DOTA Betting Beginner's Guide 2025

Table of Contents

Five Tips to Instantly Improve Your Dota 2 Betting
Esports Bookmakers to Try Your Dota 2 Betting Strategies
Strategies that DON’T Pay Off When Betting on Dota 2
Pre-Match Betting Strategies for Dota 2
Live Betting Strategies for Dota 2
Key Takeaways - 5 Tips to Improve Your Dota Strategy

Five Tips to Instantly Improve Your Dota 2 Betting

Watch all the Dota you can

It may sound like a bit off an odd suggestion, but hear us out. It’s beneficial for all you punters to constantly be watching Dota matches and tournaments. This way, your understanding of the game will grow, and you’ll be much more knowledgeable when it comes to particular Dota betting markets.

If you’re watching a Dota match, you’ll understand the game format and you’ll start to understand Dota strategies. The more Dota you watch, the more you’ll be able to identify the team's playing style. With all of this information, your Dota betting strategy will be improved, with some more informed decision-making and clearer understanding.

Watching Dota consistently will also give you some good knowledge regarding tournaments, competitions and the teams involved. For betting markets such as match winners and Dota 2 handicap betting etc, you’ll know how to bet on Dota and this information will come in handy.

The more Dota you sit down to watch, we honestly think your Dota betting will be improved. After all, that’s why we’re all here, right?

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Look into teams and their statistics

Following on from what we’ve briefly touched on earlier, watching a lot of Dota will mean you get to know all about the teams competing in matches and Dota tournaments. Professional gamers and teams will play a big part in your Dota betting guide, and who you bet on will make the difference in successful, or unsuccessful betting.

If you’re looking to bet on a particular Dota match, we recommend taking a look at both of the teams competing. Team form is a crucial part to Dota matches, with those on a bit of a hot-streak looking to maintain their successful run of form.

When we say to research teams, form isn’t just all that we mean. Take players’ Dota strategies, and how they play the game. Teams can plan their game, and what they want to do first. For example, if a team looks to attack immediately, while the enemy team looks to build on their defensive strategies first, then your Dota betting strategy can be improved. Here, we’d recommend looking at betting on ‘first blood’ markets etc.

Research Dota tournaments and competitions

You may know how to bet on Dota already, and it’s easy to have Dota betting explained to you by us, but by researching the esport yourself, you’ll give your Dota betting a much better chance of winning.

Taking the time to gain information about all of the Dota tournaments and competitions that take place all year round will definitely benefit your Dota betting experiences. The more you understand about the esports tournaments – when they’re going to happen, which teams are competing – the more likely you will be to place a bet on Dota.

On top of this, it is absolutely worth looking into different bookmakers, seeing which of the operators available to you offers a particular Dota tournament odds. As you are aware of the upcoming tournaments, you can select matches involved to bet on.

Our Dota betting guide will touch more on esports bookmakers down below, but it will definitely influence your betting on certain Dota tournaments.

Consider your live betting options

Our Dota live betting page will hopefully give you all the information you need to know about the highly-popular esports’ in-play betting markets and odds offered by various operators. How will this improve your Dota betting, you ask?

Well, when it comes to placing a bet on Dota, there’s many live markets available for esports punters like yourself to get involved with. Many bookmakers will offer some form of in-play betting options, and that’s good news for you.

It’s all well and good betting on Dota before the match has begun, and then leaving whichever bookie’s site you are on until the match has played out and your bet has settled. With live betting, you are able to engage more with the match, and can place wagers during the action.

Live betting is becoming widely popular with the esports betting community, as it’s a great way to introduce yourself to esports betting whilst still watching and enjoying your favourite esports matches. It’s definitely worth looking into if you’re wanting to bet on Dota.

Plan your Dota betting strategy

There’s really not much point on betting if all you do is log in to an operator to place some random bets. That’s not the way. Instead, if you devise and build a well-thought strategy for your Dota betting, then you’ll enjoy the experience more, as well as increasing your chances of being successful.

If you plan and create your own betting strategy, you have a lot of control over your bets, which is crucial when placing any wagers. On top of that, though, you’ll have a great understanding of what you’re looking to be on, and can continue the process.

Being instinctive with betting is a benefit to anyone’s betting. However, for that to be effective, it has to be contributed with some good decision-making and an individual’s understanding. If you have all of the above, then you can use this to your advantage when building your Dota betting strategy.

It’s not much use to just place random bets and random points of the match, especially while the match you’re betting on is live.

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Esports Bookmakers to Try Your Dota 2 Betting Strategies

With the esports betting world on the rise, many, if not all bookmakers will offer some form of esports markets. As Dota is one of the most popular esports titles around, then there’s no doubt that any bookmaker you look at will offer some kinds of Dota markets. If that’s not the case, for some reason, then they’re not a bookie worth looking at for your esports betting.

Now you know how to bet on Dota, you’re probably wanting to know where this is possible? Lucky for you, we have got you covered.

In general, Dota is considered one of the most famous esports titles for customers to bet on, so even if the bookie only offers limited esports odds, there’s a good chance that Dota will play a part in that section.

There are also some operators who specialise in esports markets – with some bookies offering exclusively esports odds. All esports betting sites are a great way to introduce yourself to esports betting, including Dota.

If you’re looking for any more pieces of information about a particular bookmaker, why not head over to our bookmaker reviews and take a look for yourself? Whether it’s about a particular esports market, or some generous bonuses and Dota promo codes, then check our extensive selection of reviews.

Strategies that DON’T Pay Off When Betting on Dota 2

Unfortunately, when you look online at the various Dota betting guides that are available for anyone to read, there are some out there that are rather confusing and even contradict others.

We’ve gone through a fair few articles that have Dota betting explained – just not very well. There are a number of “strategies” out there that simply don’t offer anything helpful, which is unfortunate considering your Dota betting experience is supposed to be an enjoyable experience.

It’s very easy online for people to convince you that their strategies and tips work 100% of the time and it’s guaranteed that you will win. If you know even the slightest bit about gambling, then you know nothing is guaranteed.

Here are just a couple of things to consider when reading Dota betting strategies:

Don’t base any strategy around opinions

Nowadays, opinions are everywhere. Everyone has one, it’s those that are the loudest that have their opinions heard. When it comes to Dota betting, it’s not much different. Online, there are many different opinions about Dota.

Whether that’s about the game itself, or the teams involved, someone stating what they think won’t really benefit your Dota betting if it’s just their opinion.

Of course, some people have their reasonings and some online will have an opinion backed up with strong information and evidence. However, there are also others that don’t have any backing – it’s just what they think.

Disregard any strategy’s assumptions

When you assume, you make an “ass” out of “u” and “me” (get it?).

When you’re betting on any markets, whether that’s Dota or any of the esports for that matter, no assumptions can be made with a guarantee that whatever assumption is made will/won’t happen.

It’s much riskier to base a betting strategy around assumptions over research, so be sensible and take the time to look into the specifics.

Keep your own emotions out of it

It’s crucial that you place any bets with a clear mind and a cool, calm and collected manner. If you are overwhelmed with emotion, then your own opinions will take over and throw any strategy out the window. No one wants that.

With a calm state of mind, your decision-making will be much better and more effective for your Dota betting strategy.

Pre-Match Betting Strategies for Dota 2

For Dota, there are a number of pre-match markets available for all you esports bettors. Before a match has started, punters like yourself will be able to place bets on various events that will take place.

This section of our Dota betting guide will take you through the factors you may want to consider for your Dota betting strategy.

Choose your bookmaker

Finding the right bookmaker for you is crucial when you’re looking to place a bet on Dota. Once you find your favourite bookmaker for Dota betting, then you will be able to familiarise yourself with the operator’s site.

With your preferred bookmaker, you will have everything you need to enjoy your Dota betting experience, and you’ll be on your way. Before Dota matches begin, there will be a number of markets available to bet on.

Do your research

We said this as one of our main tips as a quick way of improving your Dota betting, but we’re here to reiterate just how important this is. More research will lead to a much better understanding of all the important factors of Dota, including the gameplay, the teams competing and team’s playing strategies.

With all of this information before a game has started, you will have a good idea of how the two teams will compete against each other, and can build your own betting strategy for the pre-match betting markets available to you.

Outright winner

One of the main markets available on many bookmaker’s sites for Dota will be the match winner/outright winner. If you’re fancying your chances on backing your knowledge and betting on who will win the match before the heroes have been selected, then this is an option for you.

This can also be applied to particular tournaments, with operators offering you the chance to bet on the outright winner of that particular competition. This is another beneficial option for you if you’re wanting to bet on Dota.

First blood

Depending on the bookmaker, some will offer you the chance to place your Dota bets on which player/team will get first blood in their upcoming match.

The research that we mentioned that will be beneficial will help right here – if you know which teams like to attack early in a Dota match, you can use that information to place a pre-match bet.

Live Betting Strategies for Dota 2

There are many possibilities and opportunities for Dota bettors when it comes to live betting. In-play betting is a more engaging form of wagering, especially for Dota, as you are following the action live and basing your betting strategy off the matches’ events.

Our Dota live betting page breaks down the typical game of Dota, and identifies which markets can be bet on and at which stage of the match is best. Go take a look for your own research – it’s very helpful.

Consider the team’s strategy

When a Dota match starts, you’ll have an immediate idea of each team’s strategy. Some may look to attack early and aim to kill creeps to earn gold and experience.

Meanwhile, some may look to buy items and build their defensive strategy before mounting an attack on the enemy. With this, you can build your live betting strategy around what each team is looking to do.

Check out different bookmakers’ live betting options

Depending on the extent to which bookmakers have committed to providing their esports service, there will be a range of bookmakers that offer a lot of live Dota odds. Dedicated esports betting sites will have many live betting options, which is great for their customers.

In contrast, those operators that haven’t fully committed to providing the best esports feature may not have got there just yet. Therefore, choosing the right bookmaker for you is key.

Get yourself tuned into a live stream

There are select operators that offer a free live streaming service for customers, meaning you can watch the action unfold live for yourself. As well as watching the Dota match live, you have the opportunity to place bets on in-game events, which is a great service provided by bookmakers that do this.

Even if the bookmaker you have signed up to doesn’t offer a live stream, there’s no reason you can’t go find one for yourself. Being able to see for yourself what is happening in the particular Dota match you’re betting on will make your decision-making (hopefully) a much easier process.

Key Takeaways - 5 Tips to Improve Your Dota Strategy

Be involved with Dota as much as possible

Whether you’re playing, watching, or betting on Dota, make sure you consistently getting to know more and more about the esport. This way, you’ll have a much greater understanding of each match you’re looking to better, and that will give you a much better chance of being successful.

Browse the available bookies

Like we have already mentioned, there are so many different operators out there for you to have a look through and to sign up to. However, when it comes to specifically Dota betting, it’s definitely worth looking at many options, rather than just finding one and signing up to it straight away.

You could be missing out, so the only way to figure out what is best for you is to go through them yourself. For some guidance, head over to our bookmaker reviews for details about all the best esports bookmakers.

Be wary of online betting strategies

There are some great online tipsters, but there are also some not very great online tipsters. Being able to identify and detect problem areas in some of these could be the difference in you putting on a bet based on a load of rubbish, or making your own informed decision.

We aren’t saying that they’re all a load of rubbish, but it’s worth knowing how to identify ones that aren’t beneficial to your Dota betting.

Check out our Dota betting tips

Earlier in the article we mentioned five tips you can use to immediately improve your Dota betting (you’re welcome). Hopefully you have learned from our Dota betting explained to you, but for actual tips and tricks, there’s more where that came from.

Our Dota betting tips page has dived further into betting tips, with much more detail available to you. On top of some more handy pieces of advice for your Dota betting strategy, you’ll also find

Dota live betting is great – take advantage of it

Using the live betting options on bookie’s sites will be a great benefit for you and your Dota betting strategy. Combining live betting markets with a high-quality, free live stream of the particular Dota match, you’ll have a much greater Dota betting experience.

You’ll also be able to follow the matches live, and that could also be the case for tournaments if you’re looking to bet on multiple Dota matches that all feature in the same competition.