Counter-Strike Betting Guide
This Counter-Strike sportsbook guide breaks down everything that you need to know for betting on the league from your phone or computer. Counter-Strike has been around for a while and shows no signs of slowing down, with a robust competitive scene and major tournaments where players compete for huge prizes.
This guide for Counter-Strike betting is aimed at two types of people - people who know about the game and want to bet on it, and people who know about betting and want to get into Counter-Strike. As such, it should serve as an all-inclusive resource for using Counter-Strike sportsbooks, as well as the structure of the competitive CS scene. All of the best online sportsbooks taking US players are also outlined on this page for everyone wanting to wager on Counter-Strike.
BetOnline is a top online sportsbook taking US players that offer Counter-Strike betting. You can use the online betting site to wager on live and future props during the season. The sportsbook occasionally offers player props and odds on team kills during certain matchups. This is one of the best Counter-Strike sportsbooks because of the bonuses offered to all new and existing players. You can sign up within minutes and start betting on all of the action from your phone or computer.
Current Counter-Strike Odds
ESL Challenger Melbourne
- Apeks +160
- Aurora +185
- MIBR +300
- Rebels +600
- Party Astronauts +2500
- Rooster +4000
- Newhappy +10000
- Sunday School +15000
Global Esports Tour Rio
- FURIA +250
- Pain Gaming +275
- Imperial +300
- OG +600
- Monte +900
- MIBR +1000
- Metizport +1100
- 9z +1500
Real Money Sportsbooks For Counter-Strike Betting In The US
When it comes to finding USA Esports sportsbooks, there are some interesting regulations. Not all brick and mortar or state regulated sportsbooks offer Esports betting but the market is evolving. Offshore sportsbooks accept US players for all Counter-Strike betting. These books are not restricted by any guidelines set by the state that you are playing in.
When using real money sportsbooks like BetOnline, you will find a variety of live bets and future wagers available to US players. As the Esports betting world is growing rapidly, there is no reason that you should not be able to hop on the fun and place your wagers on the league.
How Does Counter-Strike Work?
First things first - Counter-Strike is a first-person shooter game, with various weapons available with which to do damage. The format of the game is such that there is one team that is the Terrorists, and one team that is the Counter-Terrorists. The goal of the Terrorists is to get a bomb into position, and the goal of the CT’s is to stop that from happening.
Games of CS are played on a randomly selected map, and repeat this cycle as many as 30 times. Each repetition of the cycle is called a round. When one team has clinched a victory by winning 16 of the 30 rounds, they have won the map. After that, they have to do the same thing again, as most CS competition is best of three.
How To Read Betting Odds For Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike betting odds are initially complex, but once you get over the hump you’ll find that they are fairly easy to understand. The same bets that you know from traditional sports exist in CS, and they are available - just in different forms.
Moneyline bets are straight-up bets, wherein the sportsbook handicaps the odds of one team winning against the odds of the other team winning. Let’s take a look at some examples.
Moneyline:
- Fnatic +200
- Astralis -250
In this match, Fnatic is an underdog, with +200 odds. Those +200 odds mean that a bet of $100 on Fnatic will reward you with $200 if they win, plus the money back that you bet in the first place.
Astralis, meanwhile, are the favorite. Their odds of -250 mean that you have to bet $250 on them in order to win $100. This means that if you do that, you will get your $250 back, and also the $100 in profit from them winning.
Spreads in Counter-Strike are a bit different from normal spreads. In normal sports betting, spreads are based on the score of the game. In Counter-Strike, they’re based on match score in a best of three situation. Here’s how it looks at most major sportsbooks.
Spread:
- Fnatic +1.5
- Astralis -1.5
The 1.5 here refers to the overall score of the best of three match. In a best of three match between Fnatic and Astralis, possible outcomes are limited. Fnatic could win 2-0 or 2-1, and lose 1-2 or 0-2. The spread in Counter-Strike betting, like the puck line in hockey, is set at 1.5 based on those outcomes.
A bet on Fnatic +1.5 would cash in three of the four possible outcomes: a Fnatic victory at either 2-0 or 2-1, and a Fnatic loss at 1-2. A bet on Astralis -1.5 only cashes if Astralis wins 2-0. This makes the spread bet in CS betting effectively an alternate line - you’re betting on whether or not the underdog will take a game in the match.
Over/Under betting is similar at many of the major online sportsbooks. Generally, the Over/Under line will be set at 2.5, and will refer to the amount of games played in the match. Remember that matches are best of three. This is, once again, a bet on match score - effectively, whether or not the match will end 2-0 or 2-1.
Biggest Counter-Strike Tournaments
Counter-Strike is split up into a lot of different competitions. In traditional sports, a good analogy would be Tennis - there are various competitions that happen throughout the calendar year, and then one or two gigantic ones (in tennis, of course, it is four, but the comparison isn’t perfect) that are the biggest events on the calendar.
Counter-Strike Majors - Majors are the biggest events in Counter-Strike, and are generally sponsored by the makers of the game, Valve. They tend to be run by one of the four major tournament organizers. Basically, they pitch Valve on their ideas for Majors and Valve picks the best ones. These are the top tier of CS competition.
Flashpoint - Flashpoint is a newer CS league, composed via a team-first model. The basic idea is that the teams all own the league, instead of the other way around. This is a different business model to a lot of other esports, which can be run by the game company that made the game.
ESL Pro League - ESL is a storied company, and the ESL Pro League is one of the more established brands in CS league play. There are ESL Pro Leagues for both EU and NA, and competition is fierce.
Cups and qualifiers - Every so often, there will be cup level events with open qualifiers. These events are not necessarily lower-level competition, but are more so competition with more open fields. Qualifying tends to be done online, while the cups themselves take place at in-person events like LAN’s.
USA Online Sportsbooks
U.S.A. Sportsbook Reviews
Banking Options
Daily Fantasy Sports
Legal Sports Betting
Can I Bet On Counter-Strike From My Mobile Device?
Counter-Strike bettors tend to be more tech-savvy than the normal crop of sports bettors, simply based on age. The younger generation grew up with Esports and smartphones. The full Counter-Strike betting experience is available at US mobile sportsbooks for all US players. However, most of these Esports betting sites accepting US players do not have downloadable apps available. You can access these sportsbooks through the mobile browser on your device.
Counter-Strike Sportsbooks That Offer Live Betting
Counter-Strike sportsbooks taking US players almost always offer live betting. This is one of the most popular ways to wager on the league. To put it simply, Counter-Strike is a fast-paced game, and sportsbooks with live betting allow you as a bettor to respond to the events happening as they unfold.
This is definitely worth taking advantage of if you’re watching the event anyway - a shift in momentum is notable, things like team affinity for specific maps can change the odds, and a little knowledge goes a long way. Live betting allows you to try to respond to the action faster than sportsbooks can, and live betting on Counter-Strike is one of the best ways to enjoy the experience.