-game very suddenly and have a huge impact on the outcome of the entire match. And these are things you can only know if you are watching the game unfold in front of you, live.

Odds can change within seconds in live betting, making it imperative that you react quickly when you want to place a new live bet based on the action.

Live betting becomes tricky when you not only have to keep your eyes on the game, but also analyze the changing odds of the match. But if you have the right skills, live betting becomes the perfect opportunity to make an even greater profit since you can make more accurate predictions on the match’s outcome based on the teams’ active performance.

Live esports betting strategies in League of Legends and Dota 2

When it comes to live esports betting, it’s important to have a deep understanding of the game you’re betting on. This includes a working knowledge of the game’s format and rules, as well as both teams’ playstyles and techniques.

Before you start watching live matches, it’s also crucial to understand a team’s history, including recent trades, coaching hires, and anything else that may affect their performance or synergy heading into a game. For example, if a League of Legends team just moved an Academy player to their main roster mid-season, it’s likely the new player will be nervous on the big stage, feeling a lot of pressure to perform. Another major factor in this scenario would be learning to communicate properly with their new teammates, something that often only becomes natural in time.

In League of Legends and Dota 2, another important factor that must be taken into consideration is the champions and heroes drafted. League of Legends currently has over 140 champions, while Dota 2 has well over 100 heroes. While you may not need to know every single attack and ability that every champion possesses, you will need to understand matchups, as well as which players specialize with which champions and heroes.

This is especially important for live betting, since you will be watching the teams pick and ban champions before placing your bet. If you know that one player is very strong with a particular champion or hero, but see that the opposing team has banned that champion or hero, you might see a poor performance coming from that team as they scramble to create a new strategy.

Because of the pick and ban factor, it’s always smart to start looking into teams who have more flexible players that can more easily adapt to different matchups and team compositions. Think G2 Esports, who recently announced that two of their players would be flexing between two positions, meaning their roster will have greater adaptability in more situations.

When the game begins, it’s very important to keep an eye on the early game kills and gold. If one team has pulled ahead significantly in kills, that could indicate that the match is going in their favor. A lead in gold means that team has access to better items and will most likely have stronger defensive and offensive options.

But keep in mind that some champions and heroes only begin to show their true potential in the late game. If you have a working knowledge of a game’s champion or hero pool, you will be able to better predict how a game will go based on a team’s picks and composition.

Live esports betting strategies in CSGO

Instead of a focus on champions and heroes, live esports betting in CSGO is all about the maps. Every team has a map that they excel in, and a map they are not as strong with. Read up on the competing teams, focusing on their past results in recent tournaments. Recaps will give you a better understanding of where a team easily pushed ahead and where they faltered.

You should also factor in the fact that Terrorists and Counter-Terrorists have maps that work in their favor. For example, Overpass traditionally favors the T-side. Since you are watching the match live, you’ll be able to see which team gets the favored position, meaning they’ll most likely pull ahead in the first half. Check out websites like this to keep track of which side is favored on each map in competitive play.

When it comes to live esports betting, it’s not only about focusing in on these factors, but also knowing how impactful they will truly be based on the teams’ previous performances, their playstyles, and their players’ individual skills. While watching a live match will help to identify possible changes in the odds, like a map choice or a particular hero ban, it’s important that you have a deep understanding of the game and the teams beforehand.

If you are looking for an esports bookmaker, feel free to try out winners.bet and if you’re looking to find a specific betting related feature or read reviews of bookmakers, visit winners.net

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

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