Your Esports Betting Odds Guide

Popular Esports Bets for South African Punters

There are numerous types of esports bets available. Some bets are game-specific, while others can be applied across various video games. For instance, CS: GO betting markets might differ from those used in LoL. Here are some of the common bet types offered by esports betting sites for players in South Africa.

Outright Bets

Outright bets are among the simplest esports bet types and are offered by almost every betting site that provides online esports betting. These bets require punters to predict the outright winner in a series of esports contests. Common outright bets include match winner and tournament winner bets.

Over/Under Bets

This bet type involves wagering on the number of times a specific event occurs within a match. For example, this could be the total number of rounds in CS: GO or the number of kills in LoL. Typically, the betting site sets a number and assigns odds based on the probabilities.

Handicap Betting

Bookies often offer handicap betting to level the playing field when there's a clear favourite. For instance, if a bookie gives a team a '+2' handicap, it means the favourite must win by more than two points for bets on them to win. Otherwise, bets on the underdog team succeed.

Correct Score

Correct score bets are straightforward, particularly in football betting. However, this bet type can be applied differently in esports. For example, most LoL betting sites allow players to predict if a team will win with a specific score like 3-0, 3-1, or 3-2, and vice versa.

First Kill/First Blood

This bet type is common to MOBA games such as CS: GO. This bet type allows the punter to bet on the team or player that is likely to get the first kill/blood of the match. Players are thus expected to do due diligence on the respective section to profit from this bet.

First Map

This bet type allows punters to bet on the winner of an individual map. Like First kill bets, users with adequate knowledge of a team or player’s strength often have a slight advantage when it comes to these types of bets.

The range of eSports bets can be enormous. As such, players should always try to understand different bet types and, most importantly, be able to find value odds.

How are eSports Odds Calculated?

Esports bookmakers use various factors like the history of the teams, form, characters available, among others, to calculate odds.

However, ensure you go through several esports bet tips to learn how to use odds to place successful bets. If possible, visit other esports betting sites to see the odds they have given to the teams you’re interested in wagering.

Line shopping will help you know what other bookies predict about a game, and you may use that information to place successful bets. You may also line shop to look for esports betting sites that will offer you the best payouts if you win. Let’s now find out how esports betting odds work.

How do eSports Betting Odds work?

When betting on esports games, looking at the odds may help with helpful information. Betting odds rely on probability to determine which team is likely to win.

If odds favor the outcome of a particular team, the team has a high probability of winning. On the other hand, if the odds don’t favor the outcome of a team, the team has a low probability of winning.

For instance, we can use numbers to determine the probability of a team winning. Let’s say you have two teams, A and B, where team A has 1/2 odds, and team B has 2/1 odds.

When betting, you’ll know that team A has a higher probability of winning than team B. Team A has a 66.7% probability of winning while team B has a 33.3% probability of winning. However, the amount you’ll win when you bet on a given team to win will be highly influenced by the odds.

Bookmakers take advantage of bettors who don’t take a keen interest in how odds help in determining the probability. Your favorite team could be the underdogs, so betting on them to win would be an advantage to bookies. The odds are, your team has a high chance of losing than winning. We’ll discuss further how to read and understand odds so you can bet wisely.

Types of eSports Odds

When you join eSports betting sites, you’re likely to encounter odds displayed in different formats. The region and popularity of odds will determine these formats. For instance, most bookmakers will display their odds in three different formats. The three formats are:

• Decimal odds: Most bookies prefer using decimal odds because bettors find them easy to understand in most parts of the world. However, betting sites in the UK and the US don’t use decimal odds. If you’re from a different region and visit the US or UK, you’ll have to familiarize yourself with their betting odds to place bets.
• Fractional odds: Make the oldest way of displaying odds. Fraction odds were used in horse racing gambling and remain popular in the UK and Ireland. When using fraction odds to bet in esports games, the two teams will have different fractions representing the probabilities of winning. You need to do your math well to know your favorite team and win if you wager on it.
• American odds: Exist in America, but you may sometimes find them used in Canada. You may find American odds perplexing, especially if you come from other regions. However, once you understand how they work, you may be surprised to realize they are the easiest to use.

Let’s now find out how to read and understand the three eSports betting formats. You’ll also learn to use odds to determine the favorite teams and the amount to win after betting.

How to Read eSports Betting Odds

What are Decimal odds?

When using decimal odds to bet, you should multiply the amount you wager (stake) by the odds. Let’s say your favorite team A has odds displayed as 2.1. When you bet on team A to win with a $10 stake, your total payout will be $21. You can calculate your winning probability by working out the percentage of both teams. You can arrive at the percentage by dividing one by the odds of a team them multiply with 100. For team A, the winning percentage is (12.1) x 100=47.6%.

Fraction Odds

If your favorite team has 1/2 odds, and you place a bet with $10 for the team to win, your total payout will be (2÷1) x $10= $20. To find the winning percentage of your favorite team, you take the numerator and divide by the total of numerator and denominator and multiply the results by 100. For instance, your favorite team winning percentage is (1÷3) x 100=33.3%

How do American Odds work?

American odds come with positive or negative odd numbers. For instance, your team could be having odds of +200. That means if you bet with $100, you’ll get a payout of $200 once the team wins. With unfavorable odds, the numbers displayed mean the amount you would stake to win $100. For example, if your team had odds of -200, the amount to stake will be $200 to win $100.

How Different eSports Odds work by Genre

When you’re learning how to bet on esports, you need to understand how eSports odds work. Let’s analyze different games to find out how their odds work.

MOBA

MOBA (Multiple Online Battle Arena) games have three significant odds displays. The odds can appear on betting sites in decimal, fractional or American formats. Ensure you understand the tournament and the participants before placing your bets.

The different formats used to display odds will influence how you bet. If you’re using the American version, you need to understand the difference between the two odds appearing with a positive and a negative sign. You can use the three formats to determine the probability of your team winning.

Battle Royale

When betting on Battle Royale, you should develop a strategy to help you win. You consider a team or player that has a track record of winning several games. The odds available will guide you to know which team or player has a higher percentage of winning. Here, you’ll find odds displayed in the three formats – decimal, fractional and American formats.

Battle Royale games are CoD: Warzone and PUBG. If you’re in the UK betting on Battle Royale, your odds will appear in fractional formats. For instance, if you’re betting on a Call of Duty: Warzone game, the two teams playing will have odds displayed in fractional formats. Depending on your region, you may also get odds displayed in decimal or American format.

FPS

First-Person Shooter (FPS) games have odds displayed in the three formats. When betting on FPS games, consider looking for games with the best odds and a high winning percentage. You can bet on FPS games like Battlefield, Call of Duty: Warzone, Team Fortress 2, Valorant, among several others.

Sport Games

When betting on eSports sports games, the most popular game is the eSports FIFA game. The good thing is, if you’re a FIFA enthusiast, you’ll enjoy betting on eFIFA since the odd display is similar to that of real football. When betting, look for teams with competitive qualities.

You’ll find that odds will be displayed in the three formats depending on your region. If you want to know which team has a higher chance of winning, the odd display will guide you well. You can also do your math to know the amount you’ll win after betting for a given team.

RTS

Real-Time Strategy (RTS) comprises several games, including Age of Empires II or Starcraft II. Odds display depends on the games and the regions where bettors can access them. Bettors can find odds displayed in decimal, fractional or American formats. One should take a keen interest in odds since they can know the teams or player with a high probability of winning. Odds will also help betters determine their payouts in case their favourite wins.

Conclusion

In conclusion, understanding eSports betting odds is crucial for making informed decisions and maximizing your betting success. Whether you’re analyzing decimal, fractional, or American odds, knowing how these formats work empowers you to predict outcomes more effectively and increase your winning chances. Remember, strategic line shopping and staying updated with eSports betting tips can make all the difference. With eSportsRanker by your side, you have a reliable guide to help you navigate this exciting landscape. Don’t hesitate—explore the top-ranked sites from our toplist and bet smarter today!