CS2 live betting can be an exhilarating and potentially highly profitable venture. While there are some constraints compared to pre-match betting, there are also distinct advantages.

To fully take advantage of this feature, you need to deploy a consistent CS2 live betting strategy which suits your needs. While no single CS2 live betting strategy always works, you must stick to one to win in the long term.

Using your knowledge of in-game CS2 maps and mechanics is key to gaining an advantage. Furthermore, combining knowledge of CS2 esports with our tips later in this guide, bettors can build their own best CS2 live betting strategy.

CS2 Live Betting Sites

You need to pick a CS2 betting site before you can roll out any betting strategy. We’ve listed the top options which are available in your country below.

Top CS2 Live Betting Strategies

Knowing how the best CS2 live betting strategy could work, it is time to share some tips. Please note that these are general tips and all odds provided in this section are fictional. HLTV does not guarantee success or even an increased rate of accurate bets by using these tips.

Map Veto Advantage

Live CS2 betting has one massive advantage over traditional pre-match betting. Using this bet type lets you see what the map veto looks like before placing a bet. In professional CS2, the maps chosen by teams can make or break the outcome of a match.

Taking the map veto into consideration and the teams’ stats on specific maps might give bettors the upper hand. We suggest you do detailed research via our Teams and Maps sections on our statistics page to gain an advantage using the map veto of a match and a solid CS2 live betting strategy.

Caster Comments

In big CS2 tournaments, there are a variety of casters and analysts who comment on a match while it is being played. These knowledgeable individuals can provide invaluable details you might not otherwise know about. Bookmakers update the live CS2 betting odds based on cold, hard facts such as scorelines. Bettors can use this to their advantage by listening to the talent comments and finding a nugget of vital information. That’s why it is always recommended to watch a match live while placing these types of bets.

For example, a caster on analyst could provide you with the knowledge that despite Team B losing the first map, Team A has a much better record on the upcoming two maps in a best-of-three match, while Team B’s strongest map is the first one. Despite the odds being heavily in Team B’s favour due to winning the first map, this could be more of a 50/50 affair than simply looking at the scoreline would suggest.

Live Cashout

Sometimes, walking away from a bet could be the best option. Many of the best bookmakers offer a live cashout feature. This allows users to cash out a bet while a CS2 match you’ve placed some money on is live. While there are some limitations, for example, you can’t cash out in the last few minutes) and the payout isn’t that great. There are, however, instances where bettors would instead get back a bit of money than lose it all.

If you are sure the CS2 bet you’ve played will not pan out the way you initially predicted, you can walk away with a piece of your bet, instead of losing it all.

Use Your Knowledge

The critical aspect of a CS2 live betting strategy is building knowledge. At HLTV, we have you covered. You can use our Stats page to get an advantage. For example, Team A (as CT’s) is down 9-6 on Dust II against Team B, which means the live betting odds for Team A will become higher.

Stats, however, show Team A’s T-side is much more robust, and Team B struggles on the CT-side. With this information, you could potentially bet on Team A with better odds than the pre-match betting options. Knowledge of the in-game economy and how close a team is to getting their economy broken in a half can further bolster your advantage.

Betting On Comebacks

Due to the nature of live CS2 betting, with the odds shifting into the favour of the team that is ahead, a late-in-the-match live CS2 bet on the team that is behind can be highly profitable, but it is a high-risk affair. We’ve got a historical example to share which explains just how profitable betting on the possibility of a comeback can be.

On 3rd April 2021, Virtus.pro faced off against ENCE at ESL Pro League Season 13. The pre-match odds were, at best, 1.5 for Virtus.pro to win. As the match progressed, the live CS2 odds changed consistently. ENCE took a commanding lead on the final map, Dust II, with a round score of 12-3 in the first half. In the second half, ENCE extended this lead to 15-3, one round away from winning the match. If you were to bet 10 of your currency using the live CS2 odds at this point (25.9), you would have won 259, as Virtus.pro mounted a historic comeback.

In more than eight years and 9,899 Dust II matches recorded, 253 times a team had a lead of 15-3 on the T-side as ENCE did. From all those matches, there was one single comeback, as Virtus.pro pushed ENCE into overtime and finally won the map 19-17 and the series 2-1. The chances of this happening are meager. It is, however,  not impossible to get a massive payday by taking advantage of live CS2 odds.

Please note that none of these betting strategies are fullproof. HLTV is not responsible for any losses incurred.

CS2 Live Bet Types Explained

While most sites offer fewer live betting markets than pre-match ones, there are still multiple ways to live bet on the action. We’ve listed some of the most popular CS2 live bet types below.

– Live Match Betting – Also known as the ‘Moneyline’. It’s the easiest way to live bet on CS2. You’re just betting on the team you think will win a match while it’s happening.

– Live Over/Unders – The top CS2 betting sites offer multiple live over/unders, including things like ‘Total Rounds’.

– Live Handicap Betting – You can get better odds on the team in the lead using the live handicap betting markets.-

– Live Map Winner – You can bet on a team to claim the current map as the action is playing out.

You can head over to our CS2 betting guides page for in-depth intel reports on each CS2 bet type.

Responsible CS2 Gambling

Maintaining a responsible approach to online gambling is essential. CS2 and esports betting should be fun. If you feel it’s harming you or those around you, you must stop. 

We recommend that all HLTV users take the Gamalyze self-assessment. This brief test will help you learn more about the responsible gambling tools available at online betting sites. We also have a wealth of other resources available for additional support. 

Here are some of our in-depth HLTV responsible gambling articles:

– Time Management – This page focuses on the time management tools you can use while betting on CS2.

– Money Management – In this article, we list the money management methods you can use to prevent problem gambling.

– HLTV Responsible Gambling Commitment – Read more about responsible gambling and HLTV’s commitment to promoting it.

Remember, when betting on Counter-Strike or anything else, you should always practise responsible gambling. You must be 18+ to play.