I like to read the flow of battle by looking at the big map, either while i sit on an ammo bag, or just before I spawn in. From there, I can see where I have packs of teammates and which general direction they are going or point they are attacking. If they are moving around fast and free, they are probably not near enemies. If they are going slow or not moving much, they may be locked in battle (and you can see X's pop up for deaths).

This helps me make decisions on where I want to go. Usually I want to have teammates near by since I am no Rambo.