ESPORTS BETTING

Esports and betting are a perfect match. Betting sites have taken a step towards the world of Esports, and betting sites are now intensively part of the e-sports scene. The number of real esports experts is still a bit low, but when the younger generation gets a few more years under their belt, the number of great esports bettors will most definitely grow a lot.

WHAT IS ESPORTS BETTING?

Esports means competitive play of video games. The most popular and common games are played on a computer, but game consoles such as the Xbox and Playstation also have their own games – console players also mostly compete on sports games, such as FIFA, NBA 2K and the NHL, for example.

However, in this article, we will focus on the most popular games and categories in esports. Esports includes various sub-categories. For example, the categories FPS, MOBA and RTS are listed under the concept of e-sports . These three categories are the largest sub-genres in the entire scene; these genres also include most of the esports games.

MOBA – MULTIPLAYER ONLINE BATTLE ARENA

MOBA games are mainly team games. The ultimate goal in MOBA games is to destroy another team’s base. There are several different characters to choose from in the games. Each character has their own abilities, weaknesses and strengths. Tactically, MOBA games are difficult, as a five-player team needs to be able to play together really well, and the characters need to be in sync with each other. So if you really want to succeed in the game, tactics have to be practiced quite a bit.

In MOBA games, the map or game environment does not change, but stays exactly the same from start to end. The most popular MOBA games are played in teams of five. This makes it difficult to choose a strategy, as character choices and player strengths need to be perfectly balanced with each other. You should choose several types of characters for the game in order to make the team’s potential as diverse as possible.

Top MOBA games

  • DOTA 2
  • League Of Legends
  • Smite

FPS – FIRST PERSON SHOOTER

FPS games are also often team games on a competitive level, but these games often also have a 1v1 game format where you play alone against a single opponent. At the competitive level, games are generally played in teams of five. Each team member has their own role to play, depending on the strengths and weaknesses of that player.

In FPS games, one is above the others. The Counter Strike series, which has been popular for a long time, has really taken over the FPS category. The latest game in the series is Counter Strike: Global Offensive, or CS:GO. It has become one of the most popular esports games in the world. The impact on this is also very visible in terms of betting, as there is an insane number of CS:GO betting sites to be found, and more and more betting sites are offering CS:GO odds for matches.

FPS GAMES & GAMEPLAY

FPS games are generally played in teams of five. Often there are two types of teams. There’s a defensive team that, in CS:GO, for example, seeks to eliminate an attacking team or defuse a bomb. Then there is an offensive team that attempts to either eliminate members of the defending team or detonate the bomb.

COUNTER STRIKE

Currently, Counter Strike’s competitive map selection has seven maps, from which the playing teams select the maps to be played in the match. Maps, or game environments, really differ a lot, but the most important factor in each map is a unique floor plan. The maps updates and changes means that teams need to update their tactics often, which is of course an interesting factor for viewers.

Just as in tennis, for example, players do better on different surfaces, esports teams do better on different maps. Teams play and practice more on certain maps than others; this is precisely what leads to better performances on some maps.

ESPORTS BETTING: Markets & Odds

Esports and betting are on the rise. The concept of eSports, which is unknown to many, is making a real rise worldwide, and it is now being perceived as a sport. Basically, this is quite right. Each team usually has a coach, a masseur, a psychologist and you know what other support staff. In practice, the whole team is the same type as the football team staff with their coaching teams and their days.

Betting companies offer eSports items and odds pretty well, but the biggest and best known betting sites have taken a bigger leap towards this scene, and offer a really comprehensive range of items for different eSports games.

CS:GO BETTING MARKETS

  • Match Winner 2-Way – Bet on the winner of the match including possible over time.
  • Match Winner 3-Way – Bet on the winner of the match excluding over time.
  • Match Handicap – Predict the winner of a match by handicap. In BO3 matches the handicap is ± 1.5 maps but in BO5 matches the Handicap can be ± 1.5 or ± 2.5 maps.
  • Rounds Handicap – Guess the winner of the map by round handicap. Handicaps range from 2.5 to 15.5 rounds, but really big handicaps are extremely rare.
  • Total Maps Over / Under – Here you bet on the number of maps in a match. In BO3 matches the line is over / under 2.5 maps, but in BO5 matches it is over / under 3.5 or 4.5.
  • Total Rounds Over / Under – This is the number of laps played on the map. The most common lines are 24.5; 25.5 and 26.5.
  • Correct Map Score – Here you play a correct score bet like tennis – Whether a team wins 2-1 or 2-0 in BO3 matches and 3-0, 3-1 or 3-2 in BO5 matches.

DOTA 2 BETTING MARKETS

  • Match Winner 2-Way – Match Winner including overtime
  • Match Winner 3-Way – Match winner excluding overtime
  • Match Handicap – The winner of a match with a handicap. In BO3 matches, the Handicap is ± 1.5. In BO5 matches, the Handicap can be ± 1.5 or ± 2.5.
  • Correct Map Score –  Correct Score bet like in football – In other words, does a team win 2-1 or 2-0 in BO3 matches, and 3-0, 3-1 or 3-2 in BO5 matches.
  • Total Maps Over / Under – Here you bet on the number of maps in the match, ie how many maps are played. In BO3 matches the line is over / under 2.5 maps, but in BO5 matches it is over / under 3.5 or 4.5.
  • Team to Draw First Blood – Predict which team will get the first kill.
  • First Team to Get (x) Kills – Predict which team will be the first to get a given number of kills.

ESPORTS BETTING & TACTICS

Electronic sports, or esports, is currently one of the fastest growing markets – covering both sports and betting. Many betting sites offer only limited odds on eSports. Luckily larger and better-known gaming companies have begun to petrify this field. There are still a limited number of experts, so you may find a really high value odds daily.

Compared to traditional sports, esports stands out among them in many ways. Here are a few of the biggest individual factors that distinguish esports from traditional sports:

Power Rankings

Compared to bigger sports like football, where bigger teams dominate leagues from year to year, in esports, power rankings change much faster, and staying on top of the world requires really hard work – more than six months at the top of the rankings is a really significant achievement. You won’t be aware of power rankings unless you follow teams, lineups, and games intensively. Esports Live Streams are really valuable for that.

Roster changes

The most popular esports games are mainly five-person teams – with the exception of Overwatch, which has six-person teams. The importance of an individual player is thus considerably greater than, for example, in football. This is because the roster is much narrower. Replacing a player in case of illness or roster changes has a significant impact on the performance of the entire team, for example in terms of communication and teamwork.

Compared to football, for example, esports teams transfer players at a really fast pace. Only few teams keep the same players in the roster for more than a year. CS:GO is definitely above the others here, as roster changes happen at a pretty fast pace.

ESPORTS BETTING: INFORMATION & STATISTICS

You should place Esports bets as late as possible. This is because the most critical information such as Map Selections is often released just minutes before the start of a match – this is especially true for betting on Counter Strike. HLTV is an excellent site for checking the maps in play and other important information.

Previous encounters

Previous encounters are certainly the best indicative statistic. The importance of map selections and roster changes has already been mentioned earlier, but when these are in order, it is precisely that you check all relevant statistics before the match. However, it is useless to hurry previous matches a year ago, as the line-up has probably changed compared to it – the power rankings and for has therefore changed.

Form

The form gives real information about the level of the team. However, this statistic cannot be used for too long, and the recommended range is a maximum of three months. By checking the form you notice a possible rise in team level, the development of map skills and, in general, an improvement in gameplay.

ESPORTS BETTING: LAN OR ONLINE?

This one is a really critical factor when it comes to esports betting. The biggest problem at online is potential connectivity issues. Connection problems can lead to delays or even disconnections, making gaming quite difficult, as there will be breaks in matches when teams attempt to get the player back to the server. In online games, cheating is also much easier, as no one has checked players ’computers before the start of a match – of course, there are surveillance bots in the games that spot the biggest cheats quite easily.

LAN games and tournaments are much better for esports betting for many reasons. Games are played offline, and DDOS attacks, for example, are not possible in LAN games. Cheating is also almost impossible in LAN games, as players mainly use the computers of the tournament organizers, and players are under the watchful eye throughout the game.