Best Of Bets

Author: Best Of Bets

  • WHICH BOOKMAKER IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

    WHICH BOOKMAKER IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

    Since the beginning of the pandemic early last year, few commodities have seen such an exponential rise in growth than betting markets.

    As millions globally were forced indoors, betting apps became one of the big means of escapism in an increasingly crazy world, with the market flooded by companies both old and new.  But just which bookmaker is the best?

    Often it comes down to a simple choice of preference, over not just choice of sporting markets, but simple aesthetics.  Does it get better than the sight of a selection on your goals acca going ‘grey’? That is one of the big pulls of SkyBet for many.

    On a sheer more basic level however, a rather clever colour combination-advertisement combo can work wonders.  Does SkyBet’s standout red-white-blue combo catch the eye, or do the greens of PaddyPower and Bet365 prove a bigger draw?

    Or does MansionBet’s black-red-white scheme tick your box, whilst the bright yellows of Betfair also stands out from the crowd and its Exchange platform offers a unique stance to lay bets against the rest of the market.

    Perhaps the bigger lure for punters though, are the perks on offer.

    That comes in the shape of free bets, and depending on your bookie of choice, with the right selection and of course a good dash of good fortune, these freebies can make you decent profit. But we’re not talking necessarily about the free sign-up bets or free credits across a host of betting platforms. How about when those trial introduction fades?

    Let’s compare and contrast.

    Bet365 for many has become one of the most popular bookies, largely due to their boosted acca percentage for many bets, and also, a greater choice of markets. The company’s big plus comes in the hugely popular goalscorer market however, where if one player goes off injured or for any other reason in the first half, bets with be voided and returned as a free bet instead. Where they fall away however, are in a rather inconsistent stream of other free bets to use.

    Returning to SkyBet meanwhile, a free bet every week comes if a £25 bet stake is reached, with a £6 free in-play bet having now been introduced to SkyBet Club, as an alternative. PaddyPower of late have come up on the rails as the bookmaker of choice for a lot of bettors, presenting a rather more eye-catching platform, with frequent boosted wins also, especially on the horses.

    Whichever one you choose it is important to gamble responsibly however, and any good bookie will have deposit limits. That should be your biggest guide of all.

  • ESports | M80 look good with s1n on board

    ESports | M80 look good with s1n on board

    Looking for the latest and most informed ESports tips? Here at BestofBets’ crack unit, we’ve got our eyes peeled.

     

    Tip for the match: M80 +3.5 Map.2 / 1.79 at Kambi, 2/5 units.

    Why should you play it?

    – Map 2 is likely an M80 pick. M80 has several maps where BB can get in trouble.

    – M80 is looking very smart after s1n joined the team. M80 has earlier this season shown great CS. If it is a good day, it could be a very close map.

    – Generally, BB has a greater map pool than M80.

    – However, they also have many maps where they don’t perform well every time. That’s what M80 has to their advantage. BB has played A LOT of games lately.

    Embed from Getty Images

    Keep an eye on it?

    – BB has a great experience against the best teams in EU. A big advantage.

    – We fear it can be a quick 2-0 IF BB has a day on their A-level. It is a interesting team.

    – M80 have only met one great team, which was Liquid. Now they are going to meet a team on another level. Are they ready for that?

  • ESports | Virtus Pro with Electronic look interesting

    ESports | Virtus Pro with Electronic look interesting

    Looking for the latest and most informed ESports tips? Here at BestofBets’ crack unit, we’ve got our eyes peeled.

     

    Tip for the match: Virtus Pro 2-0 / 2.10 at Bet365, 2/5 units.

    Why should you play it?

    – Virtus Pro must be motivated. They’ve spent a lot of money to get Electronic on the team. They now have some of the best riflers available in the world. Full firepower.

    – It’s a shock that Fnatic is still a team. They play amazingly bad CS. The individual level is too low and have been that way for a long time.

    – Virtus has the best position in the veto and individually. Expect Virtus Pro to dominate.

    Embed from Getty Images

    Keep an eye on it?

    – A personality such as Electronic must have some time on the server to shine. That I’m sure of. The question is, just how good is Virtus Pro right now?

    – There are no expectations on the Fnatic team and they can play without nerves. Overpass and Ancient is a possibility for Fnatic.

    – It has been a while since we’ve seen Virtus Pro in A-level shape. If Fnatic want to step up it may not be a bad time.

  • ESports | Saw can find same shape from Blast Premier

    ESports | Saw can find same shape from Blast Premier

    Looking for the latest and most informed ESports tips? Here at BestofBets’ crack unit, we’ve got our eyes peeled.

     

    Tip for the match: Saw ML / 1.71 at Kambi, 1.5/5 units.

    Why should you play it?

    – Saw is a roster which has great Lan experience- we predict they will be the best on Lan compared to 3DMAX.

    – Individually Saw has 4 amazing individuals who are in good shape. On paper Saw has the firepower.

    – The top level is for sure at Saw. Do they hit their A-level; they are the best team on all aspects.

    Embed from Getty Images

    Keep an eye on it?

    – The 2 team had recently met each other. 3DMAX won that game. The teams know each other well. It’s usually close games.

    – Saw doesn’t look like a team in shape. It’s not a team that’s performing at the very top yet.

    – 3DMAX have played very well the past 3 weeks. They’ve produced some great results.

  • m0NESY continuous to dominate?

    m0NESY continuous to dominate?

    Tip for the match: G2 ML / 1.75 at Kambi, 2/5 units.

     

    Why should you play it?

    – In my opinion G2 looks better and better in this tournament despite some stupid lost.

    – The level Virtus Pro is having at the moment is low. I’m not quite sure why, but they lack skills in every part of the game.

    – The last 5 games Virtus Pro have had, has not impressed me. It feels like the team is in need of replacements.

    – The biggest weakness for Virtus Pro at the moment is their possibilities in the veto. It’s a possibility that Vertigo can be played and that’s their worst enemy. I favorize G2 in the Veto.

    – What do they do if their plan A doesn’t work for Virtus Pro? The time runs out and the weapons will follow to the next round. Without a doubt Virtus Pro will get in trouble

    – G2 has a man that counts for 2…. And this man is m0NESY! He is, at the moment, the best player in the world in my opinion. He is impressive. No matter what get thrown at him or G2, smoke, fire etc, he delivers map after map. Virtus Pro can’t stop him.

    – G2 has the advantages of winning the past 3/3 games against each other in 2024 – that’s clearly a mental advantage.

    – If we look 7-8 weeks in the past, G2 has great results. There are some nice wins in the past.

     

    Keep an eye on it?

    – If Virtus Pro hit m0NESY on the mental aspect, they will have possibilities.

    – G2 has several weaknesses. Nexa, Hooxi and Hunter. G2 does not play at a 100%.

    – Virtus Pro has a playing style that can annoy EVERY A-level teams. They are not an easy team to play against when dice is rolling.

    – IF we see a Virtus Pro team that are ready from the start, then they are the best individually. They have 4 men that deliver great numbers. It’s a dangerous team to meet if they are on fire.

    – When the 2 teams meet it has been some close matches. Will they hit map 3? Anything can happen.

  • CS2 Tips | Last dance for Liquid?

    CS2 Tips | Last dance for Liquid?

    Tip for the match: Liquid Moneyline / 2.15 at Kambi, 1.25/5 units 

     

    Why should you play it? 

    • This is the last chance for Liquid to show that we need to take the Liquid core serious and it’s also time for Liquid to show some decent CS. 
    • With a 4 week break to practice some crazy CS, Liquid should be 100% prepared for this game. There is no excuse now! 
    • Heroic choked big time at the Major. It was a close defeat to Complexity, but a direct car crash against Virtus Pro and Pain. Horrendous CS! 
    • Liquid HAVE TO match the individual firepower Heroic brings to the server. NAF, Twistzz and Yekindar? What’s not to like. IF those tree players bring their A-game, we could get a firework. 
    • BO1 games has its own life. It often speaks in favor for the underdogs. I expect to see a game where liquid is keeping up the entire game. 
    • Liquid and especially Cadian must be disappointed over the fact that they missed this year’s major. They have had several weeks to put the disappointment behind them unlike Heroic that haven’t had much time after Copenhagen to get over the disappointment. I’m not saying the this means Heroic won’t be 100% focused on the Chinese tournament, but they may still be a bit mentally shocked after Copenhagen.  
    • Even though Cadian haven’t played with the current Heroic core, he still has an edge here because he knows the players with a Danish flag and for example their playing style.  

     

    Keep an eye on it? 

    • Heroic have played more games recently than Liquid and their shape looks better.  
    • In my opinion if Heroic brings their A-game, Liquid can get in trouble.  
    • We still haven’t seen what liquid are capable off. So, what is their A-game? There are still a lot of questions regarding Liquid because they haven’t brought a constant streak as a team or individually.  
    • If Heroic gets an early lead I for sure think Liquid will be hit on the mental aspect, and it will be a struggle for them to come back. 
  • Lewis Hamilton Joins Ferrari for 2025

    Lewis Hamilton Joins Ferrari for 2025

    Shocking news announced this morning as Lewis Hamilton will be joining Ferrari for the 2025 Formula 1 season.

    Many fans of the support are surprised to see this move, however, there have been signs for a while showing that this move may happen. But what does this mean for the rest of the grid moving forward? 

    Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari

    Embed from Getty Images

     

    Lewis Hamilton has been at Mercedes for over 10 years, racing alongside the likes of Rosberg, Bottas and most recently George Russel. He has won numerous championships with the team, cementing him as one of the greats. Unfortunately, his time with the team is coming to an end after the 2024 season with a move to join Charles Leclerc at Ferrari at the start of the 2025 season.

    But why now? Well.. there have been numerous hints of this move over the last few years. Leclerc has wanted Hamilton as a teammate for a long time and Ferrari has been pushing for another championship through the dominant Mercedes and Red Bull era. Right now, it’s unclear how long Lewis will stay at Ferrari but he has said he has a few more years in him yet.

    After a couple of years of poor performance, engine failures, and strategy issues – perhaps Lewis can help Ferrari push for another constructor Championship with two top-tier drivers alongside Leclerc. 

    What about Sainz? 

    Embed from Getty Images

    Carlos Sainz (currently at Ferrari) has been rumoured to be joining Audi when they join the grid in 2026 – perhaps he’s looking to take a year out or simply join Mercedes for that interim period alongside Russel. The pair are known to be good friends so this change would make sense. 

    We also received news this week that Formula 1 has declined Andretti and Cadillac’s application to join the grid due to a lack of “added value”. Perhaps they are considering another team to join the grid and add 2 seats for Carlos to jump into alongside a rookie.

    Sainz has shown he is as good of a driver as Leclerc with a similar performance over the 2023 season, unfortunately, Ferrari has decided to stick with Leclerc as their poster boy… for now. 

    The Rest of the Grid

    Embed from Getty Images

    With this change, we will likely see a massive shake-up for the rest of the grid. Rumours of Perez’s retirement have been circulating since his “poor” performance last year in comparison to his teammate. 

    We may see Ricciardo take his place and the young Kiwi Liam Lawson jump in a permanent seat after his stellar performance in his few races with Alpha Tauri. 

    There is also plenty of young talent ready for their turn in F1 with F2 champions, third drivers and more patiently waiting to be called into a seat. To name a few, Jack Doohan, Oliver Bearman and Aston Martin 3rd driver Felipe Drugovich all showed great performances during practice sessions towards the latter end of last season.

    Other rumoured changes across the grid include Sargeant, Magnusson and Alonso “expected” to make a departure at the end of 2024 due to retirement – or simply poor performance. However, this is all rumoured. 

    All we know for now is Lewis is off to Ferrari for his last few years in F1.

  • Is The Finals Esports Ready?

    Is The Finals Esports Ready?

    A new title from Embark has hit the competitive FPS genre with a bang. By rewriting the script for an “extraction shooter” many fans believe The Finals will be the next big Esports title. However, is the game ready for the ultra-competitive scene? Here we will look at all facets of the game – and come to a conclusion and assess what needs to happen to make the game ready for Esports.

    READ MORE: Guild Esports Sign New CS Roster

    Competitive Nature 

    When looking at The Finals, it’s clear there the game is set up to go down the competitive route. With a dedicated “Tournament” mode, players can compete against 16 other teams to get the win. The integration of this is very interesting as there has been no mention of venturing towards Esports just yet. However, features like this show a clear interest in the competitive side of the game. 

    The gameplay itself seems to have a high enough skill ceiling to be viable at the highest level of play. Although the developers are still making changes to the game, whether that be bug fixes or balancing, The Finals shows a lot of potential from a gameplay perspective. The top-level players have become very effective at assessing gameplay situations and knowing when to take fights and when to run.


    As an extraction shooter – The Finals brings a new feel to the competitive FPS genre. Its fast-paced nature and destruction may be seen as overly volatile to be labeled as “competitive”, however, we are now seeing players find effective strategies to mitigate the RNG nature of destruction.

    In-Game Infrastructure

    the-finals-tournament-mode

    Unfortunately, The Finals doesn’t currently feature a “custom game” mode, meaning players can’t create their lobbies and are forced into official lobbies to experience the game. Essentially, this makes it impossible for the game to be Esports-ready in its current state.

    If Embark implemented this feature, it would be a huge step in the right direction for the game. This is arguably the only essential change that needs to be made for The Finals to be Esports-ready. However, there are still a lot of gameplay changes and updates that need to be put in place for the game to feel balanced and competitive from head to foot.

    Playerbase 

    The player base for The Finals is still extremely strong. Although we have seen a large drop since release that is very much expected for a new game. As of writing this, the game is sitting at a similar player base as Rainbow Six Siege and Destiny 2 – both titans of the FPS genre. 

    However, this is for Steam only. The Finals features crossplay capabilities which allow PC and console players to join the same lobbies. Which effectively doubles (or even triples) the player base.

    It seems the community surrounding the finals is also rather supportive. One look at the official discord server and we can see that players are constantly providing direct feedback to the developers. 

    As more updates are released for the game, we will probably see a lot of the player base return and attract new players.

    Is The Finals Esports Ready?

    the-finals-esports-ready

    Put simply… no. However, the future is bright for The Finals. With many claiming this new title has revolutionized the FPS genre we are likely to see the developers support this game for years to come. 

    The game features some Esports familiar components that hint towards a positive future, nonetheless, there are still a lot of changes and updates that need to be made for the game to be Esports-ready, and compete with other massive titles – such as Valorant and CS2.

    NEXT: The Game Awards: All Esports Categories and Nominees

  • Guild Esports Sign New CS Roster

    Guild Esports Sign New CS Roster

    Guild Esports has seen exponential growth over the last few years. With support from amazing individuals such as David Beckham and JME, the organization continues to grow its audience in the UK and beyond.

    The team recently announced a new CS Roster called the “Guild Eagles”. But who are they, and why are Guild now diving into Counter-Strike? Well, the team seems to be a perfect fit here, according to the CEO.

    Here’s all you need to know!

    RELATED: The Game Awards: All Esports Categories and Nominees

    Bad News Eagles CS Roster

    guild esports new cs roster

    The Eagles’ roster was an unknown team back in 2022. They really came to light when they became the first-ever team to reach a Major qualifying from the Albanian region. Since then, they have competed all over the globe at numerous majors from Antwerp, Rio, and Paris – bringing in an impressive $96,000 in 2023 alone.

    This roster went from competing in small net cafes in Kosovo to the Paris Major in just a few years, something we rarely see in Esports.

    The Guild Esports Roster consists of:

    Genc ‘gxx-’ Kolgeci
    Flatron ‘juanflatroo’ Halimi
    Sener ‘SENER1’ Mahuti
    Dionis ‘sinnopsyy’ Budeci
    Rigon ‘rigoN’ Gashi

    These players are supported by awesome coaching and Management staff:

    James Banks – Manager
    Jonatan ‘Devilwalk’ Lundberg – Head Coach
    Kevin ‘Krystal’ Amend – Assistant Coach
    Kieran ‘KayJay’ Playfair – Analyst

    Guild Esports – Why Sign a New Roster?

    So… why has Guild decided to sign a new Counter-Strike Roster? Well, a large part of this comes from the recent announcement of the Esports World Cup.

    This tournament will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and will replace the Gamers8 tournament that was hosted there over the last few years. This means 2024 could be Esports’ biggest year yet and Guild Esports wants a shot at the trophy.

    RELATED: Top Esports Titles Releasing This Year

    Ground+Air Coaching Programme

    Guild Esports has announced that this roster will utilize their coaching partner “Ground+Air”. This will help to support the team’s health and education development whilst continuing to practice for tournaments.

    This is a crucial piece of support for teams and will help to develop the team’s all-around skills as individuals as well as give them the opportunity to reach the top of their sport.

    Guild Esports CEO Comments on New Roster

    The CEO of Guild, Jasmine Skee has said the release of Counter-Strike 2 prompted Guild to increase its presence under the title and the trajectory of the Bad News Eagles roster is truly inspirational and embodies the attitude that Guild aligns with.

    It seems the Eagles’ roster really couldn’t have found a better home. It is crucial for the roster to partner with an organization that understands their motives and where they want to be.

    With the support of Ground+Air, they can continue to develop other skills as well.

    The Future of Counter-Strike

    guild esports new counter-strike 2 roster

    Although the release of the new Counter-Strike update has left some fans concerned, the future is bright for the behemoth title.

    Valve, the developers of CS, have been pushing updates almost daily to fix the game and patch current issues before the release of the first operation. This will bring new skins, challenges, and maps to the game. Only then can we truly see how well the game will succeed, as much of the player base focuses on the skins’ economy rather than the gameplay.

    NEXT: Esports World Cup 2024: Everything you Need to Know! 

  • The Game Awards: All Esports Categories and Nominees

    The Game Awards: All Esports Categories and Nominees

    The Game Awards are fast approaching. Publishers, teams, and organizations are pushing to gain the support of their fans to be the best in the category for 2024.

    Whether it’s the Game of the Year or the Best Esports Coach, this event has it all! Here’s everything you need to know about the Esports side of the Game Awards and the Nominees you can vote for…

    RELATED: Esports World Cup 2024: Everything you Need to Know!

    The Game Awards: Best Esports Game 

    the game awards esports game of the year

    Nominees:
    Counter-Strike 2
    Dota 2
    League of Legends
    PUBG Mobile
    Valorant

    Of this list, the only title to be released this year is Counter-Strike 2. For this reason alone, we are likely to see CS2 take the win in this category. League of Legends will likely be a close second due to its massive popularity and fan base.

    Valorant has received a small resurgence in popularity after the release of Valve’s Counter-Strike update, however, it’s unlikely Riot’s FPS title will take the top spot. 

    Best Esports Athlete

    Nominees:
    Faker

    Zywoo

    Demon1

    Hydra 

    Ruler 

    ImperialHal

    As much as I would love to see Zywoo take the win here, it’s likely Faker will become the Best Esports Athlete of 2023. Faker’s performance at the League of Legends Worlds was incredible, but Esports fans will be comparing this to Zywoo’s incredible stats at both the Blast.TV Paris Major and Gamers8 2023. 

    Best Esports Team 

    the game awards esports team of the year

    Nominees:

    Evil Geniuses

    Fnatic 

    Gaimin Gladiators 

    JD Gaming 

    Team Vitality 

    Although Zywoo may not take Athlete of the Year, Team Vitality will almost definitely dominate in this category. This French team won the first-ever Counter-Strike major hosted in France, a glorious moment for both the industry and the country. Vitality then went on to win the Gamers8 tournament in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

    Best Esports Coach 

    Nominees:
    Potter
    Zonic
    Gunba
    XTQZZZ
    Homme

    The Winner of the Coach category may come down to personal favorites. It’s likely both Potter and XTQZZZ will perform well here with a Major win in their respective titles.
    The other choices here are interesting and may surprise us when we finally receive the results later this year. 

    RELATED: Top Esports Events in 2024

    The Game Awards: Best Esports Event

    the game awards esports event of the year

    Nominees:
    2023 League of Legends World Championship
    Blast.TV Paris Major

    EVO 2023

    Valorant Champions 2023

    The International Dota 2 Championships 2023

    All of the events here had their own iconic storylines and massive attendance, however, one event here stands out from the rest as one of the greatest in the history of the industry.
    Although the LoL World Championship is one of the largest events on the planet, the Blast.TV Paris Major saw an iconic French team take the win at the first-ever Counter-Strike Major held in France.
    On top of this, the Major had some amazing support and sponsors from companies in France, such as the Alpine F1 team. 

    If you are a fan of F1, you may have seen the Blast.TV logo feature on the Alpine car at the Monaco Grand Prix. 

    Results

    The Game Awards event will take place on December 7th, 2023 at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles. Fans will have up until then to submit their votes for the 30+ categories. 

    Although you may not be interested in voting, showing your support for a particular team or title can help support them to develop a new title or continue competing in tournaments around the world. 

    NEXT: Is CS2 Better Than CSGO?