How to Bet on CSGO

Toby Marshall

13 April 2022

Unarguably, there is no bigger esport for betting on than Counter-Strike: Global Offensive – known more commonly as CSGO, so its important to know how to bet on it. As such, you will be able to find a whole variety of betting options for the game, ensuring that esports betting fans have plenty of options. It is no wonder that gamblers are flocking to get a bit of the CSGO betting action!

If you are new to CSGO or esports betting, then you might want to understand a little bit more about how it all works before starting your CSGO gambling journey.

The Basics of CS:GO Gameplay

Just in case you are new to the game completely, we will look quickly at how it works. In essence, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is a pretty easy game to understand. There are two teams that go head to head on a map. One team plants the bomb, meanwhile, the other team is trying to stop them from planting and detonating the bomb. The team that plants the bomb, also called the Terrorist team, will win the round if they manage to detonate the bomb or kill each member of the opposing team. The opposing team is the Counter-Terrorist team. They win the round if they manage to defuse the bomb or eliminate the opposition.

It’s important to note when betting on CSGO that professional CSGO maps normally consist of a best-of-30 round format. The first team to win 16 rounds is crowned the winner. The teams take it in turns to switch play between the Terrorists and Counter-Terrorists. They switch sides at the halfway point on the map (at the end of round 15).

The game in itself is simple. It becomes more complex when you start factoring in the economy of the game. Players are required to buy everything from their guns and grenades to their armour in each round. Players can earn money in a variety of different ways – through kills, defusing bombs, planting bombs etc. The economy of the game is the most complicated and strategic aspect of the game, read more about how this affects your betting strategy here. This is where the best CSGO bettors excel, in the understanding of this. It takes quite some time for those new to it to fully understand.

How to Read CSGO Betting Odds

When looking to bet on the CSGO game, there are two main types of odds that will be shown. Generally, you will wind decimal odds or American odds on display.

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If looking at American odds, then they are numbers all in relation to -100 (this is what we would call evens – a 50/50 chance of it happening). If you bet on a -100, then should you win the bet, then you will win the exact same amount that you wagered. So, if you bet £/$/€100 on the Renegades at -100 and they win, then you would win that much back – plus your original wager… £/$€200 in total.

In relation to that, if you see a side with American odds with a (-) minus sign, then they are the favourites to win. Then, the number that follows that minus sign is how much you would need to bet on that team in order to win £/$/€100. So, if the Thieves are -150, in order to win £/$/€100 you would need to bet £/$/€150.

On the other hand, if the team has odds with a (+) sign in front of their number, then this would indicate that this is the underdog team in the game. The number that then follows the plus sign is how much you would win if you were to bet £/$/€100 on them. So, if Team Vitality was given odds of +165, a bet of £/$/€100 would win you £/$/€165 plus your original wager.

If we look at decimal odds, which is much more common in Europe and the UK, then it works a little differently. Decimal odds are very easy to understand, which makes them popular with CSGO bettors. Basically, you take the money you bet and then multiply it by the odds. If your bet wins then that is the amount you would walk away with. So, for example, if the FaZe Clan has been given odds of 2.5 to win, and you bet £/$/€100 on the outcome, then your winnings will simply be £/$/€100 (your bet) x 2.5 (the odds), then you would get a return of £/$€250.

Sometimes the odds are default, but a lot of the time you will be able to choose the format of odds you want to bet with.

If you are new to betting in general, then this might be a lot to take in. So, you may see it look something like this:

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Team Liquid 1.40 vs Astralis 2.75

In this example, Team Liquid is the clear favourite whilst Astralis is the underdog.

Different Types of CSGO Bets

As with all different other types of sports betting there are a variety of different types of bets available, with CSGO offering more bet types than pretty much all other esports. It offers a huge number of props and unique bet types for just one single series.

Match Winner Bets

Match or game winner bets are the most simple to understand. It is simply a case of picking which team you think will win the series overall and then placing a bet to that effect.

So, imagine you think that Na’Vi will beat the Evil Geniuses. You choose to bet £40 on the Na’Vi as the 1.74 favourites. If Na’Vi were to go on to win, then you would get your £40 bet returned as well as an additional £29.60 in winnings. Sometimes these odds can get tricky to calculate, so you might need to use a calculator or an odds calculator to see how much you stand to win per bet.

Most series of CSGO will be a best of three format – you can also choose to bet on the winner of an individual map as well.

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Handicap / Spread CSGO Bets

Most top-level CSGO games are played in the best of three formats. This makes spread betting and handicaps very interesting bets for CSGO gamblers.

So, imagine that you think that MIBR will beat Fnatic in the series, but they are also huge favourites to win at 1.33. You might choose not to bother with that as there isn’t a great return to make on it. Instead, you might look to the Map Handicap, sometimes referred to as the Map Spread. MIBR might have a handicap/spread of -1.5 at 2.0. In this instance, MIBR would need to win the series by 2 maps to win – a score of 2-0 for you to win the bet. This would win you three times your money though if you opted to take this route.

Over/Under – Totals

A CSGO totals bet, often referred to as an Over/Under bet, revolves around the number of maps played in the series. So, in a best-of-three series between Team Liquid and Mousesports, the bookie might set the line at 2.5. Your job as a bettor would be to decide whether or not you think more or less than 2.5 maps will be played. If you bet over, you think that 3 maps will be played. If you bet on Under, you think that 2 maps will need to be played.

Futures Bets

Anyone betting on CSGO can also bet on the games or events even before they have started. This is usually the type of bet popular when there is an event in the near future, such as the Blast Pro Series Global Finals. It may look like this:

Team Liquid: 1.74

Astralis: 3.8

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Ninjas in Pyjamas: 8.0

FaZe Clan: 5.75

You can then place a bet on who you think will win the tournament. As you can see from the odds, Team Liquid in this case is the clear favourite to win the Blast Pro Series, whilst the team least likely to win seems to be Ninjas in Pyjamas.

Props Bets

Another popular type of bet is the props bets market. This is a bet type that works well for those who have gained a bit more knowledge of CSGO betting. There are lots of these available – far too many to mention, but here are some of the most popular CSGO wagers available on the market:

Will a map go into overtime?
What team would win the pistol round?
Who will get the first kill?

So, there you have it – what you need to know about betting on CSGO. This is becoming a hugely popular pastime for many reasons. Whether you’re new to CSGO betting or have already dipped your toe in once or twice before, there’s plenty for all. From match winner bets to props bets, you can bet on it all. The game is complex and fun – to play and watch, but putting money on the final outcome is simply the best!

Author Toby Marshall