Why can a Dota 2 match end in a draw?

Many group stages are best of two. If each team wins one game, the series ends 1–1, so bookmakers offer a 1X2 market with the draw as the middle outcome.

Is the draw likely in a BO2?

Often. Between a team with a 60% chance per game and its opponent, 1–1 comes up 48% of the time, more than the favourite's 2–0 at 36%.

What is first blood in Dota 2 betting?

A bet on which team gets the first kill of a game. It settles in the first minutes, so it is close to a coin flip and the margin decides its cost.

Who won The International 2026?

Team Spirit beat Team Vision 3–2 in Shanghai on 23 August 2026, their third TI title. See our The International betting page.

Do patches change Dota 2 odds?

Yes. A balance patch can change which heroes and teams are strong, and bookmakers adjust after the first results. Form from the old patch counts for less.

How old do I need to be to bet on Dota 2?

18 at least, and older in some countries. Licensed bookmakers verify your age before paying out.

Esports · Dota 2

Dota 2 betting: markets, series maths and the best sites for Dota 2

Dota 2 betting covers the series, single games and objectives inside a game such as first blood, Roshan and total kills. Group stages often use best of two, which adds a draw; playoffs use best of three and The International grand final is best of five.

This page shows what each market pays for, how a per-game chance becomes a series price, why a BO2 draw changes the maths, and the bookmakers ranked for Dota 2 on this site. Odds here are examples.

BO2 groups can end 1–1 TI 2026: Team Spirit Example odds, 18+

Updated Oct 8, 2026

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Example odds

Format: 5v5 one map, no round limit
Released: 9 Jul 2013 Valve, free to play
TI 2026 winner: Team Spirit 3–2 vs Team Vision, Shanghai
TI 2026 prize pool: $3.36M approx., incl. bundle sales
Average margin: 5.5% match winner, example

TI 2026: GosuGamers and Shanghai municipal government news. Margin from the example odds on this page.

Short answer

How does Dota 2 betting work?

You bet on a series, one game or an objective inside a game. In a best of two between a 60% favourite and its opponent, the draw lands 48% of the time, so a 1X2 market replaces the plain match winner. In a best of three the same favourite wins 64.8%.

BO2 draw, 60% team 48% 1–1 result

BO3 win, 60% team 64.8% series chance

TI 2026 final 3–2 Spirit vs Team Vision

Match winner 5.5% average margin, example

Dota 2 betting in six figures

48%
A BO2 between a 60% favourite and its opponent ends 1–1 almost half the time.
36%
The favourite wins that BO2 2–0 only 36% of the time, less than the draw.
64.8%
In a BO3 the same team wins the series 64.8% of the time.
68.3%
In a BO5, the TI grand final format, it wins 68.3% of the time.
3
Team Spirit won The International 2026, their third Aegis after 2021 and 2023.
5.5%
Average margin on the example match winner market across five ranked bookmakers.

How it works

From a Dota 2 match to a bet slip in four steps

Check the format

BO2 in many group stages, BO3 in playoffs, BO5 in big grand finals. A BO2 can end in a draw.
Check the patch

A new patch can change which heroes and teams are strong. Results from before it count for less.
Pick a market

Series winner, game winner, map handicap, or objectives such as first blood, first Roshan and total kills.
Compare prices

Margins differ by bookmaker and by market. Take the best price and set a limit first.

Markets Example odds

Dota 2 betting markets explained

Every common Dota 2 market, what it pays for and what it costs. Example odds for Team Spirit vs Tundra at one bookmaker.

The BO2 1X2 market costs more than a two-way match winner. Three outcomes give the bookmaker three places to add margin, and props such as first Roshan cost more again.

Market	You bet on	Example odds	Margin	What it means
Match winner (BO3)	Who wins the series; first to two games.	1.58 / 2.40	4.7%	the cheapest Dota 2 market in this example.
1X2 (BO2)	Team Spirit 2–0, a 1–1 draw, or Tundra 2–0.	2.70 / 2.05 / 4.60	7.0%	the draw is often the favourite outcome.
Map handicap	Team Spirit −1.5 must win 2–0 in a BO3.	2.65 / 1.45	6.3%	a longer price on the favourite.
Total maps	Over 2.5 if the BO3 reaches a third game.	2.05 / 1.72	6.5%	a bet on a close series.
Game 1 winner	Who wins the first game only.	1.62 / 2.25	5.8%	draft order and side matter more than in a full series.
Total kills, game 1	Over or under 48.5 kills by both teams.	1.86 / 1.86	7.0%	depends on the drafts; fighting heroes push it over.
First Roshan	Which team kills Roshan first in game 1.	1.70 / 2.05	7.1%	follows early-game strength more than the series price.
Game duration	Over or under 38.5 minutes in game 1.	1.83 / 1.90	6.8%	late-game drafts push it over.

Example odds, not live. Formats: Liquipedia, Dota 2 tournaments.

BO1 vs BO3 vs BO5

Series length and the favourite

The same two teams with the favourite winning 60% of games. BO2, which can end 1–1, is covered in the markets table.

BO1

One game, used in some qualifiers and tiebreakers.

Favourite at 60% per map	60.0%
Fair odds	1.67
Upset chance	40.0%

So what: the favourite loses four times in ten.

BO3

First to two games, the standard playoff format.

Favourite at 60% per map	64.8%
Fair odds	1.54
Upset chance	35.2%

So what: the deepest set of markets.

BO5

First to three games, used for The International grand final.

Favourite at 60% per map	68.3%
Fair odds	1.47
Upset chance	31.7%

So what: the better team wins most often; Spirit needed all five games in 2026.

Games treated as independent with the same chance. TI 2026 final: GosuGamers.

Series maths

From a per-game chance to a series chance

If each game is independent, a BO3 win chance is p² × (3 − 2p). In a BO2 the outcomes are p² (2–0), 2p(1 − p) (1–1) and (1 − p)² (0–2).

BO3 = p² × (3 − 2p)

BO2: 2–0 = p², 1–1 = 2p(1 − p), 0–2 = (1 − p)²

p = 0.60: 2–0 = 0.36, 1–1 = 0.48, 0–2 = 0.16

Fair 1X2 odds: 2.78 / 2.08 / 6.25

Per map	BO1	BO3	BO5	Fair odds BO3	BO3 vs BO1
50%	50.0%	50.0%	50.0%	2.00	±0.0 pp
55%	55.0%	57.5%	59.3%	1.74	+2.5 pp
60%	60.0%	64.8%	68.3%	1.54	+4.8 pp
65%	65.0%	71.8%	76.5%	1.39	+6.8 pp
70%	70.0%	78.4%	83.7%	1.28	+8.4 pp
75%	75.0%	84.4%	89.6%	1.19	+9.4 pp
80%	80.0%	89.6%	94.2%	1.12	+9.6 pp

Series calculator

From a per-game chance to a series chance and fair odds.

Chance to win one map 60% Bookmaker margin 5.0%

BO1 60.0%

BO3 64.8%

BO5 68.3%

Fair odds BO1 1.67

Fair odds BO3 1.54

With margin BO3 1.47

A team that wins 60% of maps wins a best-of-three 64.8% of the time and a best-of-five 68.3%. The BO3 adds 4.8 points over a BO1. With a 5.0% margin a bookmaker would offer about 1.47 on the BO3. Maps are treated as independent.

Pure maths: games treated as independent with the same chance p. Draft and patch break this in real series.

Objectives Example odds

First blood, Roshan, towers and kills

Markets inside one Dota 2 game. Example odds; implied chance and margin are computed.

First blood

The team that gets the first kill of the game.

Outcome	Odds	Probability
Team Spirit	1.85	54.1%
Tundra	1.85	54.1%
Sum		108.1%
Margin		7.5%

So what: close to a coin flip; the margin is the cost of the bet.

First Roshan

The team that kills Roshan first.

Outcome	Odds	Probability
Team Spirit	1.70	58.8%
Tundra	2.05	48.8%
Sum		107.6%
Margin		7.1%

So what: follows map control in the first 20 minutes.

First tower

The team that destroys the first tower.

Outcome	Odds	Probability
Team Spirit	1.75	57.1%
Tundra	1.98	50.5%
Sum		107.6%
Margin		7.1%

So what: lane matchups from the draft decide most of it.

Total kills over/under 48.5

Both teams' kills added up in one game.

Outcome	Odds	Probability
Over 48.5	1.86	53.8%
Under 48.5	1.86	53.8%
Sum		107.5%
Margin		7.0%

So what: check the drafts before the line moves.

Example odds, not live.

Odds comparison Example odds

Same Dota 2 match, five prices

Example odds for Team Spirit vs Tundra, BO3. Best price per team marked; margin from green (lowest) to red (highest).

Dota 2 · example match Example odds · not live

Team Spirit BO3 Match winner Tundra

Bookmaker	Team Spirit	Tundra	Margin	Payout
Casinova	1.57	2.35	5.9%	94.1%
CampoBet	1.60	2.30	5.6%	94.4%
1win	1.55	2.38	6.1%	93.9%
Casino-X	1.62	2.28	5.3%	94.7%
22BET	1.58	2.40	4.7%	95.3%
Best odds per outcome	1.62	2.40	3.3%	96.7%

Example odds, not live.

How to read the table

The margin is what the odds add up to above 100%. Here it runs from 4.7% to 6.1%.

What it means: the cheapest and dearest books differ by $14 per $1,000 staked.

Tournaments

The Dota 2 events bookmakers cover most

Linked to our tournament pages. Results only where a source confirms them.

TI 2026 The International Shanghai, 13–23 Aug 2026 · Team Spirit beat Team Vision 3–2 The International betting → Dota 2 Majors Dota Major Championships Dota Major betting → ESL Series ESL Gaming ESL betting → DreamHack Series DreamHack Tournaments DreamHack betting →

TI 2026: GosuGamers; dates via esports.net.

Updated October 2026 Live

Best betting sites for Dota 2

Bookmakers ranked for Dota 2 on this site. Offers are live; margins come from the example odds above.

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Odds margin –

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