Counter-Strike Betting Tips, Odds & Predictions

When it comes to eSports and iconic game titles, most people focus on arbitrary factors such as the quality of graphics, the engine, or the objectives you have to complete. An often-underrated factor is a playability - the notion of anyone being able to become adept at the game. When it comes to the easiness of the learning curve, Counter-Strike: Counter Global Offensive (CS:GO) towers over most titles from the last 20 years. 

As more and more eSports bettors prefer to take punts on games that are easy to master, CS:GO gambling has become a lucrative niche for all involved parties. Because this combination of intelligibility and popularity is so enticing, we’ve decided to create a guide on CS:GO betting. In addition to details pertaining to the game itself, we’ll cover things like CS:GO predictions, CS:GO betting tips and more. eSports betting is at its peak now and ProTipster has you covered. 

How to Bet on CS:GO? 

CS:GO betting is significantly easier to master than other eSports niches, mainly because the game itself isn’t even slightly complex. There aren’t many variables, nor is there lore you have to memorize in order to experience the game. It’s terrorists vs. counter-terrorists. You either plant or defuse the bomb. You buy guns and shoot at the opposing team on different maps and that’s it! 

Before we explain terms such as CS:GO predictions or CS:GO betting tips, we wanted to lay out an approach to mastering this niche in the least amount of time possible. It’s by far the best way to start winning 

Play the game. It’s currently free on Steam, so there is no reason why you shouldn’t download it straight away. Try out multiple maps and all the weapons, just to be more aware of what you will be betting on. 

Watch the best players play. Many sports channels actively promote CS:GO betting sites and even have live coverage of the most important tournaments, with pundits sharing their CS:GO betting tips that can be utilized. After a few sessions, you’ll be able to pinpoint the reasons why a player or a team is performing the way they’re performing. 

Start slowly. No matter how many CS:GO betting tips you come across, it’s important not to dive headfirst into this niche. Before you make any moves, create a strategy. How often do you want to bet? How much are you willing to wager? Set goals, financial or otherwise, as a stable approach will allow you to reassess both your performances and your bankroll at any minute. 

As you become more and more adept at CS:GO betting, you will feel the urge to snatch the highest odds and the most ludicrous props. Resist the urge! A cool-headed approach will help you traverse all the obstacles in your way, as you’ll be able to make decisions in a far more precise and efficient manner. 

Which Tournaments Are the Most Important for CS:GO Betting? 

When CS:GO was finally released in 2012, Valve (the game’s developer and publisher) announced plans for the CS:GO Major Championships or Majors, as they’re now known. Even though this circuit attracts by far the biggest amount of attention, you can find CS:GO betting tips for many other matches, exhibitions, and more. 

While the competition hierarchy can be a bit confusing at times, here are all the tiers you should bet on, including the best tournaments from each tier: 

S-Tier: ESL ONE, CS:GO Major Championship, DreamHack Masters, BLAST Premier, ESL Pro League. These competitions feature the best of the best, are played exclusively online, and often have prize pools upwards of $1,000,000. Valve themselves sponsor most of them. 

A-Tier: DreamHack Open, Moche XL eSports, Continental Minors, Games Clash Arena, Champions CUP, cs_summit. While less lucrative than the S-Tier, these events feature all the excitement you’ll find in the big leagues. Only some are organized with the help of Valve, but most of them lead to a spot in the Majors or other S-Tier tournaments. 

B-Tier: ESEA, Rainmaker Open, Telia eSports Series, ESL Masters Spain, Elisa Invitational, Gamers Club Masters. Here’s where you will find more volatile odds, as not all the players and teams are well-known. We think that B-tier events are the best occasion to use CS:GO betting tips. 

C-Tier: 99Liga, Baltic Masters, LEGENDS.BET L33T CUP, OMG.BET Series, Lantrek. Tourneys in this tier are played exclusively online and mainly feature national leagues and qualifiers

Show matches/exhibitions. In CS:GO, it’s fairly common to see the best players being good friends and organizing exhibition matches that are streamed via Twitch or YouTube. Since the competitors and teams are well-known, it’s a great extra opportunity to enhance your slips. 

Which Markets Are Currently Available for CS:GO Betting? 

Once you’ve picked a particular event to combine with the latest CS:GO predictions, there’s one more thing to decide - which markets will you bet on? If you’re indecisive at the moment, there’s no reason to worry. CS:GO gambling has expanded so much that you can now take punts on any and all aspects of the game. Here are our top picks:

Moneyline. You’ll basically bet on who’s going to win. The underdogs will win you much more money than the favorites, but it’s a far riskier venture. This is the market you should start with and later expand your interests. 

Handicaps. For this market, the favorite is given a ‘handicap’, which means that they have to win by a certain number of rounds (or kills, for round-only bets) instead of just being victorious. Underdogs can lose, but not above a certain number of rounds/kills. It’s basically advanced moneyline betting. 

Totals. Much like over/under no. of goals markets in soccer, totals in counter don’t pertain to the actual outcome. Instead, you can bet on things like how many maps will the match feature, or how many rounds will each map include. You’re betting on the duration of the match, basically. 

Outright bets. The three aforementioned markets have one thing in common - they relate to only one match. Contrastingly, outright bets let you pick the outcome of a league, tournaments, or other competition. This type of bet is by far the riskiest, so tread lightly even if you have done all the research about your event of choice. 

How to Find the Best CS:GO Odds?

Since CS:GO gambling has become a multi-million dollar industry, a plethora of bookmakers covers the most popular events, resulting in odds being all over the place. Because different oddsmakers supply different betting sites, it’s easy to get confused by extremely low odds, or even those that look good to be true. 

To avoid conundrums, use the ready-made odds comparison tools at ProTipster. This approach will save you hours of time that you would have otherwise spent visiting various eSports betting sites. 

Can You Bet on Futures, Too? 

Absolutely! ‘Futures’ is just a name for outright bets, a market that we’ve mentioned in the previous section. Unbeknownst to most, futures are on the rise in CS:GO betting. Short-term bets are great if you’re looking for a quick payday, but most professional bettors prefer analyzing all the upcoming tournaments and picking the winning teams months ahead. 

Does In-play/Live Betting Exist in eSports? 

Yes, live betting is an integral part of betting on CS:GO matches, mostly because everything is so fast-paced and there is a limited number of outcomes. Once a match has started, you can indulge yourself with all kinds of props and round-specific markets. 

What Are the Best Betting Sites for CS:GO?

Since there is a large number of CS:GO bookmakers on the market, it’s not enough just to find the ones with the best odds. Factors like security, licensing, offer width, UI, and many others play an important part in determining a bookie’s quality. 

Before you make a deposit, check out our user-generated bookmaker reviews at ProTipster. Our community of CS:GO bettors is very active, so you’ll get a clear picture of what’s in store for you regardless of what choice you make. 

To make things easier for you, our team of experts did a rundown of all bookies who offer CS:GO markets on the regular. In the end, we chose three betting sites as the best of the best: 

Betway

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Already sports betting giant, Betway has taken the eSports betting scene by storm. While they don’t always have the best odds, the statistics provided are just breathtaking. Bomb plants, clutch performance, kills with specific weapons, first kills - it’s all there! Betway is by far the best CS:GO bookmaker, especially for those who prefer to approach their bets more analytically. 

1xBet

One of the first sportsbooks to fully embrace eSports, 1xBet appears on this list because of their amazing coverage. While Betway offers the most markets, this particular betting site takes home the crown when it comes to the number of events featured. C-tier showdowns and qualifiers can be found regularly. 

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Cbet

Another eSports betting giant, Cbet ended up as one of our picks because all CS:GO events are equipped with live streams. In the same window, you can follow the action and analyze all the best markets. For in-play betting aficionados, this is the ultimate bookie. 

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Follow the Best CS:GO Tipsters!

Our community at ProTipsters is a lively one, with excellent CS:GO tipsters sharing their knowledge with everyone willing to soak it in. Once you’ve learned how to bet on eSports, all you have to do is follow the best tipsters and cross-reference their picks with the best odds for the markets they mentioned. CS:GO betting tips and odds comparison tools really are a match made in heaven. 

Don’t Hesitate to Post Your Own CS:GO Betting Tips, Too! 

Not only can you follow the best CS:GO tipsters, but you can also enrich the community with your own CS:GO predictions. For those of you who are especially competitive, you can participate in our monthly competition. The users with the best tips get $2,500 in cash, so there’s no reason not to try your hand and capitalize on your knowledge. 

What Are the Best CS:GO Teams? 

To be able to win your CS:GO bets, it’s important to know who’s the best. This knowledge will help you choose the right risk-averse bets needed to create a stable foundation for your betting slips. As of April 2020, these are the top-ranked teams in CS:GO: 

Natus Vincere

Comprised of flamie, s1mple, electronic, Boombl4, and Perfecto, these Russian giants made an incredible run at the beginning of 2020, with a 75% win rate in the last three months. They’ve played some tough competition, with FaZe, Astralis, Fnatic, and Vitality all falling to this Russian powerhouse. 

Astralis

Currently ranked second in the world, they’ve had some mixed results in the last few months. Nevertheless, this Danish team has spent a total of 106 weeks as the best-ranked team in the world. They’re known for their excellent communication skills and the ability to pull off stunning upsets. 

G2

A top-10 mainstay in the last year or two, G2 have pulled off some amazing wins with a multiethnic roster of three Frenchmen, a Bosniak, and a Serb. Before being annihilated by Natus Vincere at the IEM Katowice 2020, they won 14 in a row. Keep an eye on them in the future, as their streaks of dominance are a gold mine for CS:GO bettors. 

mousesports

That’s right, Fnatic has left the top-4! mousesports reigned supreme over the course of 2019, with great performances at cs_summit 5, ICE Challenge 2020, and several other tournaments. A disappointing showing at IEM Katowice 2020 pushed them down the rankings a bit, but expect them to make a triumphant return. 

Summary 

Betting on CS:GO is inherently easy due to the nature of the game, but there is a learning curve that you have to follow. Watch the best players stream their gameplay, play a few matches of your own and you should be ready to pick a market that you like. Use the ProTipsters odds comparison tool, read our bookmaker reviews, and you’re set to go. While there may be bumps in the road, you’ll eventually develop a killer strategy and breathe life into your bankroll. Good luck! 

Bet on CS:GO