Esports has been all the craze since the turn of the millennium, and professional video game sports leagues have Defense of the Ancients 2 (DOTA 2) to thank for the boom of the eSports scene in general. In turn, sportsbooks have already regarded betting on DOTA 2 matches and tournaments are just as lucrative as that of their counterparts from the live professional sports realm; both for the company’s profits and player satisfaction.

We here at Nitrobetting – the internet’s leading DOTA 2 betting site using Bitcoin – are here to help aspiring eSports bettors on how to get started with this nifty esports betting guide on the basics of DOTA 2 betting.

What is DOTA 2 and how is it played?

DOTA 2 is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) video game wherein two teams of five members apiece go head-to-head. Each team’s objective is to destroy the opponents’ Ancient, or the main tower located at the center of the opposing team’s base.

Each character is controlled by a single player in combat, with each character having particular sets of skills, strengths, weaknesses, and synergies with its other party members. There are specific classes/archetypes for characters in the game such as tanks (damage-absorbing units), main damage dealers, and support units to consider.

Players often pick a particular class/archetype that suits their own playstyle. As such, DOTA 2 tournaments have drafting and banning stage before matches begin. During this stage, teams take turns picking their characters to use while also banning the opposing team from using certain characters which they believe will give their opponents a huge edge in battle.

Characters gain experience and reach character levels that unlock more skills as the match progresses. Gold is earned by defeating characters from the opposing team and “creeps”, which are non-playable characters (NPCs) that automatically spawn and attack opposing defenses alongside the characters. Gold is then used to buy items and weapons, which can then be combined to make even more powerful items and weapons.

What are the different DOTA 2 Betting Lines?

There are more ways than one for bettors to get in on the DOTA 2 betting action:

Match Winner

The simplest and most common of all DOTA 2 betting lines. Bettors simply place stakes on which team wins the entire match.

Map Winner

DOTA 2 matches are settled in a best-of-three series of maps, with each team needing wins on two maps to be declared the victor of the entire match. Bettors can choose to place stakes on who’ll win on certain maps rather than the whole match itself.

Handicapped Maps

Like in professional sports, there are favorites and underdogs in DOTA 2. As such, betting lines are also available for bettors to wager on handicapped lines.

For example, OG is favored to win with a line of (-1.5) over Team Liquid. This means bets on OG will only win if OG beats its opponent by a margin of two matches. And since most DOTA 2 tournaments use the best-of-three series format for its matches, it would also mean that OG must defeat Team Liquid 2-0.

Meanwhile, bets on the underdog Team Liquid will win if Team Liquid is the outright victor of the match, or if the team manages to win a map despite losing the entire match (a 2-1 final outcome in favor of OG).

Maps Total

Bettors can also choose to place bets on whether or not they think the match will be closely-contested or if it will be a quick one.

The Maps Total line will offer bettors the over/under of 2.5 maps. Bettors who believe the match will result in a 2-0 finish will wager on the map total going under, while those who predict that the match will end at 2-1 will want to bet on the over.

Correct Score

In correct score lines, bettors are asked to choose between four-match outcomes: Team A wins 2-0; Team A wins 2-1; Team B wins 2-0; and Team B wins 2-1.

Predicting the precise outcome of the match is a tougher challenge for bettors, but it’s also much more rewarding compared to the other betting lines discussed thus far.

Futures

Bettors can also place stakes on an entire tournament before any action takes place. These betting lines are called “futures”, where bettors are asked to predict the overall winner of a given tournament.

The greater the odds of a particular team to win the entire tournament, the lower the eventual payout for the bet will be. The inverse can be said for dark horse picks and long shots, who have more rewarding payouts being underdogs to win the whole event.

Where to Bet on DOTA 2 Games

Players can start placing stakes on DOTA 2 matches and tournaments here at Nitrobetting. Create an account in just a few minutes and get started on your first foray into DOTA 2 betting action in an instant!

Be sure to also check out our Esports Hub for all the latest news and happenings from around the professional gaming community.