Universal Tips for Picking an eSports Winner

eSports Betting Strategies: Learn how to win eSports bets more often.

Electronic sports – or eSports, as it’s colloquially known – has quickly developed in recent years; so quickly it’s being labeled the fastest growing gambling market in the world. The eSports arena revolves around video games, and the people who love to play them. The eSports betting community is made up of those who love to watch and wager on them.

While every Canadian of legal age can participate in eSports gambling, only a few will be really good at it; much like the video gamers themselves. It’s not like walking into a casino and laying all your money on roulette’s red or black. You won’t have a near-50% chance to win either way. Picking an eSports winner is not unlike betting on traditional sports. The more you know, the better your odds will be.

How to Win eSports Bets More Often

There are five universal eSports betting strategies you can employ to enhance your experience and boost your odds. Don’t think this is going to be easy, though. Casual bettors do it for fun, putting their odds in the hand of fate. Pros work for their winnings, and like any professional career, hard work really does pay off.

1. Research the Games: If you don’t know anything about the games you’re betting on, you’re shooting fish in a barrel. Do your research!
2. Know the Rosters: Once you’ve picked and researched an eSports video game, get to know the teams competing in each league. The performance of every person on every team matters.
3. Shop the Lines: Different eSports bookies can offer different odds on the same matches. It really pays to shop around!
4. MOBA vs. MMOFPS: MOBA games are different from MMOFPS. Because they offer unique bets, researching teams for these bets can take you far.
5. Find Value in Props: Don’t limit yourself to math win bets. Combining all the above tips, you can find extreme value in proposition bets.

#1 Research the eSports Leagues You’re Interested In

If a (logical) person knew nothing about football or the teams that play it, they wouldn’t even consider betting on it. The same goes for eSports. Before you even think about placing a beat, you need to know as much as you can about it. If you aren’t already a player or live-stream fan, look up a video on how to play. This will explain all the basic rules, objectives, and side quests that you may be able to bet on. Do this for a number of eSports games until you find the one you’re most interested in.

You may even wish to buy or demo the game to get a feel for what players are competing against. If you are already a player, this can give you a big head start into your research. Be careful not to split your research across too many games. In fact, as a beginner, you should probably focus on a single eSport.

Here are some options you can learn about on our website:

• Call of Duty (CoD)
• Counter Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO)
• Dota 2
• League of Legends (LoL)
• Overwatch League (OWL)
• StarCraft II (SC2)

#2 Study the Rosters of Each Team in Your eSport

Once you’ve chosen a game to focus your bets on, start looking into each of the league teams. Get to know every player, on every team. Team-based games usually put each player into a role, whether its attacker, tank, support, etc. Knowing each player’s position, and how well they perform their tasks, can do wonders for your eSports betting strategy.

Let’s say Team A’s tanks are susceptible to swift attacking teams. If you know Team B’s attackers are fast chargers, you can use this to your advantage. Or, maybe Team A’s support knows how to step in and help when the enemy charges, giving that team the upper hand. The more you know about a team’s strong points and weaknesses, the easier it is to estimate a winner.

#3 It Pays to Shop the Lines at eSports Bookmakers

One of the worst things you can do as an eSports bettor is join only one bookmaker. Not only does it limit your options, you’ll never even know if there’s a better line on the bet you want to make.

Take the time to investigate various eSportsbooks. Make sure they’re not all owned by the same parent company, or using the same software, or the odds will always match. When you have a few diverse accounts to work with, you can compare the lines at each bookie to ensure you’re always getting the best bang for your buck.

#4 MOBA vs. MMOFPS – Research Players/Teams by Bet Types

There’s a resounding difference between the eSports market’s two primary gaming types – Mass Online Battle Arena (MOBA) and Mass Multi-Player Online First-Person Shooter (MMOFPS). MOBA games, like CoD: War Zone, Dota 2, Fortnite and League of Legends, feature specific bet types that you wont’ find in MMOFPS games.

For example, League of Legends features Baron Nashor, Dragons and Towers. Bettors can take odds on who will take down First Baron, First Dragon, or First Tower. Some teams are known to focus on destroying a Baron or Dragon for the quick EX/resource boost. Other teams are apt to develop their army before taking on such formidable foes.

Look for a team that has a tendency to hit these obstacles early, and is successful most of the time. If they are up against a more conservative team that likes to build, then conquer, you’ve found yourself a good bet.

MMOFPS games offer similar advantages. By researching the games, bets, teams and players, you can find more hidden gems with high payoff potential.

#5 Don’t Ignore the Value of eSports Proposition Bets

Most newcomers to the eSports betting market focus their wagers on straight bets. They pick a team to win, sit back, and hope it all works out. That’s not a bad way to bet, but if you combine all the knowledge you just learned above, you can find the best value in prop bets.

I mentioned “hidden gems”, like betting First Baron or First Dragon on a LoL team that’s known for hitting these targets early. Take the time to note all available prop bets on the eSports leagues you know bets. You never know when there’s a supremely valuable bet just waiting to be made!

More Helpful Information about eSports Betting in Canada

• How to Read eSports Betting Odds in Canada
• Common Types of eSports Bets
• The Different Types of eSports Video Games
• How to Bet on eSports – Getting Started
• Ins and Outs of Virtual eSports Betting
• Canada eSports FAQ & Resource Centre