The best esports betting odds can give you the edge needed to win more. And the best part is that you can easily compare the sharpest lines before you make your bet. Odds are at the heart of every wager, whether you’re backing NAVI in Counter-Strike, going all-in on LoL Worlds or experimenting with new titles like Marvel Rivals.
We have a clear explanation of how odds are used in esports betting, why they matter, and how to read them across formats like decimal, fractional, and American. We’ll also examine expected values and betting strategies. To get started right away, check out a complete list of the top sites for esports betting odds here:
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Understanding Esports Betting Odds
Here’s a quick lesson on getting to grips with fractional and decimal odds and how they can help you work out esports odds for your favorite titles.
We’ve also provided a short section that helps you understand how bookmakers come up with esports odds so that you can make a decent profit by betting on CS2 and LoL betting.
We will also include information on how to calculate expected value so that you can quickly see how much you can earn on the various esports betting odds. And with some handy coverage of how American odds work, as well as strategies like arb betting and matched betting, you should have everything you need to get a good payout on betting on your favorite gaming titles.
How American Odds Work
If you go to the best esports betting sites to place a bet, then the chances are that you will see odds displayed in the American format.
American odds always begin with a positive or negative symbol. If you see American odds with a negative sign, then the following amount refers to how much you would have to bet to make a $100 profit.
Whereas if you saw American odds with a positive sign, then the number afterwards would refer to how much profit you would get if your betting stake was $100.
Whilst this may sound like a fairly unusual way to work out the possibility of an esports event happening, it’s a very practical way of explaining odds in terms that have a direct correlation to how much you might wager. American odds are growing in popularity as esports spreads around the world, so it’s a good idea to get a basic understanding of this way of displaying odds.
What Are Decimal Odds?
Decimal odds can apply to anything in the esports world.
For example, if you placed a $10 bet on Team Dignitas to win the Global Loot League in PUBG at odds of 7.00, then you would get $70 back, including your original stake. And if you placed a $5 bet on Optic Gaming to win their Dota 2 ROG Masters challenge at odds of 3.00, then you would receive $15, including your original wagering amount.
So the larger the decimal amount, the more the bookmaker is willing to pay out on that betting outcome. However, it goes without saying that these outside bets have been viewed as less likely to happen, which is why this is always a risky betting strategy.
Fractional Odds Explained
Some betting enthusiasts will be familiar with fractional betting odds. Whilst this method of displaying esports odds isn’t as popular in the US, it is still a commonly used method for predicting how likely a particular event is to occur overseas. The key thing to remember about fractional odds is that it doesn’t include your original wagering amount.
So if we wanted to bet on Fnatic to win their next CS2 match at the ESL Pro League Finals at fractional odds of 2/7, it means that for every $7 that we wagered we would get $2 in return.
And if you wanted to back their opponents, Luminosity at CS2 odds of 2/5, then you would get £2 for every £5 that you wagered.
This shows that the bookies have decided that Luminosity are looking slightly more likely to win this particular esports match, and as a result, the bookmaker will provide a smaller payout for anybody choosing to back this team.
The main thing to remember is that there aren’t any real advantages in choosing decimal rather than fractional odds, it’s all about whatever works best in helping you to work out your eventual esports winnings.
Comparison of Different Esports Odds
No matter which odds format is prefer using for esports, the numbers will indicate the same thing: how likely a team is to win and how much your bet will pay. As a result, esports odds calculators can be useful for switching between the different types so that you have a clear image. Here is an example of the same odds displayed in different formats.
| Bet Amount | American Odds | Decimal Odds | Fractional Odds | Implied Odds | To Win |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100 | 100 | 2 | 1/1 | 50 | $100 |
| $100 | 200 | 3 | 2/1 | 33.33 | $200 |
| $100 | 300 | 4 | 3/1 | 25 | $300 |
How Esports Betting Odds Are Calculated
All sports will calculate odds in a precise way so that they give themselves the upper hand whilst making sure that they keep customers coming back for more. Bookmakers do this by employing experts in each area to try and work out the likelihood of each betting outcome happening.
So, just as you might get a football expert to act as an oddsmaker for creating odds on the Super Bowl, you would also get a Dota 2 betting expert to work out for the upcoming International tournament by checking the past form and statistics of each player. The same is valid for LoL betting, Valorant betting, or any other esports title.
You can now get a good idea of who the best esports players and teams are in any domain just by looking at how their odds have been formulated. No matter how much research goes into creating the esports betting lines, there can always be surprises. This is what makes betting so exciting since even an underdog can take down the biggest team of the tournament.
How to Calculate Expected Values
Expected value gives you an indication of how much you should expect to win on average on each bet. This means that you can run the same betting scenario over and over to work out whether the odds are worth betting on. You can calculate the expected value of a bet by multiplying your winning odds probabilities by the amount that you’d win, and then you would take away the probability of losing multiplied by the amount you would lose. You can work out these probabilities by dividing each decimal odds by one.
What these figures reveal is that all bookmakers will tilt the betting odds slightly in their favor so that they can stay in profit. But the trick is to use an esports betting resource to make sure that you are only using online sportsbooks with the lowest possible betting margins, so as to give yourself the maximum possible profits if you win.
All About Arbs: Tricky Betting Strategy
It’s essential to get a decent understanding of expected value if you’re looking to try to implement an arbitrage betting strategy for your esports wagering. Whilst arb betting can be a little complicated, it’s a great way for more experienced betting enthusiasts to try and guarantee themselves a profit. You can do this by using odds from a variety of different sites against each other so that you can maximize your winnings.
So if you were betting on Fnatic versus Luminosity in an upcoming ESL Pro League Final, you would bet on both teams to win the CS2 match, but you would use a discrepancy in different odds to give yourself a guaranteed profit.
Obviously, this is not a simple betting strategy to try, but it shows that if you’re willing to put in the effort, then you can make money from two different bets. In order to successfully carry out an arb betting strategy like this, you’ll need to check into the esports betting odds on multiple sites to make sure that you are only using the latest odds, otherwise, your plan could go disastrously wrong.
Matched Betting and Esports Odds
Some esports betting fans have found that matched betting is another advanced technique that can be used on titles like CS2. This requires you to bet against the eventual winner by backing potential losers from a variety of different sites. By using a betting exchange to place an opposing lay bet, you can hedge all possible outcomes to try to guarantee yourself a profit.
To successfully carry out this betting tactic, you’ll need to find sportsbooks offering odds on your chosen esport. So this is not a tactic to use on niche esports titles like Heroes of the Storm.
In addition to this, it can take a lot of patience and skill in finding the right odds for your chosen esport. Whilst football fans can find plenty of alternatives for making up their matched betting strategy, when it comes to esports, it’s a much trickier challenge. However, as esports grows in popularity and features on more and more platforms, then hopefully we will all soon be able to try some matched betting as a way of guaranteeing ourselves some decent profits.
Most Popular Esports Markets: Bet on Your Favorite Games
Although there is a rapidly growing range of ways that you can make your esports bets, it’s evident that even the most respected bookmakers will only include esports betting odds for a handful of games. This is probably due to the fact that esports has been with us for less than two decades, and bookies are still working out which games will prove to be the most popular for people to put their bets on.
As a result, you can expect to find sites that focus on esports betting markets to allow bets on iconic titles like
- Counter-Strike 2
- Dota 2
- League of Legends
- Valorant
However, some forward-thinking brands have seized the initiative to offer esports odds on a much larger selection of titles, with games like
- Street Fighter
- PUBG
- Overwatch 2
- Fornite
- StarCraft II
- EA Sports FC
- NBA 2K
- Mobile Legends
- PUBG Mobile
- Call of Duty
- Hearthstone
So whilst the betting markets for esports might be fairly limited at the moment, it’s expected that we will see plenty more betting options arriving in the future.
FAQs
What sites offer the best esports betting odds in the USA?
BetWhale, BetUS, and BetOnline often have the best esports betting odds in the United States. These are renowned sportsbooks with great coverage of esports events and competitive betting lines. You can also benefit from bonuses to further improve your margins for every tournament.
How can I compare esports betting odds online?
The best way to compare odds for esports betting is to sign up to several platforms featured on this page. Then, navigate to the game you want to bet on and see what odds each sportsbook offers. Go with the lines that give you the best profits for your bet, if successful.
What are the most popular esports to find betting odds on?
League of Legends, Counter-Strike 2, and Dota 2 are the big three when it comes to esports betting odds online. All of the leading platforms cover these games in detail. Other popular picks include Valorant, Overwatch, Rocket League, and Fortnite.
