So you want to bet on Call of Duty? Well, you’ve come to the right place!

In this guide, we’ll cover the ins and outs of betting on professional Call of Duty. We’ll teach you about the game, the spreads and where to place your first CoD wager.

If you’ve never gambled on Call of Duty before, you’ll want to first learn about the game and what it’s about. Luckily enough, the barrier of entry to understanding the game is much lower than other popular esports betting offerings, making your first gamble on Call of Duty a smooth and pain-free process.

What is Call of Duty

Call of Duty – or CoD, as it’s often abbreviated – is a first-person shooter video game franchise that debuted in 2003. Over the years, dozens of new editions of the game have been developed and released. The most recent is Call of Duty Modern Warfare, which was released on October 25 of this year.

While each instalment of the game is different in its own right, the latest to come out is typically front and center with its player base and fans. Thus, Modern Warfare has taken center stage, and quite largely at that. Modern Warfare has become the bestselling game of October with a reported $600 million in revenue in its first month. It’s also on track to become the bestselling game of the year, and we wouldn’t be surprised if that turned out to be the case.

In the professional setting, Call of Duty is a five-on-five multiplayer esport. Teams will compete in a number of game variants such as Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Search and Destroy, and Hardpoint. Since Call of Duty’s big esports push in 2007, millions of dollars have been distributed to teams through major tournaments such as the Call of Duty World Championship.

Call of Duty League Betting

With the new title came the inception and execution of Call of Duty’s biggest and baddest new esports initiative – the Call of Duty League (CDL). The Call of Duty League is a franchised league for the game featuring 12 professional teams hailing from major cities around the world. Following in the steps of popular franchised systems such as the Overwatch League and NBA 2K League, the CDL will officially enter the ring with its debut matches in January 2020. With its new infrastructure, CDL betting will likely enter the market in a big fashion.

Call of Duty was never a very typical suspect to see in Sportsbooks’ lineups. As with all selections from a sportsbook, the ability to collect enough data from matches is what makes betting possible. Thus, spotty schedules and a deficit of official matches made CoD wagering particularly challenging. On the other hand, as we’ve seen with the aforementioned esports leagues, Sportsbooks were quick to pick up the new titles as markets on their sites. If history repeats itself, sportsbooks will look to get ahead quickly by offering Call of Duty odds on their platforms.

The 12 teams competing in the upcoming Call of Duty League are:

These are names you’ll want to familiarize yourself with ahead of the new year when the CDL starts. The inaugural Call of Duty League season will start at the Minneapolis Armory January 24-26.

How does Call of Duty betting work?

Thankfully enough for those new to Call of Duty that want to get accustomed to its betting facet, the game is relatively simple to understand. As a basic point-and-click shooter, you won’t find yourself very lost following the action of the game, especially in light of comparatively intricate games such as League of Legends and Dota 2.

Your most popular betting market will always be on outright Sportsbooks and match outcomes. An outright Sportsbook is a bet placed on which team will win the tournament or competition at large, whereas a match outcome will be the Sportsbook of a match between two teams. Again, with its new infrastructure, placing a wager on the Call of Duty League should offer a bounty of these markets.

Since the Call of Duty betting handle is smaller in comparison to leading products such as Counter-Strike and League of Legends, we’ll have to see how expansive the markets get.

Prop Bets

Prop bets will typically require quite a bit more in-depth knowledge of Call of Duty to take a risk on and be successful. These can vary on numerous outcomes in-game such as map Sportsbooks, number of kills, first blood, bomb plants and more. How extensive CDL betting markets get will be up to the oddsmakers and sportsbooks.

With that being said, prop bets are among the most exciting types of bets to place. They go beyond the surface-level match outcomes and add a new layer. For the experienced punters, props are a way to spice things up from time to time. If you happen to fit the description here, specials could be your Call of Duty gambling forte.

Live Betting

Live betting is another popular form of gambling. These wagers are set only after a match has begun, and typically have odds that fluctuate based on the status of a match.

For example, if one team is leading in a match, the team at an in-game disadvantage will typically have a better payout offered if they win. Live betting on Call of Duty is useful for those bettors who may understand a team’s configuration a little more than your average punter. Call of Duty League live betting will likely be a popular market of the esports betting handle.

The latest edition of CoD is one of the most comprehensive while retaining the game’s fundamental features. Betting on Modern Warfare has all the qualities of becoming a leading product in the esports betting sphere.

Understanding Call of Duty Odds

If you’re new to the world of betting, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with the basic terminology used in gambling before putting any money down. Because, hey, if you want to win money betting on Modern Warfare and the CDL, you’ll probably have a better shot if you’re calculating your risk. Let’s talk about the types of odds and how they work.

American Odds

American odds, also known as moneyline odds, are most prevalent in the United States. While popular for U.S.-based bookies, American odds can be tricky to understand.

Call of Duty League moneylines would be represented as such:

Dallas Empire: -400

Toronto Ultra: +325

The minus sign (-) represents the favorite in a match or tournament, indicating the amount needed to stake to win $100. Using the above example, a bettor would need to bet $400 on Dallas Empire to win $100.

Underdogs are indicated with a positive sign (+), indicating the amount won for every $100 wagered. Gambling on Toronto Ultra using these American odds, a $100 bet would return $325 in profit.

Decimal Odds

Decimal odds, also known as European odds, are popular in areas of Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

To calculate decimal odds winnings, you can just multiply your wager against the odds. For example, placing $10 on 2.1 odds will return $21 profit on a winning bet, plus your stake – in total, you would win $31. The favorites of a Call of Duty match will always have lower decimal odds than the underdogs.

Example – Match Sportsbook

Chicago Huntsmen: 1.3

Florida Mutineers: 2.7

Where to Bet on Call of Duty

Whatever platform will offer the best odds on Call of Duty Modern Warfare is typically a good place to start. Through some cursory searches and comparisons, you’ll be able to find your best bet on Call of Duty.

Since Call of Duty esports have been dormant ahead of the CDL’s launch, CoD esports betting has been sidelined by most books. However, with its inaugural season gearing up to launch, gambling on the Call of Duty League and placing wagers on Modern Warfare will soon be a reality.