Esports odds are usually shown as decimals. A price of 2.50 returns £2.50 for every £1 staked if the bet wins, including the stake, and is the same as 6/4 in fractional odds. To turn a price into the chance it implies, divide 1 by it: 2.50 implies 40%.
Add up the implied chances of every outcome and you get more than 100%. The difference is the bookmaker's margin. With one team at 1.73 and the other at 2.10, the implied chances are 57.8% and 47.6%, a total of 105.4%.
Match winner
The simplest bet: which team wins the series. In a best-of-two, used in some group stages, a 1-1 draw is possible, so the market has three outcomes. Check what happens if a match is postponed or a team forfeits, because bookmakers set their own rules for walkovers.
Map handicap
A handicap gives one team a head start or a deficit in maps. In a best-of-three:
| Bet | Wins if the team |
|---|---|
| -1.5 maps | Wins 2-0 |
| +1.5 maps | Wins at least one map |
Backing a favourite at -1.5 maps gives a bigger price than the match winner market, in exchange for needing a clean sweep. Backing an outsider at +1.5 pays even if it loses the series 2-1. In a best-of-five the lines are -1.5 and -2.5 maps. Shooters also have round handicaps on each map, such as -4.5 rounds, and battle arena games have kill handicaps.
Totals
- Total maps: over 2.5 maps in a best-of-three means the series goes to a deciding third map.
- Total rounds (CS2 and Valorant): over or under a line, such as 21.5 rounds, on one map. Check whether overtime rounds count.
- Total kills and game duration (League of Legends and Dota 2): over or under a line of combined kills, or a number of minutes, in one game.
Correct score and outrights
A correct score bet picks the exact series result: 2-0, 2-1, 1-2 or 0-2 in a best-of-three. Prices are bigger because there are more outcomes. Outright markets cover a whole tournament, such as the winner of a CS2 Major or Worlds, and tie your stake up until the event finishes.
In-play betting
In-play betting lets you bet between rounds and maps or during a game. Prices move quickly, and tournament broadcasts often run a couple of minutes behind the live match to stop teams gaining information from the stream, so what you are watching may already be out of date. Bookmakers often suspend markets at key moments.
The speed also makes it easy to chase losses from one map to the next. Set a limit before the match starts, and read our guide to age limits and staying in control. Betting is for adults aged 18 and over.
FAQs
What does -1.5 maps mean in esports betting?
It is a map handicap: the team you back must win by at least two maps. In a best-of-three that means winning 2-0. The price is bigger than the match winner price because a 2-1 win loses the bet.
Do overtime rounds count in CS2 and Valorant totals?
It depends on the bookmaker's rules for that market, so check the market description or the esports section of the terms before you bet. It matters: overtime adds at least four rounds to a CS2 map and at least two to a Valorant map, enough to settle a close total.
What is a walkover in esports betting?
A walkover is when a match is awarded to one team without being played, for example because the opponent withdraws or can't field a team. Bets on a walkover are often made void, with stakes returned, but rules differ between bookmakers, so check the terms.