Handicap betting in esports – a detailed guide
Maksym YushytsynIn the previous articles, we were talking about various types of esports betting, including handicap betting. Now, it is time to consider such in popular disciplines more precisely – CS:GO, Dota 2, LoL.
Let us remind you what a handicap is. A handicap is a numerical value, which is added or subtracted from the final result of a team or a player. There are goals in football, points in basketball, pucks in hockey. Esports frequently means maps, rounds in CS:GO, kills in Dota 2 and LoL.
Map handicap betting (CS:GO, Dota 2, LoL)
The most widespread option of handicap in esports betting is the bets on the winner of the match. For Best of 3 matches all bookmakers will offer esports betting services with +1.5 or -1.5 handicap on the number of cards won.
To understand if a bet is victorious or not, you should add the chosen handicap to the final score of the team. For example, if Team Liquid loses a match with a score of 1:2, a handicap bet +1.5 on the victory of Team Liquid will be victorious because considering handicap, the score will be 2.5:2. In other words, we bet on the situation that Team Liquid will win at least a map in a bo3 match.
On the other hand, if we bet on the victory of OG with a handicap -1.5, the bet will be victorious only if OG wins with a score of 2:0 (subtract the handicap and we will have 0.5:0). By the way, it is worth mentioning that a bet on the exact score of 2:0 is equal to a handicap bet -1.5 in bo3 matches. Such a bet makes the winning conditions more strict but increases the odds.
Handicap +1.5, in its turn, increases the chances to succeed but decreases the odds, compared to a bet on the victory. It is also worth noting that a handicap bet on the victory of the favorite can have very low odds.
Round handicap betting in CS:GO
Many bookmakers offer to make a bet on the superiority in a number of won rounds in a match (or on a single map). Such a bet is easier to call a handicap.
For example, a bet on the round superiority with handicap +5.5 for G2 means that having added 5.5 to the number of rounds won by G2, there will be an advantage over the opponent. In other words, this is a bet on the situation that G2 will have a gap in terms of won rounds not less than 5. Also, it is worth remembering the important moment – it does not matter for this bet whether a team has won or lost in the match.
Kill handicap betting (Dota 2, LoL)
This betting option will offer any Dota 2 betting site and they are similar to betting with a handicap on rounds in CS:GO, only in the end counted kills in the match or on a separate map. The result of the bet is not affected by the victory or loss of the team in the match.