If you’re new to esports betting – or any betting, for that matter – you may have seen a term named ‘spread betting‘. When it comes to esports tournaments, CS2 spread betting is a considerably popular, albeit relatively complex, way to make money. It’s a betting practice that can perplex most newcomers and even some veteran gamblers. With that in mind, we’re here today to answer the all-important question, ‘What are spreads in CS2 betting?’
Let’s break it down, starting with explaining what CS2 spreads are.
Top CS2 Spread Betting Sites
What are Spreads in CS2 Betting?
CS2 spreads can either be a confusing conundrum or an exciting way to boost your potential betting returns. If you’re opting to bet on ‘moneyline’ or ‘outright’ markets, you’ll find that the odds aren’t ever all that preferential. While you stand to make a little money with a win, it wouldn’t ever be anything substantial. Sure, you could boost that potential return with a multi-line wager, but there are other ways to boost your profit potential.
This where is CS2 spreads come in.
To answer the question of what does spread mean in CS2 betting, a CS2 spread bet is one where the bettor predicts that a team will win by more than a given number of maps or kills. Alternatively, the bettor will attempt to predict that the other team will win, or not lose by more than a given number of maps or kills. Essentially, these wagers offer an advantage to one team, while the other team has a ‘margin’ to make up for.
CS2 bet spreads explained with an example
Here’s an example:
There’s a standard, best-of-three fixture being played between Na’Vi (-150) and Fnatic (+125). Using a two-way, standard moneyline bet, we can see that Na’Vi is the favourite to win. However, with the CS2 spread bet – also known as handicap betting – applied (of 1.5), we now have something like this:
Na’Vi (-1.5) (+150) vs. Fnatic (+1.5) (-250)
Now, the odds are much better on Na’Vi to win but the team must cover the 1.5 margin, meaning a 2:0 win. Should those terms not be met, Fnatic would be the victor in this line, and you win on the other side of the spread.
Similarly, if you were to bet by the round, you could look at the figures of Na’Vi (-2.5) vs. Fnatic (+2.5). In this situation, let’s say Na’Vi wins a map with a scoreline of 16-13 – you’ve won the bet, owing to the +3 margin being beaten.
It’s complex, but the potential return is much bigger!
Where can I find CS2 spreads?
So, we’ve answered ‘what are spreads in CS2 betting, but now, we need to know where to find the spreads themselves. These days, almost every esportsbook – or sportsbook offering esports markets – will list odds on handicap and spread options. If they’re taking outright bets, there’s a great chance they’ll also be calculating CS2 spread bets. Although, for smaller CS2 tournaments, you’ll need to find a more specialist platform to accommodate your CS2 spread betting.
As esports betting becomes a much more popular pursuit, these options become more readily available across the board. If you’re not totally won over by spread betting, there will still be a vast amount of exotic and special markets out there for you, depending on which platform you bet with. Right now, some of the best CS2 betting sites consist of the likes of:
- GG.bet Esports – A state-of-the-art sportsbook with an esports focus – developed by esports fans for esports fans – offering a generous welcome bonus.
- Thunderpick Esports – A betting site ideal for esports enthusiasts who prefer betting with cryptocurrencies including BTC, ETH, LTC and XRP. Offers a really attractive welcome bonus of 100% up to EUR 600.
- MyStake Esports – A crypto betting site with a sizeable welcome bonus of 100% up to EUR 500. MyStake offers a nice selection of basic and prop markets for Cs2, Dota 2, League of Legends and other esports titles.
If you’re looking to make a little money with CS2 spread betting, be sure to learn about the practice first. As you can tell, it’s a much more complex pursuit, and it requires a much deeper understanding than standard, outright markets will.
Tips to improve your CS2 spread betting
Now that you’ve had CS2 bet spreads explained you may also want to know some CS2 betting tips. Here are some snapshot pieces of advice to take away with you:
- Learn about the game itself to better understand what the various markets mean.
- Study the teams and competitors, including their recent form, to understand who is more likely to win.
- Play the field, and take advantage of various platforms and their respective offers and bonuses.
- Start small and work your way up, learning the markets as you go.
We wish you the best of luck with your CS2 spread betting!
