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The Counter-Strike matches, held on Mirage and Inferno, ended with scores of 13-6 and 13-5, respectively, in favour of Astralis.
.@ASTRALISCS ARE HEADING TO THE FALL FINAL!
#BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/m1VPuRSN9f
— BLAST Premier
(@BLASTPremier) August 4, 2024
Nicolai “?device?” Reedtz expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance, acknowledging NiP’s potential despite their lacklustre showing.
“We played really well, and NIP are probably a better team than they showed today,” device commented post-match.
“It’s been a decent tournament. We had some really good moments against Vitality, even though we lost. We’re happy to get the season started.”
Artem “?r1nkle?” Moroz had a notably tough series, averaging a 0.62 rating and managing only four AWP kills.
Despite the setback, NIP��s coach, Richard “?Xizt?” Landstr?m, remained optimistic.
“We can’t get too greedy with how good we want to be results-wise. We’re facing really good teams and have some young players, so we just need a bit of time and experience,” he said.
Astralis’ journey to the play-in match came after a second-place finish in their group, where they were defeated by Team Vitality.
NiP, on the other hand, fell to G2 Esports in their group.
The series commenced on Mirage, with Jakob “?jabbi?” Nygaard (1.78 rating) and Martin “?stavn?” Lund (1.57 rating) leading Astralis to victory.
Inferno saw NiP struggle further, posting only five rounds despite winning both pistol rounds, ultimately ending their campaign in disappointment.
In the final series of BLAST Premier Fall Groups, Natus Vincere (NaVi) claimed the sixth Fall Final spot by defeating Complexity 2-0 (13-11, 13-6).
.@NATUSVINCERE ARE HEADING TO THE FALL FINAL!
— BLAST Premier
NAVI��s run through the groups was challenging, marked by two losses to Team Liquid.
However, they capitalised on their second qualification attempt against Complexity.
The match on Anubis was closely contested, with Complexity leading 6-1 on the counter-terrorist side before NaVi turned the tide.
Key performances from Justinas “?jL?” Lekavicius and crucial entries by Aleksi “?Aleksib?” Virolainen helped secure the map.
On Nuke, NaVi dominated from the start, concluding with a 9-3 offensive half and a quick series close.
Jonathan ‘EliGE’ Jablonowski played a lone hand for Complexity throughout the series, finishing as their only player to record a positive kill/death difference (+5) and the third-highest rated player on the server (1.15).
Post-match, jL reflected on NAVI’s performance, emphasising the importance of their group stage struggles.
“It’s good that we got exposed here so that we can focus on Cologne,” jL stated.
“I think it was B1ad3’s master plan all along. Play five games so we get the most practice and be ready for Cologne.
“Jokes aside, our mistakes got exposed and we can fix them.”
Complexity and Ninjas in Pyjamas will drop into the BLAST Premier Fall Showdown, joining the 14 other squads who will compete for the final two spots at the Fall Final.
Fall Final teams
- Team Spirit
- Team Liquid
- Team Vitality
- Natus Vincere
- Astralis
- G2 Esports
Despite entering as heavy favourites with top esports betting sites, Spirit faced a challenging match.
Complexity managed to secure a double-overtime win on Dust2, overcoming a series of highlight plays from Danil “donk” Kryshkovets and Dmitry “sh1ro” Sokolov.
However, Spirit rebounded on Anubis, maintaining their eight-map winning streak with a decisive 13-6 victory.
The final map, Nuke, saw Complexity initially leading, but Spirit’s Leonid “chopper” Vishnyakov and sh1ro’s clutch plays turned the tide, securing a seven-round streak and the series win.
.@TEAM__SPIRIT ARE HEADING TO THE FALL FINAL
— BLAST Premier
G2 Esports clinched a spot at the BLAST Premier Fall Final with a dominant 2-0 (13-7, 13-8) victory over Ninjas in Pyjamas.
On Ancient, G2’s Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov led the charge with 16 kills in the first half, and while Max “maxster” Jansson shone on the terrorist side, G2 secured the map off the back of a strong first half performance.
Inferno saw G2 quickly gaining a 6-2 lead before Ninjas in Pyjamas briefly rallied.
However, G2’s solid performance on both sides of the map led to a comfortable victory.
Despite the win, G2’s in-game leader, Janusz “Snax” Pogorzelski, admitted the team made some mistakes but felt no significant pressure during the match.
.@G2CSGO ARE HEADING TO THE FALL FINAL!
— BLAST Premier
Vitality emerged victorious in Group B, defeating Astralis 2-1 (10-13, 13-10, 13-7) to secure their place at the Fall Final.
Astralis started strong on Vertigo, winning 13-10 after a competitive first half.
However, Vitality bounced back on Mirage, overcoming a 0-7 deficit to win 13-10.
The decider, Nuke, was a tight contest in the first half, with Astralis holding a 7-5 lead.
Vitality’s impeccable defense in the second half, led by Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut, secured an eight-round streak, culminating in a 13-7 victory and a ticket to Copenhagen.
.@TEAMVITALITYCS ARE HEADING TO THE FALL FINAL!
#BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/sNompnqm7x
— BLAST Premier
Team Liquid booked their spot in the Fall Final after triumphing over Natus Vincere in their Group D rematch, winning 2-1 (9-13, 16-14, 13-10) after a fiercely contested series.
NaVi dominated the early stages of Nuke, leading 10-2, but Liquid’s strong defence made it a closer 13-9 finish.
On Anubis, Liquid’s impressive terrorist-side play led to a 16-14 overtime victory.
The decider, Inferno, featured dramatic swings, with NaVi initially gaining control with a nine-round streak.
Liquid, however, turned the game around on the counter-terrorist side, driven by Roland “ultimate” Tomkowiak’s performance, and secured the map 13-10, earning their spot in the Fall Final.
The losers from each of the four finals will clash in two do-or-die series’, with the winners earning automatic qualification into the Fall Final and the losers relegated to the BLAST Premier Fall Showdown.
.@TEAMLIQUIDCS TAKES DOWN THE WORLD #1 AGAIN AND BOOK THEIR SPOT AT THE FALL FINAL!
— BLAST Premier
Sunday’s BLAST Premier Fall Groups matches
- Astralis ($1.36) vs Ninjas in Pyjamas ($3.00) @ 2:30pm CEST
- Complexity ($5.00) vs Natus Vincere ($1.14) @ 5pm CEST
The match required triple overtime to close out Ancient with a 22-20 scoreline, followed by a dominant 13-6 win on Virtus.pro’s Dust2 pick.
The Dutch Counter-Strike organisation recently underwent a significant overhaul, replacing Casper “?cadiaN?” M?ller, Felipe “?skullz?” Medeiros, and head coach Wilton “?zews?” Prado with Justin “?jks?” Savage, Roland “?ultimate?” Tomkowiak, and former Apeks coach Torbj?rn “?mithR?” Nyborg.
This was the jks’ first official match since being benched from G2 Esports in October 2023.
The relatively unknown ultimate joined the team after impressing players in Europe��s tier-three scene and passing the eye test of Russel “?Twistzz?” Van Dulken.
Twistzz, the 24-year-old Canadian, took up leadership duties as part of the overhaul, raising questions about his ability to maintain top-rated performances while guiding the team.
However, Liquid excelled in their first test against Virtus.pro.
The series started with both teams tied at 4-4 on Ancient, but jks and Mareks “?YEKINDAR?” Ga?inskis propelled Liquid to an 8-4 lead on the T-side and quickly reached map point in the second half, 12-7.
Dzhami “?Jame?” Ali’s clutch plays fueled a Virtus.pro comeback, leading to overtime.
In overtime, ultimate stepped up and carried Liquid to victory.
On Dust2, Virtus.pro initially led 4-1, but Twistzz’s secondary AWP and Keith “?NAF?” Markovic’s stellar B defence turned the tide.
Liquid led 7-5 at the half and dominated the second half, with Twistzz’s eco kills and a crucial 1vs3 clutch securing the win.
.@TeamLiquidCS pick up the victory on their debut
— BLAST Premier
Meanwhile, in Group C, Cloud9 pursued their first victory with a new lineup but fell to FaZe Clan in overtime.
Sergey “?Ax1Le?” Rykhtorov, Kaisar “?ICY?” Faiznurov, and Nikita “?HeavyGod?” Martynenko formed a formidable trio.
Despite a strong defence on Dust2 and a comeback attempt, FaZe triumphed with a strong performance from David “?frozen?” ?er��ansky on Mirage.
Frozen, who struggled on Inferno, excelled in the decider, helping FaZe secure their spot in the upper bracket final.
.@FaZeEsports secure victory on the opening day of Group C!
— BLAST Premier
Meanwhile, G2 Esports and Natus Vincere took care of their opening round fixtures against Ninjas in Pyjamas and BIG, respectively.
Both Esports World Cup finalists recorded relatively straight-forward 2-0 victories in their clashes, with NaVi setting up an intriguing upper bracket final against Team Liquid and G2 meeting FaZe Clan.
Thursday’s Fall Groups matches
- FaZe Clan ($2.25) vs G2 Esports ($1.57) @ 12pm CEST
- Cloud9 ($1.66) vs Ninjas in Pyjamas ($2.10) @ 2:30pm CEST
- Natus Vincere ($1.36) vs Team Liquid ($3.00) @ 5pm CEST
- BIG ($3.40) vs Virtus.pro ($1.30) @ 7:30pm CEST
FAZE CLAN vs CLOUD9 CS2 BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
|
|---|---|
| Best Odds: | FaZe $1.31 at GG Bet | C9 $3.24 at GG Bet |
| When: | July 31, 2024 | 12:00 CEST |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/BLASTPremier) |
FaZe Clan are the No.6 Counter-Strike team in the world and enter this tournament as outright favourites to win Group C. However, they have played just two games since the summer break and did not look great in either, beating FlyQuest but losing to Natus Vincere.
Cloud9 announced roster changes at the start of July, adding Nikita “HeavyGod” Martynenko, Kaisar “ICY” Faiznurov, and Timofey “interz” Yakushin to form a lineup that should be competitive at the highest level. However, we have yet to see the new-look roster play, as Cloud9’s last official match happened at the end of April.
Rust will play a factor in this series, and while FaZe Clan should win, Cloud9 have enough raw talent to push Intel Extreme Masters Chengdu 2024 champions to their limit.
Over 2.5 maps
G2 ESPORTS vs NINJAS IN PYJAMAS CS2 BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
|
|---|---|
| Best Odds: | G2 $1.23 at GG Bet | NiP $3.86 at GG Bet |
| When: | July 31, 2024 | 14:30 CEST |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/BLASTPremier) |
G2 Esports’ new project with Janusz “Snax” Pogorzelski and Mario “malbsMd” Samayoa managed to place second at the Esports World Cup 2024 in their official debut. But perhaps G2’s run in Saudi Arabia worked out a bit too well and it could be attributed to a honeymoon phase.
Ninjas in Pyjamas are still looking for their stride, having now failed to claim a trophy in 10 consecutive tournaments. Even more concerning is their fifth-eighth finish at RES European Series #6 just over a week ago.
It is fair to feel dubious about G2 Esports’ ceiling, but it’s hard to justify taking Ninjas in Pyjamas’ side in this contest, even at the offered betting odds.
G2 Esports -1.5 maps
VIRTUS.PRO vs TEAM LIQUID CS2 BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
|
|---|---|
| Best Odds: | VP $1.48 at GG Bet | TL $2.53 at GG Bet |
| When: | July 31, 2024 | 19:30 CEST |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/BLASTPremier) |
Virtus.pro acquired a new coach, Andrey “XomA” Mironenko, from 9Pandas in June and have since appeared in one tournament, reaching the semifinals of the Esports World Cup. It was a promising display and a continuation of VP’s solid run at BLAST Premier Spring Final 2024 last month.
Team Liquid, like most top-tier teams, decided to make some roster changes this month, adding Roland “ultimate” Tomkowiak, Justin “jks” Savage, and ex-Apeks coach Torbj?rn “mithR” Nyborg to the lineup. These additions should make Liquid considerably stronger if the new members gel well, yet there is no guarantee that will happen.
Virtus.pro posted a solid run earlier this month, but it is hard to make any firm conclusions based on just three games played. They should still win, but it will not be an easy match.
Over 2.5 maps
]]>
The Rainbow Six Siege Esports World Cup tournament will kick off on July 31, with the five-day event running through August 4, boasting a massive US$2,000,000 prize pool.
Meanwhile, the season-ending VALORANT Champions Tour event, VALORANT Champions, will begin on August 1 in Seoul, South Korea, and the BLAST Premier Fall Groups will also be held in Copenhagen, Denmark, across the next seven days.
-
Rainbow Six Siege Esports World Cup
The world’s best 16 Rainbow Six Siege teams will compete in the Esports World Cup tournament in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with each of them seeking to win their own share of the US$2 million prize pool.
Esports betting sites have Team BDS ($4.50) as the favourite to take out the EWC R6 event, ahead of FURIA ($5.50), FaZe Clan ($6.00), and Team Liquid ($8.00).
Check out our extensive Esports World Cup Rainbow Six Siege betting guide to get the latest odds and tournament information.
-
VALORANT Champions
The 2024 VALORANT Champions Tour will finish this month, as the VALORANT Champions tournament will run from August 1-25, with the top four teams from each of the four main VCT regions (Americas, EMEA, Asia-Pacific & China) competing in the US$2,250,000 event.
Taking place in Seoul, South Korea, the Asia-based teams are expected to garner a lot of support in South Korea, with a full house expected for each day.
Esports bookmakers have Gen.G ($4.00) as the favourite to take out VALORANT Champions, ahead of Fnatic ($4.50) and Leviatan ($5.00).
Check out our extensive VALORANT Champions betting guide betting guide to get the latest odds and tournament information.
-
CS2 BLAST Premier Fall Groups
The first BLAST Premier tournament since the Counter-Strike 2 player break will kick off this Monday, with the 16 BLAST Premier partner teams taking their place in the seven-day event.
Team Spirit, Team Vitality, FaZe Clan and Natus Vincere are tipped to top their group and earn automatic qualification into the BLAST Premier Fall Final, while the likes of G2 Esports, Astralis and Virtus.pro will fight it out for the final two qualifying spots in hope of avoiding the BLAST Premier Fall Showdown.
Check out our extensive BLAST Premier Fall Groups betting guide to get the latest odds and tournament information.
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This signing follows the addition of Polish AWPer Roland “ultimate” Tomkowiak and the appointment of new head coach Torbj?rn “mithR” Nyborg, marking a significant overhaul after a disappointing first half of 2024.
The decision to rebuild came after the team��s underwhelming performance, including a 5th-6th place finish at IEM Chengdu 2024 and missing out on the Esports World Cup 2024.
The management responded by parting ways with key players Casper “cadiaN” M?ller, Felipe “skullz” Medeiros, and coach Wilton “zews” Prado, while retaining core members Keith “?NAF?” Markovic, Russel “?Twistzz?” Van Dulken, and Mareks “?YEKINDAR?” Ga?inskis.
Welcome @jks_CS to Team Liquid
pic.twitter.com/MYo5RB3tPA
— Team Liquid CS (@TeamLiquidCS) July 12, 2024
jks, a two-time HLTV Top 20 Player, has been out of action since November, when he was removed from G2 Esports’ starting lineup.
He brings a wealth of experience, having secured titles such as the 2022 BLAST Premier World Final, IEM Katowice and IEM Cologne in 2023, during his 18-month stint with G2.
“I’m happy to be back and excited to be a part of this team,” jks expressed on X.
“Thank you, Liquid, for the opportunity.”
Ultimate, only 20 years old, is seen as a promising young talent to fill the AWPer role.
He previously played for Illuminar Gaming and helped them achieve a 2nd place finish at CCT Season 2 European Season #5.
With these additions, Liquid’s roster includes players from both Europe and North America, along with one from the Asia-Pacific region, giving the team some flexibility in qualifying for the upcoming Shanghai Major.
Their new lineup will debut at the BLAST Premier Fall Groups from July 29 to August 4 in Copenhagen.
This revamped roster aims to bring new energy and improved results, setting the stage for an exciting season ahead.
Welcome @ultimatecs_go to Team Liquid CS
We believe that this young, aggressive AWPer is ready to prove himself and will compliment the other players on our roster with his playstyle.
Welcome to the big leagues, Roland
pic.twitter.com/78j9nNrHlD
— Team Liquid CS (@TeamLiquidCS) July 12, 2024
]]>
ASTRALIS vs COMPLEXITY CS:GO BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
|
|---|---|
| Best Odds: | Astralis $1.66 at GG Bet | Complexity $2.10 at GG Bet |
| When: | July 21, 2023 | 15:00 CEST |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/BLASTPremier) |
Astralis are yet to taste victory at the BLAST Premier Fall Groups, as they lost their opening two series to Natus Vincere and BIG – both in 2-1 fashion. Astralis also won the first map of both series and then went on to lose from winnable positions.
After bringing in both Victor “Staehr” Staehr and Johannes “b0RUP” Borup to their Counter-Strike roster, Astralis have played in a noticeably different way, which explains their up-and-down form so far.
Complexity were only one round win away from qualifying for the Group A final, as they held a 15-10 lead over Ninjas in Pyjamas on map three of their previous series. However, the North American organisation couldn��t land the winning blow and lost the map 20-22 in double overtime.
With every map that Complexity play, Jonathan ��EliGE�� Jablonowski is showing he is the player they were expecting when they signed him during the player break. EliGE has been Complexity��s best player through their three series, averaging a rating of 1.05.
Complexity won their last meeting with Astralis at the BLAST Premier Spring Final only a month ago, and we expect them to take this series as well.
Complexity to win
OG vs BIG BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
|
|---|---|
| Best Odds: | OG $2.00 at GG Bet | BIG $1.72 at GG Bet |
| When: | July 21, 2023 | 18:30 CEST |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/BLASTPremier) |
The new OG roster was no match for FaZe Clan and G2 Esports in the team’s opening two series at Fall Groups, losing both bouts 0-2.
OG acquired three new members over the player break, with Dion “FASHR” Derksen, Nils “k1to” Gruhne and Iulian “regali” Harj?u all joining the Danish organisation. The best of those has been regali, who rated among OG’s top two players against both FaZe and G2.
BIG also made three changes to their roster during the player break. However, the German side did win one of their opening series, when they defeated Astralis in a come-from-behind win, before being knocked out of the group stage by Natus Vincere in quick fashion 0-2.
As most esports betting sites have shown, there isn��t much splitting these two teams in betting terms, so we will be backing the overs in the total maps markets.
Over 2.5 total maps
COMPLEXITY vs NINJAS IN PYJAMAS CS:GO BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
|
|---|---|
| Best Odds: | Complexity $2.10 at GG Bet | NiP $1.66 at GG Bet |
| When: | July 17, 2023 | 15:00 CEST |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/BLASTPremier) |
The consolidation final for Group A is a rematch between Complexity and Ninjas in Pyjamas from the opening round, where Complexity came back from 1-0 down to take the series 2-1 last Friday.
Since defeating NiP, Complexity have been humbled in quick fashion by Team Vitality, as they were smashed 2-0 (16-1, 16-6). Their new addition, Jonathan ��EliGE�� Jablonowski, appears to be a positive for the North American organisation, as he has been their best player in both of their matches so far.
Ninjas in Pyjamas clashed with Evil Geniuses in the second round, where they struggled to defeat the group’s lowest-ranked team. NiP needed double overtime to clinch a 22-20 result on the first map, before wrapping up the series with a 16-11 win on the second.
With Hampus “hampus” Poser rejoining the team to resume his role as the in-game leader, the Ninjas have looked a lot better than they have without him in the previous few months.
These teams cleared the total rounds line in their most recent meeting, where they played 81 rounds in total, so we will be backing them to go over 68.5 total rounds this week.
Over 68.5 total rounds
NATUS VINCERE vs BIG CS:GO BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
|
|---|---|
| Best Odds: | NaVi $1.20 at GG Bet | BIG $4.33 at GG Bet |
| When: | July 17, 2023 | 18:30 CEST |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/BLASTPremier) |
Natus Vincere debuted their new Counter-Strike roster in the opening round of the BLAST Premier Fall Groups, where they came from behind to defeat Astralis 2-1. However, they were quickly brought back down to earth by Heroic, who were dominant in the upper final with a 2-0 win.
Of the three new additions, Aleksi ��Aleksib�� Virolainen has been the best of them. He finished the Astralis series as Navi’s second-ranked player and was their highest-rated player against Heroic.
BIG also made three changes to their roster over the player break, adding Elias ��s1n�� Stein, Mateusz ��mantuu�� Wilczewski and David ��prosus�� Hesse. Of those, mantuu has been the best by a long way, finishing as the second-ranked player in the team’s series against Heroic and Astralis.
After being destroyed by Heroic, BIG defeated Astralis 2-1 in a very close series to set up a clash with NaVi, with the winner taking on Heroic for the second time.
With both teams still working things out with new rosters, expect this series to go the distance.
Over 2.5 total maps
The Gamers8 festival is in full swing, and this week the $15 million Dota 2 Riyadh Masters get underway on July 19, with the world’s best Dota 2 teams battling it out for a share of the biggest prize pool on offer at the festival.
The top 20 teams in the world have been invited to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and we expect that the gameplay will be top tier over each of the 11 days of play.
Some of the key leagues and tournaments taking place in the esports world this week include:
-
Dota 2 Riyadh Masters
The Dota 2 professional scene has been dominated by Gaimin Gladiators throughout 2023. With a win at the Riyadh Masters, it would give the Gladiators their sixth straight tournament win going into the final event of the year, The International.
Most esports betting sites have Gaimin Gladiators as the $3.00 favourite to take out the Riyadh Masters, closely followed by Tundra Esports at $4.00.
Check out our extensive Riyadh Masters betting guide to get the latest odds and tournament information.
-
CS:GO BLAST Premier Fall Groups
The second week of the BLAST Premier Fall Groups will continue this Monday, as the final group stage matches are completed and the tournament heads into the playoff stage.
The winners of each group will advance straight into the BLAST Premier Fall Finals, whilst the remaining teams will clash in the playoff bracket to determine the other three teams that will join them and the six that will drop into the Fall Showdown.
Check out our extensive BLAST Premier Fall Groups betting guide to get the latest odds and tournament information.
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G2 ESPORTS vs TEAM LIQUID CS:GO BETTING & MATCH DETAILS
?G2 Esports and Team Liquid will clash on Saturday, July 15, in the second round of Group C at BLAST Premier Fall Groups 2023. Liquid will debut their new Counter-Strike roster as they turn a new leaf following the departure of two key members.
G2 enter BLAST Premier Fall Groups 2023 without any roster changes, which has its advantages. Unlike most other CS:GO teams, who decided to freshen up their lineups, G2 Esports have a pre-established synergy which should help shake off the rust, but even that doesn’t explain why they’re priced as $1.20 favourites to defeat Team Liquid.
At the offered CS:GO betting odds, Team Liquid are given a 23.1% implied probability of beating G2 Esports, which is very low for the first match following the one-month hiatus. Post-break matches are notorious for upsets, and nothing would suggest this year will be any different.
But there are question marks above Team Liquid and how they’ll do at the tournament. In June, Team Liquid benched Nicholas “nitr0” Cannella and sold Jonathan “EliGE” Jablonowski to Complexity, and filled in the gaps with Aleks “Rainwaker” Petrov and Robert “Patsi” Isyanov, who are solid players, but not star signings.
As a team that failed to accomplish much in the first half of the year, at least one major signing would be needed to inspire more confidence, but it’s not like Liquid are a terrible team. Rainwalker and Patsi are solid players and perhaps a bit underrated, so at the very least, Team Liquid should still be competitive at the top level.
G2 Esports are strong and serious candidates to reclaim their spot as the world’s no.1 CS:GO team. But given they are priced so short in this matchup, the value is with the outsiders.