The CS:GO Betting Markets

From humble beginnings through to extreme popularity, the eSports betting scene has gone through quite the radical transformation over the years. When it first became a betting option, there was just a small handful of platforms supporting wagering on such. And when it came to the markets available at these sites, the bare minimum was on hand. However, this is no longer the case. Today, we have an amazing range of bookmakers that take bets on CS:GO and other eSports, and with the huge amount of competition between them, they work towards providing the best range of markets, too.

As a result of this, gamblers have seen the prices on offer go through quite the increase, and punters are clearly obtaining a better deal where this is concerned. At the same time, the number of betting markets that we’re able to choose from has increased, meaning that it doesn’t solely have to be about which team will win a tournament overall.

So, if you’re intending to begin your journey with CS:GO betting (or betting on any other eSport for that matter), we’ve got some details on today’s range of gambling markets for you. Take a look at our guide and inform yourself on the different available options.

The Match Winner

This is the option that has been available for multiple years already, and it’s the simplest betting market to focus on. It’s especially the case if you’re a newcomer to the world of CS:GO betting. The only thing you need to decide on here is which team you believe will win the upcoming battle. The score obtained in the game doesn’t matter one way or the other, and the method of victory doesn’t matter, either. You just need to ensure that you’re selecting the winning team to be a winner yourself.

Alternative Bets on the Overall Match Result

Alongside the standard match winner bet, you can place bets on two other main markets. The majority of the best eSports bookies will provide these markets for you to engage in.

Match Handicap

If you’d like to bet on a team win convincingly or if you want to back a specific underdog, then the match handicap market is the route to take. The handicap line is actually a fictional line that is created by the bookmakers themselves, and these are highly popular to utilise for all types of sports, and you can find these most frequently used for American football events.

The handicap line is used to bring the two teams participating closer together. So, let’s take an example. If a game has three maps and a strong favourite participating in it, the favourite – for betting purposes – on this handicap line will begin at -1.5. In this instance, they have to win by two clear points to be able to win the game altogether. In a three-map game, this means they must win 2-0.

Turning this example the other way around, a team with a +1.5 standing has an advantage of 1.5 points altogether. So, they are required to avoid a 2-0 defeat at the hands of their opponents. Should a 2-1 defeat or any kind of victory occur, this means that they will win on the handicap line bet.

The primary reason that most bettors utilise this market is when they’re looking to back a big favourite to win convincingly. Should you be of the mindset that a team is much more superior, then instead of backing them on the win line at a poorer price, you can utilise the handicap line and then back them to win quite comfortably and obtain a better price on that pick. Another element is added to the bet in this circumstance, but if you do fancy them to win strongly, then the better price is actually very much worth taking the risk.

Total Maps

If you’re not so interested in taking a bet on which team you believe will win a match, then perhaps you should turn your attention to the total maps bet instead. This is based around how many maps will be played during the contest. It operates as an over/under line and for games with three maps, the line is always set to 2.5.

Essentially, when choosing to bet on this, you’re being asked if the event will be over after two maps. Or, on the other hand, will the game need to have a deciding map played to see who eventually wins. Should you believe that a team will win easily, and the game will be over in just two maps, then you need to back the under 2.5 option. And if you think it will go all the way to three maps, then you need to back the over 2.5 choice.

In the case of this market, then you have no possibility of a draw taking place. So, this is a straight two-way market for you to gamble on.

Individual Markets Per Map

If you would like to, then you can also place a bet on the individual maps if you so wish. This does narrow the game down to a smaller section for betting purposes, and there are various options for this.

The Map Winner

You will simply need to choose the winner in this circumstance, although you aren’t choosing the overall winner of the complete event. Instead, you’re selecting which team you believe will win a particular round. Betting on the map winner is available prior to a round starting on the early map rounds, while in-play markets will be created if they’re needed to be able to find an overall winner.

Map Rounds Handicap Betting

Within each map, there is a series of rounds. The winner takes the point for winning that particular map. One of the options that you can bet on is the score of those rounds inside the map, and there is a handicap line based on that. For instance, you need to really consider whether you think the rounds will be closely fought or if you believe that someone will come out on top very comfortably.

This handicap form of betting is a complicated option to work your way around, so it’s probably not one that newcomers should venture into swiftly. Experienced CS:GO bettors will find it to be more appealing, though.

Total Rounds

As with the over/under betting market of the total maps in the overall game, each map gives you the possibility of betting on the total number of rounds. This way, you get to guess whether the game will be one that is over quite quickly with the minimum number of maps or whether it is one that will take a lot of time to complete.

The two total rounds of over/under betting can be wagered on via the early maps, and again, if the game goes on for any longer and the later maps are required, these markets will be created for you. They will then be made available in-play for those players who have a penchant for betting on them.