What Esports is the Best to Bet On?

It might sound trivial, but the fact of the matter is that the difference between games could be compared to traditional sports, where moving from one sport to another is a big leap. Likewise, going from betting on an FPS-game like CS:GO, to a MOBA-game like Dota 2 or League of Legends is a big change. They are essentially two completely different sports altogether.

Betting on esports requires good understanding of the game as a whole, as well as insight of the teams and players current form. Changes to the games in form of new patches and fundamental changes are also crucial parts for long term success in betting. A great way to start learning a new esport, or bolster the knowledge you already have, is to use our 100% verified tipsters, who share betting tips on a daily basis, for a variety of esports. Today we will deep dive into the world of esports betting and focus on which game to choose if you are new, or what games to potentially expand into as an already experienced punter.

So, what esports is the best to bet on? Let’s start by having a look at the most popular esports titles for betting, and what their individual strengths and weaknesses are.

The Most Popular Esports for Betting

Esports betting has quite a few popular titles, but there is no doubt there is a “golden trio” that dominate the betting market. CS:GO, Dota 2 and League of Legends are all veteran games in the still young esports world. They draw the biggest viewership, and unsurprisingly the betting markets for these games are also the biggest. We will look at all of these individually to find out why they might suit you the best. If we were to compare to traditional sports betting, we could imagine these games being football, basketball, tennis or horse racing, while other smaller sports still exist, and are heavily available regardless. It’s not always the best to bet on the biggest sports, or in this case games, as the less popular ones might offer better opportunities to find value. There are many factors to keep in mind when choosing what esports game to bet on, and as such, let’s get into them one by one.

Betting on CS:GO

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, or CS:GO, has a long history as a game, with its predecessor CS being released over 20 years ago. The game has helped to shape the esports scene as we know it today, and has always been massively popular. Betting on CS:GO has likewise been one of the most prevalent options, especially in Europe and North America for a long time and is offered by close to every bookmaker. The fast pace of the game, and the possibility to use statistical knowledge to predict outcomes is unprecedented in the esports genre through this legendary game.

A major part of being successful with betting on CS:GO comes through understanding teams strengths and weaknesses on different maps. This makes the game unique in comparison to some of the other games. There are seven maps to choose from for the teams, and they can also ban a selected few, differing depending on how the game is played. This makes for great opportunities to find value bets due to its complex nature requiring a deep understanding of the betting market. CS:GO is a game that can be heavily researched through various sources and is more heavily data- and statistically driven than many other esports. Long story short – if you like statistics and playing a numbers game, then CS:GO might be the right game for you.

Another major difference between CS:GO and other games is how the game plays out in real time. Livebetting on CS:GO can be a very interesting prospect due to how the games can swing wildly, but in a somewhat predictable manner. During a game of CS:GO both teams have to manage their economy, and if they lose control of it, they might be in dire straits. This means that punters who can predict these occurrences will have a massive edge in finding oversights in the odds markets. This aspect is crucial to understand how games will play out round to round, and we could go as far as calling it a game inside the game itself. To learn more about betting on CS:GO as a whole, we highly recommend you read our Full Guide to Betting on CS:GO. That will give you a deeper understanding of how CS:GO betting works fundamentally, whether you are looking to get started, or you are already familiar with the game.

As we have established why CS:GO might be the right choice for your betting portfolio, we will move on with having a look at some of the best bookmaker options available.

Best Bookmakers for CS:GO

Choosing a bookie for CS:GO is quite easy considering how many options we have. If they offer esports at all, you can be damn sure to find CS:GO in the mix. The importance of choosing a good bookie is still crucial. Getting the best odds for CS:GO on the market is a given, and for that purpose we suggest you to always use odds comparison tools to ensure you do just that.

We should always utilize several bookies to become as successful as possible, but it’s also important to have a look at the markets offered for CS:GO, as they can be vastly different. Some bookies offer everything from top level games in tournaments such as IEM Katowice or BLAST, to low level games from smaller leagues, while others will only have the most important ones. The same goes for the betting options. CS:GO has several markets to choose from, for example handicap betting for rounds and maps, or individual player performance markets. If we are to choose specific bookmakers for our CS:GO betting needs, we obviously want to identify where we get as many options as possible. Similar to our CS:GO betting guide we recommend the following three bookmakers for CS:GO:

• Unibet
• Betway
• Bet365

All of these three exemplify what CS:GO betting should be all about. High odds, big markets and options, all while offering close to every game imaginable. This is one of the great upsides to CS:GO betting. No matter if it is your first esports betting experience, or if you choose to add it on top of other games in your arsenal already, you simply can’t go wrong. CS:GO also offers tournaments all year long, from all sorts of levels, which means we can consistently find good markets to bet on.

Bonuses and Offers for CS:GO

While individual betting bonuses for specific esports games are not a common occurrence, CS:GO actually gives us this opportunity. Betway has become the home of CS:GO betting, and they consistently offer boosted odds, money back guarantees and other bonuses to benefit from. This is something every CS:GO bettor should look to profit from, there simply is no downside. There are many great bookies to choose from, but there is no doubt in our mind that Betway is the top choice due to the attention they pay to the game.

Betting on Dota 2

Dota 2 is another staple of the esports universe as a whole. While the game is hugely popular all year round, it’s specifically the massive annual tournament, The International, that gathers most attention. Dota 2 betting is similar to CS:GO available at most bookmakers, and the market options are also abundant. The game offers a wide variety of markets due to the nature of the game, where there are more objectives and variables to bet on. Becoming a successful Dota 2 bettor is slightly different compared to CS:GO, due to statistical knowledge being acquired quite differently, and the value of it is also not as straightforward. While CS:GO relies heavily on map strength knowledge, Dota 2 revolves around teams playing different heroes and strategies. Having good knowledge of what each team’s play style builds upon is a crucial key to understanding where value can be found. One could propose that Dota 2 is a game that requires a deeper understanding of the game itself, and having watched and analysed previous play prior to finding bets offering value. Basing analysis on statistical knowledge alone is much trickier for Dota 2 than some other esports games. As such, Dota 2 might suit itself considerably better for bettors interested in watching and analysing more play, than numbers and statistics, even if those are important too.

Livebetting on Dota 2 can be a very interesting prospect for the bettor with considerable knowledge about the teams playing, and how the game is best approached at any given time. Different team compositions and strategies find their strength at different times of the game, which means knowledge of these details is key. Dota 2 is an ever evolving game that sees changes all the time. This is both through updates to the strength of heroes themselves, or simply teams understanding of how to utilize them. Trends become a more powerful tool, as a team that has the game figured out will be able to dominate their opponents in a more efficient way than in some other games.

If you are choosing an esport game to start fresh with for your betting needs, Dota 2 might be a tough one in the beginning. It is however very rewarding as you start understanding the intricacies of the game. I do not want to discourage you from giving it a chance, as it is a wonderful game to both watch and bet on, but be ready for a bigger time investment than for CS:GO for example. To learn more about Dota 2 betting we highly recommend you read Full Guide to Betting on Dota 2, in which we go deeper into how you can find statistics, the betting markets, and how you can become a more profitable Dota 2 bettor overall.

Best Bookmakers for Dota 2

As mentioned, most bookies who offer esports, also have Dota 2 on their menu. There is a big fundamental difference when it comes to Dota 2 betting though – the vast betting markets. Dota 2 offers everything from kill handicaps, roshan kills, minutes played to individual player kill amounts. The options are nearly endless, especially compared to some other simpler esports titles. It is important to keep this in mind when choosing Dota 2 as a mainstay in your betting portfolio. Even if value can’t be found on the straight winner markets, there are many other options. As such this heavily impacts the choice of bookmaker, as they vary massively in how much is offered. Odds comparisons for Dota 2 are very useful, as for any form of betting, but since they usually don’t display these rare betting markets you might need to venture a bit to find what suits you best. Some of our top picks for a versatile and good sportsbook for Dota 2 betting are as follows:

• Pinnacle
• Betway
• Bet365

While all of these are great for Dota 2, as are many others, the one who sits on a pedestal on its own is Pinnacle. It’s not rare for them to offer upwards of 100 betting options on Dota 2 matches, which is unparalleled by a mile. If you are looking to explore and find ways to become long term profitable through Dota 2, they are an excellent choice. Even more so, Pinnacle stands out as one of the few bookies who welcomes winners to their site, and even helps their punters become more profitable. If you are looking to begin betting on a new esports title, Dota 2 is great for this reason alone, as it gives plenty of avenues towards long term success. As mentioned though, be ready for a heavier workload than with other titles. For an already experienced MOBA bettor the transition would be easier, and success might come faster.

Betting on League of Legends

League of Legends is for most intents and purposes very similar to Dota 2, as they are structurally based on the same game idea. Betting on the game on the other hand is quite different in many ways. The biggest changes come through League of Legends using a league based system for its esports scene. This means that matches are very well scheduled and planned ahead of time, while Dota 2 has sporadic short, intense tournaments. Now, this could suit you either better or worse depending on how you like to manage your betting ventures. The biggest leagues in the world are LEC, LCS, LCK and LPL, who play out their season in Summer and Spring, and penultimate goal is the yearly World Championship, Worlds. This is where all the best teams in the world gather to decide who the champion is.

As League of Legends is one of the, if not the, most watched esport in the world it comes as no surprise that betting on it is as easy as they come. Virtually every bookmaker offering esports, also offers betting on League of Legends. It is even easier for them as the game works exactly like any traditional sports with set schedules and a proper league structure.

Similar to Dota 2, League of Legends is a game where statistical analysis will help you find good value odds. To become a long term profitable bettor with good constant +EV bets, more is however required. League of Legends, even more so than other MOBA games, changes frequently. Patches and changes are delivered with high speed, and understanding how they affect the game is absolutely crucial. Even smaller changes can impact teams and players’ performances heavily. As such a heavy commitment to understanding and analysing changes is close to required to become successful, League of Legends is a tough game to get started with. It is however very rewarding to learn about the smaller nuances to the game.

To learn more about betting on League of Legends it will be very beneficial to read our Full Guide to Betting on League of Legends, where the league structure is explained, betting markets explored, and the topic surrounding what strategy to use when betting on the game is covered. Becoming a long term profitable League of Legends bettor might not be an easy task, but a well rewarding one.

Best Bookmakers for League of Legends

As League of Legends is such a popular game, there is no lack of bookmakers to choose from. This might just be one of the main strengths of the game itself. As it is in many regards similar to Dota 2, but offers a bigger selection of bookmakers, and also a more structured schedule all year round, it might be the game just for you. The big leagues LEC, LCS, LCK and LPL are offered by most, but the difference comes in the selection for smaller regional leagues. Some bookmakers have taken an extra step to deliver on this front, and they belong to our favourites. To mention a few:

• Unibet
• Pinnacle
• Bet365

Not only are these bookmakers very trustworthy, and all around greatly respected ones. Their market selection for League of Legends is brilliant. They offer great markets for all the big leagues, high odds, and most of all they have paid a lot of attention to the smaller leagues as well. Betting on the smaller leagues of League of Legends can be a highly lucrative option, as the information is highly available, with teams who play each other on a weekly basis. This differs from both CS:GO and Dota 2 for example, where teams bounce around different tournaments and opposition regularly. League of Legends is simply a more stable environment than most games when it comes to betting, and if this sounds like something that might suit you better, then it might be your game.

Other Esports Games to Bet On

The three big titles in esports, especially considering the European and North American markets, speak for themselves. There simply is no competition in popularity or betting selection. That does not however mean there aren’t other games out there. Betting on smaller esports games is hugely popular too, even if they cater to a smaller pool of punters. We have selected some of the bigger ones, and most often offered by the bookmakers in the list below.

• StarCraft 2
• Rainbow Six
• FIFA
• NHL
• Valorant
• Overwatch
• King of Glory
• Rocket League

As you can see there are a whole lot of other options, and that’s not even close to all of them. If you are interested in betting on StarCraft 2, FIFA, Valorant or any of the other esports games mentioned, you will have to choose from more specific bookmakers. None are really covered by all the big bookies, but here also lies an advantage for us bettors. These games and markets are clearly less researched, by punters and bookies alike. If you acquire deep knowledge in any of these games there are plenty of opportunities to find great +EV spots. Talking about EV, we would highly recommend reading our article – What is Expected Value – A Complete Guide. This will help you in every scenario of esports betting, and help you on the way to becoming a long term winner.

Choosing one of the smaller games for esports betting has great benefits, but as always, research and knowledge about the games are crucial for success. While it might be harder to find stone cold statistics for these games than the bigger ones, it gives an opportunity to do the hard work yourself, and become a profitable bettor regardless. If you are interested in more niche markets, and working hard on your own, and maybe even creating your own statistics database, this could be the right option for you. Esports betting as a whole might have a lot in common, but I also hope it has become apparent by now that each game works differently, and we need to approach them in a different way to become profitable long term. As we said early on, it really is not much different from how traditional sports differ from one to another.

We also want to highlight that benefiting from bonuses and offers when betting on esports is something we should always utilize. They are quite often tied to the same bonuses as traditional sports, but in some cases they are also specific for esports alone. It is not uncommon that players think bonuses are only for soccer, tennis or whatever else, when they in fact almost always include esports too. Make sure to use them to your benefit!

What Esports to Bet On?

We started with a simple question, or one that might seem simple on the surface. I hope that we have by now established a good overview of what each game entails, and their difference from a betting standpoint. Choosing an esport to bet on might be complicated, especially with no previous experience, but to conclude, lets recap with a few points that are worth keeping in mind. If you like statistics and data driven analysis, CS:GO or other FPS games might suit you better. If instead, you like watching and analysing games, together with following the so-called meta, MOBA games might work out better. It’s simply two different styles.

The best esports to bet on is a concept that doesn’t really exist, just like traditional sports don’t work like that. Each has their own variables to account for, and they will suit different types of bettors. The main differences come through how big the markets are for each game, the amount of games there is to bet on, and how knowledge is acquired for each game. By reading our game specific betting guides, and this article, you should be well covered on all of those topics. The most important factor to become a long term winning esports bettor will mainly lie in how much knowledge you have of the game, but choosing one that suits your betting portfolio in other regards is important too.

Being a profitable bettor in several esports games at the same time is not impossible either, but the more games you try to bet on, the more research and time is needed. Therefore, for a beginner it would always be recommended to start with one at most, and when you eventually feel comfortable enough you could add another. You might have been looking for a more straightforward answer than this to our main question, but the truth is – it depends. Choosing an esports title to focus on will always come down to personal preference, but hopefully the choice is a little bit easier when we now understand the basic fundamentals of them. Esports betting might be quite new for most bettors, but I truly hope you give it a real chance, as it can be very entertaining and profitable, while at the same time giving more value betting spots than other sports.