A Guide To CS2 Popular Bet Types

When betting on Counter-Strike matches, players will place wagers on two primary categories:

• Betting on the overall series (e.g. Best of 3, Best of 5)
• Betting on an individual map (e.g. Map 2 of a Best of 3)

There is no right or wrong option to bet on. However, it is widely considered that betting on the overall series is safer while betting on a singular map is riskier. 

If you plan to root for your favorite team or stick around for the entire Counter-Strike match, you might as well bet on the overall match. Best of 3 or Best of 5 matches give teams room for error, and usually, the better team should win. Typically, series bets are placed before the match begins.

On the other hand, betting on a map can be dangerous, as anything could happen. An incredible clutch from a player or a massive whiff could turn the tides of a map completely, making individual maps random. However, these occurrences can go both ways. Normally, map betting is done through live betting.

Betting on an entire series is the most basic way to wager on Counter-Strike matches. It is highly recommended for beginner bettors. 

Series Winner

The series winner bet type is the most common and basic option. All you need to think about is which of the two teams will win the match. How close or dominant the victory is will not matter, as we are simply looking at the final result. It is the easiest and safest betting option. 

Most Counter-Strike matches are played in a Best of 3 format, meaning the first team to win two maps will emerge victorious. However, there are also Best of 1s, where one map would determine the entire series. 

Series Handicap

We’ve discussed that betting on the series winner is relatively safe. However, the biggest problem players face is the favorite team having meager payouts. So, this is where the series handicap CSGO betting type comes into play. 

Favorites are given “minus” handicaps, while underdogs are given “plus” handicaps. For example, -1.5 or +1.5. Essentially, the favorites are usually given a one-map disadvantage, while the underdogs are given a one-map advantage. 

To win a -1.5 bet, the team must win the series 2-0. If the team wins the series 2-1, the handicap bet will result in a loss, and the opposite bet, the +1.5 option, will still win. 

Over/Under Maps

Another series betting type is over/under maps. Here, you are predicting the score at the end of the series. In Best of 3 matches, the options will be “Over 2.5 maps” or “Under 2.5 maps”. You are pretty much predicting if the game will be close or a stomp.

The winner of the match and order of map victories will not matter. We are just looking at the end result. The series ending 2-0 will mean under 2.5 maps hits, while a 2-1 score will mean over 2.5 maps wins. 

Exact Series Score

The riskiest series betting type is predicting the exact score. This means you are not only predicting the series winner but also the ending map results: 2-0, 2-1, 1-2, or 0-2.

There are two layers you must go through to win the bet, so you can guarantee that the payouts will be extremely high. 

Some people don’t have the time or patience to watch an entire series. So, many turn to individual map bets. 

Map Winner

The most popular betting market for individual maps is predicting the map winner–it’s straightforward. A regular map winner bet already takes overtime into account. Again, how close the map is doesn’t matter; we’re just looking for which team wins the map. 

In a Best of 3 series, each team gets to select one map, which is usually a comfortable map for them, or an uncomfortable one for the enemy team. Always keep a look out for who’s map pick it is. 

Map winner lines are usually open while a game is being played. You can enter whenever you feel like it, but it is normally best to wait for half-time.

Round Handicap

There is another form of handicap CSGO betting in Counter-Strike. When betting on maps, there are round handicaps. The favored team will be given “minus” round handicaps, while the underdogs will be given “plus” handicaps. 

Round handicaps usually go from 2.5 to 5.5 rounds. In the case of a +5.5 handicap, the selected team only needs to win eight rounds to win the bet, even if they end up losing the map in the end. 

Round handicaps are the most popular betting type for players wagering on ongoing matches. The round handicap values are constantly changing when a match is being played. 

First To 5 Rounds

If you can’t sit through an entire map and want to win money quickly, this is the betting market you’re looking for. As the name suggests, you are only looking at the first five rounds of the map. 

It’s important to note that the pistol round becomes vital if you’re betting on the first five rounds. A pistol round conversion will likely result in a relatively easy second round, giving you 2 out of 5 rounds already. 

Pistol Round Winner

To make things even easier, there is the pistol round winner option always available. Most bookmakers provide the option to bet on any of the two pistol rounds.

Teams such as FaZe Clan and G2 Esports have some of the best aimers in the game, giving them an upper hand in pistol rounds. In Counter-Strike 2, Terrorists are having an easier time in opening rounds, so that could be something to consider. 

Over/Under Rounds

The final type of betting we’ll cover is another over/under, but this time, we’re talking about rounds. Simply put, you are betting on whether the map will be a total stomp for one team or if it will go the distance.

For example, the round over/under is set to 20.5. So, you are betting on whether the game will end in less than 20 rounds or over it. The winner of the map will not matter, as we are only strictly looking at how many rounds are played. 

Some Counter-Strike maps heavily favor one side, such as Nuke being CT-sided and Anubis being T-sided. It is typically a good idea to place “over” bets on these maps.