Ready for the ultimate Dota 2 betting guide? From the intense, nail-biting matchups to the bliss of dominating opponents, Dota 2 offers a unique blend of tactical gameplay and unpredictable moments that keep fans coming back for more.
Dota 2 is widely considered one of the best esports titles, and it caters well to fans, players, and savvy bettors alike. Here, you’ll find insights into betting markets, odds, and even a few betting tips to take your Dota 2 betting game to the next level!
Click here to go straight to our Dota 2 betting section.
What Is Dota 2?
Dota 2 is a 5v5 multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) video game developed by Valve. It was initially released as a standalone title to the famed Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos community mod “Defense of the Ancients” in 2013. And since then, Dota 2 has become one of the most popular esports titles globally.
In the game, players control a unique hero with special abilities, coordinating with their team to overpower the opposition. The objective is simple: destroy the enemy’s towers and “Ancient.” However, this oversimplified version doesn’t begin to approach the complexity of Dota 2’s gameplay.
What’s New In Dota 2?
Valve regularly releases new Dota 2 gameplay updates that shake up the meta. This is achieved by balancing heroes or by reworking the map, mechanics, items, and hero abilities. While patches aren’t released as frequently as fellow MOBA League of Legends (LoL), they are jam-packed with new content.
Occasionally, Dota 2 sees the introduction of entirely new heroes, with the latest addition being Ringmaster, set to debut in early 2024. Before that was Muerta, a ranged hero who wreaked havoc in the lanes post-release in March 2023.
Dota 2 hosts at least a dozen limited-time game modes, each closely tied to seasonal events. For example, Diretide is a special Halloween event where gamers collect candy while evading a sugar-crazed Roshan. Likewise, Frostivus has typically involved various Christmas-themed mini-games.
During major events like The International, Dota 2 players also enjoy exclusive rewards and cosmetics by leveling up a Battle Pass. Traditionally, these have fueled tournament prize pools and offered special emotes, voice lines, loading screens, skin bundles, and special in-game activities.
Dota 2 Betting Guide: Lines & Odds
As you can tell, there’s never a dull moment in Dota 2. Below is a snapshot of the different betting markets here at Thunderpick.
- Tournament Winner: Consider yourself an oracle? The Outright Winner market lets you wager on the overall winner in a tournament. It’s all or nothing!
- Match Winner: If your prediction skills aren’t cut out for the long game, you can bet on individual Dota 2 esports matches instead. Most games are played in a best-of-three series, meaning you have more chances to win.
- Correct Map Score: Think you can predict a series’ exact score? This betting market is reserved for fearless bettors, whether they’re rooting for Team Spirit to sweep a series 2-0 or banking on an underdog team clutching a Grand Final 3-2.
- Over/Under: Dota 2 features many metrics, including the total number of maps played, kills, towers destroyed, or the match’s duration. Over/Under lets punters predict if a given metric will be higher or lower than a number set by the bookmaker.
- Kill Handicap: Like traditional sports betting, this betting line places a hypothetical advantage or disadvantage on a specific team. Let’s say Team A has a Kill Handicap of -5.5. This means they must win at least six more kills than Team B for the bet to succeed.
- First Blood: Think you can guess the first team to get a kill? This betting line in Dota 2 is for you! Another popular “First” market is “Team To Slay Roshan”—the big, scary-looking neutral that drops Aegis of the Immortal once slain.
How Does Dota 2 Live Betting Work?
Thanks to Thunderpick’s live betting feature, you can place bets during a match. To get started with live in-play bets, click the “Live Mode” button next to any listed esports match. Next, make your wager on your favorite Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) team. It’s really that easy!
Live betting is particularly beneficial because you can use your Dota 2 expertise and game sense to make better-informed predictions, turning our already competitive odds in your favor. We also update our odds in real time, so you can place bets at every stage of the game.
How Can I Boost My Dota 2 Odds?
Bookies set the odds, which reflect the probability of a specific outcome occurring, as well as the potential return on a bet if that event happens. In essence, it’s a “chance” statistic that’s often represented as ratios, fractions, or decimal values, depending on regional preferences.
For example, if Team Liquid has odds of 2:1 (or 2.0 in decimal format) of winning a match, it means that for every €10 you bet, you will win €20 (total return of €30, which includes your original stake) if they win. The higher the odds, the riskier the bet—but the greater the potential payout!
Want the highest possible odds? You can turbo-charge your winnings with Dota 2 combo bets! Also known as a parlay, these let you merge individual bets and amplify your odds. But be warned—you must be right about each prediction to be a winner. It’s all or nothing! Parlay bets aren’t for beginners.
Dota 2 Tournaments
There is no shortage of Dota 2 tournaments and events for you to bet on. After all, what else would you expect from one of the world’s biggest esports titles? Here’s a list of a few major ongoing and upcoming events where you can watch the best Dota 2 pros clash heads:
Pinnacle: 25 Year Anniversary Show
- Server: Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)
- Type: Online
- Prize Pool: $100,000
- Start Date: November 10, 2023
- End Date: December 6, 2023
- Team Count: 20 teams
ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023
- Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Type: Offline
- Prize Pool: $1,000,000
- Start Date: December 11, 2023
- End Date: December 17, 2023
- Team Count: 12 teams
Esports Shanghai Masters 2023
- Location: Shanghai, China
- Type: Offline
- Prize Pool: TBD
- Start Date: December 3, 2023
- End Date: TBD
- Team Count: 4 teams
To stay up-to-date with the latest tournaments, check out the widget below:
#INSERT TOURNAMENT WIDGET
Where Can I Watch Dota 2?
There are many ways to spectate Dota 2’s intense rivalries. For starters, you can watch games from within the game client itself. Just navigate to the “Watch” tab from the main menu to spectate everything from your friends’ scrims to top Dota 2 teams battling it out in high-stakes esports events.
Looking for a more immersive viewing outlet? No problem! Watching Dota 2 esports matches on live-streaming platforms like Twitch or Kick is a great option. Of course, you can also tune into Dota 2 matches on Thunderpick and make live in-play bets to capitalize on the action!
Pro Tip: The Dota 2 in-game Spectator feature comes with unique tools, such as Free Camera mode and various useful statistics. They include gold and experience graphs, player net worth, last hits and denies, kills, deaths, and assists, Roshan timers, buyback status, and more!
Betting On Dota 2 At Thunderpick
Now that you’ve got a firm grasp on Dota 2 esports betting, it’s time to place your first bet! And what better place to start than on Thunderpick—the world’s leading crypto-only esports betting site!
First, you’ll need to register for a free Thunderpick account (see our FAQ page for help) and follow the easy steps below. Just remember to use the promo code “WELCOME” at sign-up for a 100% first deposit bonus—it’s your ticket to snagging up to €500 for free!
- Log in and go to the Dota 2 betting section.
- Select a match you’d like to bet on and browse the available betting markets.
- Enter a wager amount and add it to the bet slip.
And just like that, you’re done! Of course, you’ll also need to load funds onto your Thunderpick account before you make a bet. Luckily, we accept a range of cryptocurrency payment methods, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Tether. Good luck!
Remember to always practice Responsible Gambling and check out our latest promo offers. T&Cs apply.