The esports betting space is an evolving beast, and it has been that way for several years. Every day, more enthusiasts find their way into the competitive gaming fold, and they bring with them a hunger that often leads them to make bets for or against the vast array of esports teams that occupy the space and fight for tens of millions of dollars every year.
But for the newcomers, something as seemingly simple as understanding the best esports betting odds might be tough. Those numbers can be complicated at times, and every esports betting site seems to offer something different!
That said, I've assembled a full-fledged guide to help you understand the many esports betting markets out there and to get a picture of how it all blends into one seriously valuable part of the wider esports industry.
Explore The Top Esports Betting Sites In November For The Best Odds
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What Are Esports Odds?
If you've never placed a bet on anything in your life, you might wonder what 'odds' means in its simplest form.
Let's take a trip down memory lane.
As the notion of competitive gaming started taking off, we saw millions of people gravitate towards the esports industry. The biggest and most popular games, like Counter-Strike, League of Legends, Dota, and later, games like Rainbow Six Siege and Call of Duty, paved the way for the esports industry to skyrocket.
As competitive gaming started becoming more mainstream and understood, bookmakers realized there was a lucrative market forming.
Now, esports betting makes up roughly half of the industry's revenue. It's that big!
Esports odds effectively let you know how much those bookmakers could pay out if you win a bet. They basically show what the bookmaker thinks of a particular match or player within the confines of a specific 'market'. It's all adjusted for margin and other commercial considerations, but as the end user, you just need to worry about that one number.
And that's what I'm here to teach you about.
The Pros and Cons Of Using Esports Betting Odds
While it can take some time to learn how esports betting odds work, they can be really beneficial when it comes to actually placing your bets:
- Quickly identify the likely winner
- Calculate your potential payouts
- Choose the format that suits you
- They can take some time to learn
How Do Esports Odds Work?
Let's throw out a representative example, even if the odds might not reflect the real-world caliber of these organizations. In case you don't know what an organization is, just know that it's effectively a 'company' in the esports world that fields competitive rosters to play these games for real-world rewards.
Team Vitality is taking on Natus Vincere in a Counter-Strike 2 match. The esports betting site that you've chosen to use offers the following odds (in decimal format, which is the most common format):
- Team Vitality to win: 1.70
- Natus Vincere to win: 2.15
As Team Vitality has 'lower' odds, the betting site considers them more likely to win the match, which means you'll get a lower payout if you bet on them and they win.
On the other hand, Natus Vincere has 'higher' odds, which reflects on their less likely ability to win and promises you a larger return if you bet the same amount on this team.
It breaks down into three core concepts:
- Odds
- Stake
- Return
Your odds represent the price attached to predicting an outcome; your stake is the amount you choose to bet on those odds; and the return is the amount you get back if you're successful.
For example, if you bet on Team Vitality with odds of 1.70 to win and you placed a stake of $10, you'd get $17 back. That's your $10 returned and an additional $7 for making the correct prediction. If you bet on Natus Vincere to win and your stake was the same, the 2.15 odds would return $21.50 - $10 and $11.50 profit.
It doesn't matter what game you bet on; these principles are always the same. If you want to find a nice Mobile Legends betting site, you'll see the same odds presented there.
Types of Esports Odds, Explained
Now, I've mentioned that decimal odds are the most common in the esports industry, and I've explained how they work. But what about the other types of odds? You've also got fractional odds and American odds, which, at face value, probably mean absolutely nothing to you.
Let's break them down.
Fractional Odds
Fractional odds are most typically seen in the United Kingdom, and they reflect potential profit relative to the original stake rather than the total return. The easiest way to explain this is by showcasing '1/1' odds. That means what you bet doubles effectively if you win - one-to-one odds.
Here are some examples:
| Fractional Esports Odds | Profit on a $10 Winning Bet | Total Return |
| 1/2 | $5 | $15 |
| 1/1 | $10 | $20 |
| 3/2 | $15 | $25 |
| 2/1 | $20 | $30 |
| 5/1 | $50 | $60 |
American Odds
American esports odds are often called moneyline odds, and they're probably the most confusing out of all esports betting odds. At face value, they mean almost nothing to an outsider, but they're pretty common. You'll see them a lot in the United States and in various international markets.
Basically, American odds use positive and negative numbers to represent potential. It's easier if I use a round figure to explain, so here are some fictional returns based on a $100 stake:
| American Esports Odds | Definition | Profit on a $100 Stake |
| +150 | A $100 stake could make you $150 profit | $150 |
| +200 | A $100 stake could make you $200 profit | $200 |
| -110 | You need to stake $110 to make $100 profit | $90~ |
| -200 | You need to stake $200 to make $100 profit | $50 |
Towards the higher, more positive end of the scale, you have the teams less likely to win, thus the larger return potential. At the lower, negative end of the scale, you have teams more likely to win, so the returns diminish considerably.
Esports Odds Conversion Table
In case you're still perplexed by all these different odds (like I often am!), here's a quick conversion table that perfectly represents the rough split:
| Decimal Esports Odds | Fractional Esports Odds | American Esports Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 1.50 | 1/2 | -200 |
| 1.80 | 4/5 | -125 |
| 2.00 | 1/1 | +100 |
| 2.50 | 3/2 | +150 |
| 3.00 | 2/1 | +200 |
| 4.00 | 3/1 | +300 |
| 5.00 | 4/1 | +400 |
How to Calculate Implied Probability in Esports
If you're a brand-new esports bettor, this might be one of the most confusing terms you've ever heard mentioned: implied probability. I'll be honest, I hate math, so the sheer phrasing is enough to make me shudder, but it's super important if you want to get better at esports wagering.
This effectively converts odds into a percentage, which shows the likelihood of a team or player to win you a bet by a more understandable and universal number.
Using decimal odds, the easiest way to represent this is by using a nice, round number:
- 2.00 decimal odds represent a 50% chance of winning
- 5.00 decimal odds represent a 20% chance of winning
- 1.25 decimal odds represent an 80% chance of winning
But here's a real-world (ish) example.
It's League of Legends Worlds, and you've got a match between T1 and Gen.G, both powerful teams in their own right.
T1 is priced at 1.65 to win, while Gen.G has odds of 2.30 to win.
Here's the implied probability on that:
- T1 (1 / 1.65 x 100 = 60.61% to win)
- Gen.G (1 / 2.30 x 100 = 43.48% to win)
It's not a split. It doesn't indicate that T1 has a 60% chance to win while Gen.G picks up the other 40% chance - each implication is a unique probability.
This formula works regardless of the game you're betting on, whether you're on a Rocket League betting site or playing some Rainbow Six markets.
Esports Betting Sites with the Best Odds This November
Here are my top picks for the best esports betting sites with competitive odds that are equally accessible and reliable.
- 20BET: 20BET is a sportsbook with a dedicated esports section that covers almost every game you could ever wish to wager on. It even has simulated esports products, which is pretty rare to see. There are pre-match and live-betting markets, and odds remain competitive, with a decent spread of traditional markets in esports: match winners, handicaps, and other markets.
- Parimatch: Parimatch is a well-known betting brand in the esports space, thanks to the company sponsoring teams and tournaments. It has a fleshed-out esports betting section in its sportsbook that has a diverse array of markets, and the top-tier tournaments out there receive granular in-play markets, too.
- Sportsbet.io: Sportsbet is another hybridized platform that offers markets for traditional sports as well as modern esports games. It publishes esports information highlights to help you stay in the loop with your beloved games, and it supports cryptocurrency payments, representing a more tech-friendly perspective.
- 22BET: 22BET isn't the most well-known betting site for esports wagering, but it does offer enough markets to keep a newcomer occupied. The platform itself is popular and trusted, and you'll find esports betting odds even for the lower-tier competitive circuits on this site.
- N1 Bet: N1 Bet is a dual sportsbook-casino platform that has an esports section covering the biggest games in the business, such as Counter-Strike 2, League of Legends, and VALORANT. It's a pretty comprehensive platform that has in-play markets, just in case you want that added sprinkle of intensity.
How to Compare Esports Odds Between Bookmakers
Now that you know how odds work and how to understand the difference between the types, you're much better placed to see some success in your esports betting activities. But I always advise users to sign up for multiple sites, which means you might have different odds to play with between platforms, even if they're the same type.
There's never a guarantee that Site A will offer the same odds as Site B, and Site C might be even more different still!
Here's a quick strategy for comparing odds:
-
Check the exact market between platforms, because you might be looking at a similarly named market that isn't the same on another site. You might be betting on a match winner rather than a map winner, for instance.
-
Compare the prices between platforms, and convert the odds where needed, potentially using the table I've provided above.
-
Check the rules on the site you've chosen. The esports betting sites I've named are tried, tested, and trusted, but if you go somewhere else, you'll need to check their rules for settlement, overtime treatment, market conditions, and so on.
-
Calculate the potential return and understand how much you'll actually get from each site, rather than just 'eyeballing' it.
-
Check the price before confirming. Most esports betting sites have very dynamic pricing, and the odds you've seen at the start of your selection might have changed by the time you go to stake it.
What Affects Esports Odds?
As I've just stated, esports odds are dynamic and shift all the time. The bookmaker will be constantly assessing the (digital) playing field and tweaking accordingly. In some cases, you might get guaranteed odds, but these are usually attached to specific betting promotions and esports betting bonuses.
But what could impact these odds and make them shift?
Recent form is the easiest pick. If a team goes on a winning streak and is looking sharp, they'll have lower odds to reflect their dominance and the higher likelihood of them winning whatever comes next.
Then there are roster changes. If a team undergoes a major roster change and it creates a flawed dynamic, they'll become more of an underdog, an unexpected team to win. On the other hand, if they acquire a world champion and the chemistry is instant, the odds will worsen for the bettor.
The map pool is another thing, and this one is very dynamic. Before an esports match is played, teams 'lock in' their map pool (and sometimes character pools), and bookmakers will adjust based on the teams' potential on those maps. It's a fact of the business, and some teams just play better on some maps than others.
Tournament format is also key, and this can alter the esports odds depending on the length of a competition or just an individual series. If you've got a best-of-nine, the odds would look different than with a best-of-three.
Betting activity is the final thing to note. If a particular team is getting a ton of bets placed on them to win, the price might alter as the bookmaker recognizes that activity and investigates it.
Simple Strategy for Checking Esports Odds
Let's wrap up with a nice strategy you can take away to bet on esports with much more confidence. This is a simple checklist that you can use to get the upper hand on the odds you're trying to understand, and you can feel free to use it for as long as you need to!
Before you commit to making a real-money esports bet, consider these points:
-
Identify the game, teams, and the exact market you want to bet on.
-
Convert the odds you see to decimal format if that makes comparisons easier, and consider using my table above to do that.
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Calculate the implied probability of those odds, and again, you can use the information I've provided above.
-
Compare the prices you've got across bookmakers (I'll recommend those above again) to see what they have.
-
Consider the margin and relevant match information, which will be much easier if you're already a fan of that game.
-
Check the settlement rules and the final price on your betslip, just in case something has changed.
And in terms of general tips...
You should never bet more than you can afford. If you're on a losing streak, don't chase it with more losses; step back, take a breather, and get away from the screen. Only use appropriate, licensed, and trusted esports betting sites, like the ones I've listed above. And as I already mentioned, diversify to collect more competitive odds and more bonuses and promotions.
I'm also a huge advocate for watching, playing, and connecting with the game you're trying to bet on. You can learn a lot from likeminded folks, and if you watch pro streamers, tournaments, or play the game yourself, you'll have a much better understanding about the wider esports betting space attached to your desired game - or games!
Good luck with your efforts betting on esports!
FAQs about esports betting odds
What formats do esports odds come in?
You can choose from several odds formats, including decimal, fractional, and American odds.
Do the odds tell me how much I will win on a bet?
Yes, you can use fixed odds to work out your potential payout on a successful bet.
Are the odds for an esports team always the same?
No, the odds change depending on who the team is playing, their recent stats, and what market you’re betting on.
