There are now more than 5 million esports fans in Canada, according to data from gaming giant OverActive Media.
They witness feats of individual and collective brilliance from elite gamers on a daily basis via platforms such as Twitch and YouTube. Viewership figures continue to increase on an annual basis, driven by the exploits of homegrown heroes such as Twistzz, NAF, Zayt and MoonMeander.
Competitive gaming fans can dial up the excitement by betting on the action at reputable esports gambling sites. They offer a tantalizing opportunity to cash in on your expertise of games such as CS:GO, Dota 2, League of Legends, Valorant, Overwatch, Call of Duty and Rainbow Six.
These are some of the key betting options you can choose from:
Match Winner
This is a straightforward bet on which team will win an esports matchup. Online sportsbooks release odds on each team after assessing their respective strengths and weaknesses. The odds tell you how much you would earn by successfully betting on a team, and they also highlight the implied chances of success.
For example, you might find odds of 1.25 on Toronto Defiant to beat Vancouver Titans, and odds of 4.50 on the Titans to win the matchup. You simply need to multiply your bet amount by the odds to calculate your potential return. In this case, a $10 bet on Toronto would return $12.50, whereas a $10 bet on Vancouver would return $45, which shows you that the Titans are underdogs.
Map Winner
You will also be able to bet on the winner of an individual map within a match. The concept is the same: the esports betting site provides odds on either team, and you just put your money on the team you think will win.
This adds an intriguing dimension to esports betting, as certain teams are specialists at particular maps, and you can find great value in backing them to prevail.
Total Rounds or Total Maps
This is a popular bet on the number of rounds in a match or the number of maps that will be played. The esports betting site will set a total round line, and you just bet on “over” or “under.”
For example, you might find odds of 2.05 on over 2.5 maps in a best-of-three Dota 2 match, and 1.72 on under 2.5 maps. If you expect one team to win 2-0, you can bet on under 2.5, or you can bet on over 2.5 if you expect it to finish 2-1 to either team.
Handicaps
This market is similar to the puck line in a hockey game or the point spread in a football or basketball game. The stronger team is given a maps handicap, and you can then bet on who will cover the line that is set.
For example, you might find odds of 1.91 on Team Liquid -1.5 in a best of three matchup against Entity, and odds of 1.91 on Entity +1.5. If you bet on TL, they would need to win 2-0. A bet on Entity would pay off if they lost 2-1, won 2-1 or won 2-0.
There are also special handicap markets within big matches. For example, you might find 1.80 on Gen.G -7.5 Towers on Map 1 of a match against Cloud9, and 1.83 on Cloud9 +7.5 Towers.
Correct Score
This is a simple bet on the final score at the end of a match. For example, you could bet on Toronto Defiant to beat Vancouver Titans 3-1 in an Overwatch League match. You earn a larger payout if you predict the correct score as opposed to simply specifying who will win.
Exotic Markets
You will find hundreds of exotic markets on big matchups if you visit an elite esports betting site like Unikrn. Exotics are special betting options – also known as prop bets – which are not linked to the result.
For example, let’s say you want to bet on a matchup between G2 Esports and Bilibili Gaming at LoL’s Mid-Season Invitational. These are some of the exciting market you could bet on:
- G2 Esports to win a map
- Bilibili Gaming to secure the most kills on Map 1
- Over/under 29/5 kills on Map 2
- Total kills odd/even on Map 3
- G2 Esports to destroy 10+ towers on Map 1
- 0-2 total dragons slain on Map 3
- 3+ inhibitors destroyed on Map 2
There are loads of additional markets to consider too, giving you a wealth of different ways to cash in on a matchup.
Live Bets
You can continue betting on an esports match after it has started. The odds on markets such as the match winner, map winner, totals, correct scores and exotics will be updated to reflect the score and the momentum. It allows you to watch the action and bet in-play after getting a feel for how well each team is shaping up.
Tournament Winner
Competitive gaming fans can also bet on the overall winner of each tournament. The esports betting sites issue odds before the tournament begins, and they are updated throughout the event, until just two teams are left standing in the Grand Finals.
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