Wildcard are one of the weakest Rainbow Six Siege teams in the North America League. They have already lost three games in regulation at this stage; however, they beat Oxygen Esports last Thursday, which was a good sign.

DarkZero Esports performed poorly in their 2-7 defeat to Soniqs to open the stage, but they have since beaten Spacestation Gaming and LOS. It’s not a terrible start for Roberto “Panbazou” Feliciano and company, but we will have to see more from DarkZero to make any firm conclusions.

The departure of Troy “Canadian” Jaroslawski has put DarkZero Esports in a questionable spot. Still, while they should do worse without the 28-year-old veteran, DarkZero are unlikely to struggle against one of the bottom teams in the region.

Oxygen Esports are 0-0-1-2 with a -7 round differential. They have so far lost to Spacestation Gaming, LOS, and Wildcard, although they should have won the most recent of those series. This core has been together for over six months, so there is no excuse for Oxygen’s struggles.

M80 are not one of the leading contenders to win the league, but they have done well beating Cloud9 Beastcoast and Wildcard Gaming and forcing Soniqs to overtime. That is a promising run, but like with most other mid-table teams, M80 still need to show more against the top sides.

While M80 are rightly favourites with top Rainbow Six Siege betting sites, their odds look far too short. With a 3.5-round advantage at $1.64, Oxygen are the clear choice.

Luminosity Gaming are 2-0-0-2 with six points; however, they still have a lot more to prove, having only beaten M80 and LOS. On the other hand, Luminosity posted good results in Stage 1, and they did not do too poorly during the Esports World Cup 2024.

With the signing of Troy “Canadian” Jaroslawski, Soniqs became the leading contenders to win the league, and they have started strongly. So far, Soniqs have beaten Wildcard, DarkZero Esports, and M80, although they lost their most recent outing against Spacestation Gaming in overtime.

Even though Soniqs have failed to produce a perfect record, it is hard to doubt them against any team outside of the top three.

Esports betting tips

Ninjas in Pyjamas and G2 Esports are two of the strongest teams attending Six Invitational 2024, but according to the R6S betting odds, there’s quite a gap between the two.

The European no.1 seed and defending Six Invitational champions had a solid run at the end of 2023. They placed third at BLAST R6 Major Atlanta 2023 and cruised through R6 South Breach qualifiers but then fell apart in the main event, which they exited in the first round.

This puts a huge question mark above G2 Esports and their form; however, it’s not like Ninjas in Pyjamas are in a better spot. NiP have not played a single game this year and have no official matches on their record since BLAST R6 Major Atlanta 2023 in November.

G2 Esports look stronger on paper, but considering both squads are rusty, we can expect a close affair.

Spacestation Gaming had a very good run at BLAST R6 Major Atlanta 2023 in November. They made it through the group stage without any issues, beating Alpha Atheris and Team Bliss and adding three more victories against SKARZ, Ninjas in Pyjamas, and Bleed Esports in the playoffs.

Unfortunately, their run was cut short by FaZe Clan in the quarterfinals, marking their third premature exit from a big event in 2023.

Wolves Esports were also present at BLAST R6 Major Atlanta 2023 but couldn’t make it through the playoffs, with defeats against Soniqs, Virtus.pro, and Geekay Esports. They’ve since not made any roster changes, but unlike SSG, Wolves have been active over the last month, producing mixed results in Malta Cyber Series.

Although Wolves have had a chance to warm up for the Six Invitational, their performances at the Malta Cyber Series don’t inspire much confidence. These teams look evenly matched, so at plus money, we like Spacestation Gaming better.

DarkZero Esports made exciting roster changes in January, bringing on Nathan “Nafe” Sharp and Jason “Beaulo” Doty as replacements for Gaven “Gaveni” Black and Jason “Ryce” Ngo. While the new-look roster looks strong, it has yet to appear in a professional match — and it comes with an asterisk.

Beaulo hasn’t played professionally for 11 months, so it’s hard to say how he’ll do at Six Invitational. But Nafe should be a more impactful addition to the roster, as DarkZero were lacking a solid support player.

Geekay Esports made a splash in late 2023 when they won MENA League 2023 Stage 2 and reached the quarterfinals of BLAST R6 Major Atlanta 2023. Despite not winning any big titles last year, Geekay played several competitive games against stronger opponents, suggesting they can do some damage in Sao Paulo.

DarkZero are the better team, but they might have a slow start due to the new signings. At $2.63 with esports betting sites, Geekay Esports are the more appealing choice.

FaZe Clan are clear favouites to win Six Invitational 2024 Group B, whereas Dplus are arguably the weakest team of the five.

Dplus were the clear best team in South Korea in 2023, but their success in international events was limited to two group stage exits at BLAST R6 Major Copenhagen 2023 and Major Atlanta 2023. Ahead of 2024, Dplus signed former LAVEGA Esports player Jang “dmaly” Hyun-jun, but this minor change won’t be enough for Dplus to reach their former heights.

FaZe Clan have not only won both Brazil League stages but also made the semifinals of BLAST R6 Major Copenhagen 2023 and Major Atlanta 2023. This perfectly illustrates the gap between the two squads.

Rust could play a factor but it’s hard to doubt FaZe and their chances to crush Dplus on Tuesday.

Esports betting tips

Spacestation Gaming crashed out of the upper bracket with a heavy 0-2 loss against M80, who beat them 7-3 on Bank and 7-0 on Theme Park. Until that match, SSG had looked good, albeit with a few question marks.

Spacestation are fairly inconsistent and can look very good one day but terrible the next. So even though they look like the clear favourites against beastcoast on paper, it’s fair to question the offered R6S betting odds.

Beastcoast made quick work of Oxygen Esports (2-0) in the opening round of the second phase but then lost against the league favourites, DarkZero Esports (1-2). DarkZero beat beastcoast handily, but Franklyn “VertcL” Cordero and co. showed some resistance on the second map, so we won’t be too harsh on them.

Priced at $1.36 with GG Bet, Spacestation Gaming are expected to dominate beastcoast, but they’re 0-1 down in the head-to-head (7-8 on March 16) and aren’t the most consistent team. So as much as this is Spacestation’s game to lose, we prefer the outsiders at the offered esports betting odds.

The clash between M80 and DarkZero doesn’t have any implications for BLAST R6 Major Copenhagen qualification, but there’s a lot of money and Six Invitational points on the line, with the winner taking home $32,000 and 20 qualification points more.

M80 enter the fixture as $2.37 underdogs with the top esports betting sites, which isn’t too shocking considering they finished the group stage in sixth place (3-0-1-3) and are 0-1 down in the head-to-head. However, their loss against DarkZero Esports was a very close 7-8, and they’ve looked better in the opening two rounds of the second phase – beating Soniqs (2-1) and Spacestation Gaming (2-0).

Even though M80 bounced back from their unconvincing performance in the group stage, DarkZero Esports are still considered the stronger team heading into the final round of NAL 2023 Stage 1. That sounds fair, and if Roberto “Panbazou” Feliciano can keep performing at the level he has shown recently, M80 will have a hard time coming out ahead.

Still, M80 have the tools to deal with everything DarkZero can throw at them, especially with the form Arthur “GMZ” Oliveira has shown across the last two series. M80 can also count on the former Six Berlin Major champion William “Spoit” L?fstedt to lead the charge.

This looks like a coin-flip match, so we’ll gladly take M80 at plus money.

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This might sound like a hot take, but beastcoast is not one of the teams we expect to compete for the NAL Stage 2 title. They’re on a hot streak, having beaten Spacestation Gaming (7-4) and XSET (7-5), but we have to acknowledge that beastcoast played well above their level in those games, and we’re doubtful they’ll manage to keep performing at the same pace.

Parabellum Esports are 1-1-1-1, and they didn’t have a good week. Even though they scraped by XSET (8-7) on Tuesday, they collapsed against DarkZero (3-7), which isn’t a good look.

If we focus purely on form, beastcoast seem like a wiser choice, but beastcoast’s level of play isn’t sustainable with their talent. Therefore, we’re on Parabellum to bounce back from their painful loss and win with at least two rounds to spare at $1.80.

XSET were considered the top team ahead of the NAL Stage 2, but they’re now closer to sixth-best. The talent is still there, but XSET’s results over the first two weeks are rather disappointing. They won against Spacestation Gaming (7-4) on day one and picked up an easy victory against Mirage (7-1) a day later, then underdelivered against Parabellum (7-8) and beastcoast (5-7).

TSM are 3-0-1-0, and based on how this stage has looked so far, they’re clearly the best North American Rainbow Six Siege esports team. Besides their 6-8 loss against Oxygen Esports last Tuesday, TSM have looked unstoppable, picking up wins against Mirage, Soniqs, and Astralis, which aren’t the top teams in the region, but TSM have yet to show anything that would make us doubt them.

TSM won this match 7-3 at the end of March, and if their – and XSET’s – past performances are any indication, they should secure another straightforward victory on Tuesday.

DarkZero Esports are a solid mid-table team, but we wouldn’t rank them as one of the best in the league. They’re 2-0-0-2, with wins against beastcoast (7-2) and Parabellum Esports (7-3) and two defeats against Spacestation Gaming (7-2) and Soniqs (3-7), proving that they can be competitive while also a bit inconsistent.

Astralis have won just two games, but they’re at five points with a 1-1-0-2 record. That isn’t that bad, and with the schedule ahead, they could easily break into the top five. Last week they beat Mirage (7-2) and played a close series against TSM (5-7), which is a solid outcome.

We would not consider Astralis one of the top teams currently, but that’s because we have yet to see David “iconic” Ifidon step up. Still, he was great in Stage 1, and Astralis will quickly start climbing the ladder if he can find his form.

The R6S odds on this match suggest that Astralis are weaker, but we would disagree. Admittedly, they’re not at their best yet, but Astralis’ ceiling is higher than DarkZero’s, so this is an easy bet on the underdogs.

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Here are our selections for TSM vs beastcoast and XSET vs DarkZero Esports, with top esports betting odds courtesy of the best esports betting sites.

It would be one thing if TSM were blowing leads and slipping in close games, but they are struggling quite severely and don’t look like a team that lifted the Hammer just three months ago. With a 1-0-1-4 record, TSM are in a dire spot, and they have yet to show any signs of life.

Perhaps this is a prime example of the “Six Invitational hangover”, but whatever the cause for their poor showings might be, TSM don’t look too dangerous.

They have lost four straight games ahead of this bout, including against Mirage (5-7), Spacestatuon Gaming (6-8), DarkZero Esports (4-7), and Astralis (1-7).

Beastcoast are the complete opposite as a team no one expected much from, yet they’re playing surprisingly well. Admittedly, they are 1-2 across their last three outings, but they have a win against Spacestation (7-5).

Talent-wise, you should still favour TSM here, but this is a very winnable match for beastcoast, who have looked much better than the reigning SI champions across the last couple of weeks. Beastcoast to win two maps to spare is worth a wager at the offered betting odds.

Prediction: Beastcoast -1.5 maps – $1.72 at GG Bet

XSET had a rough start to the tournament, losing against Spacestation Gaming (3-7) and TSM (3-7), but they have since gone unbeaten with wins against Soniqs (7-0), Parabellum Esports (7-1), beastcoast (7-3), and Mirage (7-2). XSET are on a tear, and as we head into the final week of action, the only question is how long will their run last?

DarkZero Esports are 3-1-1-1 with 12 points and a 2-1 run across the last week. They lost against Astralis (6-8) at the start of the month but have since beaten TSM (7-4) and Soniqs (7-4), which was expected.

DarkZero are priced as favourites for this bout which seems fair since they are one of the top North American Rainbow Six Siege esports teams.

However, they’re not a good bet at $1.66 against the in-form XSET.

We expect a close match, but at the offered R6S betting odds, we have to side with XSET to secure their fifth consecutive win.

Prediction: XSET to win – $2.10 at GG Bet.

More esports betting picks

Aim Lab & DarkZero collab to Change Team Training

Aim Lab gets onboard with DarkZero Esports in an innovative and collaborative effort to change training programs for the future. The advanced platform by Aim Lab will enable the Rainbow Six Siege team to customize their training to player-specific focus and analytics.

With AI deeply embedded into each player’s unique style, strengths, weaknesses, and area of expertise, the Aim Lab program creates highly customized and targeted training. DarkZero’s GM, Brandon Carr, already has plans to use the combined platform to recruit and prepare new players to contend for titles in Rainbow Six Siege.

The future looks bright for the esports team and player training. 2021 will see DarkZero release education, training, and coaching initiatives in collaboration with the Aim Lab Academy for players. It will be an exciting development to watch for future betting odds, and one has to wonder if we can expect handicap odds to be affected by such programs.

Asia esports news

Groups set for LoL Worlds 2020

Shanghai, China, is where the action is at and the League of Legends World Championship is in full swing. The groups are completed, and the four teams qualified from the play-ins are Team Liquid, Talon, LGD, and Unicorns of Love.

Four advanced to the group stage, which kicked off today, from the 10 teams that started the play-in. There, the top regional teams are waiting for them for a proper showdown. Unfortunately, all Vietnamese teams had to withdraw from the Worlds due to Covid-19 restrictions.

In the meantime, DAMWON Gaming is eager to welcome back one of their star players who’s been absent due to surgery. His return is sure to increase their odds dramatically.

Africa esports news

Namibia Tekken National Tournament 2020

The Namibian Electronic Sports Association was host to the final of the eFootball PES & Tekken Nationals for 2020. Tensions rose as the fiercest competitors battled for a position in the National team.

Rashaad Matjila took first place for the third time in the eFootball PES. Matias Fillemon took his first win as national Tekken champion, de-crowning the three-time winner Freddy Mazila. Both players have taken their official Nessa seats proudly.

The e-athletes will now enter stringent training programs in preparation for the upcoming international matches against South Africa. The test matches will take place in the online regionals of the IESF’s World Championship. The winners of the regionals will compete in Israel in December 2020.

Europe esports news

Jing Ji Bao Makes No Secret of Powerhouse Affiliation

Mention Dota 2, and the next words are sure to be Team Secret. This European organization has been dominating Dota 2 since its inception. They have teamed up with one of China’s biggest betting operators, Jing Ji Bao, for the Dota 2 roster.

Jing Ji Bao’s expertise far exceeds betting markets and strategies and focuses on customized user-orientated gaming opportunities. It’s a powerhouse coalition as Team Secret has been on a winning streak with eight titles to their name and a record 24-0 maps in the grand finals.

The next big event for Team Secret is the ESL One Germany 2020 that starts on 5 October and boasts a ￡310,050 grand prize. It’ll be interesting to watch the odds for this event at their new partner’s betting site.

South America esports news

Brazil to House Largest Battle Royale Arena

Brazil is out to prove that they are a force to be reckoned with in the esports world. The Pacaembu Stadium is set to become the home of the world’s largest Battle Royale arena. A collaboration between BBL and Allegra Pacaembu will see a newly constructed esports arena worth R$95 million in Sao Paulo.

In a press release, the parties confirmed that it aims to create an esports arena that can host any world event. The football field will temporarily house the auditorium from early 2021 while construction is underway. The new stadium will host an audience of 2,000 people and boast top of the range equipment for simultaneous transmissions, suites, VIP seating, and lighting.

Oceania esports news

October Filled With FIFA Glitz and Glam for Oceania

The FIFA eWorld Cup‘s new structure is loaded with celebrity appearances, FIFA professionals, media influencers, and professional footballers. The pre-season kicks off in October with a two-day Twitch Rivals Invitational, which features players such as Sergio Aguero from Man United on the stage.

This event is followed by the eLa Liga All-Stars and will feature some of the hottest Spanish leagues pro-players battling it out against each other. Joining them on stage will be YouTube Gaming Creators against the content creators, featuring Two Players One Console and StandartSkill.

All this excitement leads up to the main event on 29 October, featuring the final pre-season event: FIFA 21 Global Series. These teams will see the FIFA pros competing against the Footballers for the showdown.