Atlanta FaZe will play back-to-back games, as they first have to meet with Las Vegas Legion on Friday and play London Royal Ravens 21 hours later. But this won’t matter as it’s unlikely that they’ll be fatigued. Even if FaZe aren’t at 100%, they shouldn’t struggle against the Royal Ravens.

FaZe have not looked too good of late (for their standards), but they’re still vastly superior to the London Royal Ravens. Unlike Atlanta FaZe, who are legitimate contenders to win the league, London Royal Ravens are one of the leading candidates to win the wooden spoon.

There’s not much to analyse here, nor can we find a good reason to believe London Royal Ravens can do much. This should be a quick 3-0 victory for Atlanta FaZe. The FaZe -2.5 maps is paying $1.85 with sports betting sites.

Florida Mutineers won their CDL Major 5 Qualifiers Week 1 match against Los Angeles Guerrillas (3-2), but that doesn’t mean much considering it was Mutineers’ only second victory over a nine-game stretch. The only other team Florida Mutineers won against were Las Vegas Legion in the CDL Major 4 lower bracket.

Los Angeles Thieves won their first CDL Major trophy last month when they defeated OpTic Texas (4-2) in CDL Major 4 finals. However, despite entering CDL Major 5 Qualifiers with a run of eight wins and just one loss (8-1), they stumbled in the first week and lost to Toronto Ultra (1-3) and New York Sublibers (2-3).

Those results are slightly concerning, but Toronto Ultra and New York Subliners are two powerful teams, whereas the Mutineers aren’t. There’s a world where the Mutineers sneak in a map, but we’re ready to take a chance with the Thieves to sweep.

The second day of CDL Major 5 Qualifiers Week 2 will end with another lopsided match, as Seattle Surge take on OpTic Texas, who are fresh off another CDL Major finals appearance.

Seattle Surge have had some good moments this season, but their showing at CDL Major 4 was very concerning. They lost against FaZe (1-3), won against the Guerrillas (2-3), but then got eliminated by Minnesota R?KKR (2-3). And with results like that, it’s hard to believe they can compete with OpTic.

If Amer “Pred” Zulbeari performs well, the Surge can steal a map from OpTic – likely the first Hardpoint – but anything beyond that seems unlikely.

?More esports betting tips

London Royal Ravens enter Week 2 of CDL Major 5 Qualifiers with a 1-7 record, which includes a 0-3 defeat against Minnesota R?KKR last week. The Royal Ravens are not doing too well, but their lack of success stretches way back, so it’s not like seeing them struggle is a new thing.

The Royal Ravens are arguably one of the weakest teams in the league, so it’s fair to doubt them everytime they play. However, it is fair to expect the Royal Ravens to do well in this match.

Los Angeles Guerrillas are priced as the favourites to win on Friday, but that doesn’t make much sense. They lost both of their series last week, against Atlanta FaZe (0-3) and Florida Mutineers (2-3), which extends their losing streak to 10 straight games.

They’ve picked up a few maps over that stretch, but not once did LAG produce a good showing, so as much as we can doubt the London Royal Ravens, there are even fewer reasons to back Los Angeles Guerrillas.

Florida Mutineers are priced at $3.25 for their meeting with Boston Breach, and that looks fair. Besides Los Angeles Guerrillas and London Royal Ravens, they’re one of the weakest squads in the CDL, and their past results would confirm it.

The Mutineers are 2-7 from their last ten outings, with their only two wins coming against Las Vegas Legion (3-2) and Los Angeles Guerrillas (3-2). They took two maps from FaZe at the start of CDL Major 4 Qualifiers, but that was when FaZe were struggling, so even that doesn’t count for much.

Boston Breach looked good at CDL Major 3, where they placed fourth, but have since not accomplished much, with an eighth-place finish at CDL Major 4 Qualifiers and a round-one exit from the Major. Still, Boston Breach looked excellent in their 3-1 win against Minnesota R?KKR and are a solid team – the only thing missing is their decision-making.

Boston Breach are known to be somewhat inconsistent, so we’ll give the Mutineers the benefit of the doubt and say they can steal one map. Anything beyond that is unlikely.

?More esports betting tips

Last round London Royal Ravens suffered two heavy losses against Los Angeles Thieves (0-3) and OpTic Texas (0-3), continuing to show very concerning form, which has been the theme for this squad for most of the 2023 CDL season. Even bringing in Ulisses “Ulisses” Rios ahead of CDL Major 4 Qualifiers didn’t seem to help the Royal Ravens, who head into the second week of action as the worst-performing team in the league.

In contrast, Las Vegas Legion are on the upswing, sporting a decent 4-2 record which includes wins against Minnesota R?KKR (3-2), Los Angeles Guerrillas (3-1), Los Angeles Thieves (3-1), and Boston Breach (3-1).

Las Vegas Legion are not among the leading candidates to win the CDL crown and likely won’t become one. But this is a very solid team that is in great form and very efficient in punishing lesser squads. Take Las Vegas Legion to win with at least two maps to spare.

Los Angeles Guerrillas played Minnesota R?KKR last week and lost (1-3), which set them back a lot, considering they have a very tough schedule ahead. But the defeat was hardly shocking considering the Guerrillas are 2-7 across their last nine outings, and their only two wins came against Florida Mutineers (3-2) and Las Vegas Legion (3-1).

Los Angeles Thieves had a very disappointing showing at CDL Major 3, where they crashed out in the second round of the lower bracket. But they quickly got back on the horse and secured two commanding victories in the opening week of CDL Major 4 Qualifiers against London Royal Ravens (3-0) and Seattle Surge (3-1).

Although many doubted the Thieves following their abysmal showing at CDL Major 3, this is still a powerful team that seems to have found traction.
As the latest Call of Duty esports betting odds suggest, this should be a one-sided match, and we have no reason to argue with that. The Thieves are vastly superior, and even though they can slip, this is not the time to doubt Los Angeles Thieves’ ability to sweep bottom-tier teams.

New York Subliners kicked off the year by winning CDL Major 1, to which they added a solid fourth-place finish in CDL Major 2 Qualifiers, however, they haven’t produced much since. A top-eight finish in CDL Major 2, followed by a very disappointing ninth-12th in CDL Major 3, put a huge question mark above the Subliners.

But they improved the impression in the first week of CDL Major 4 Qualifiers when the Subliners defeated FaZe Clan (3-2). Yet it’s tough to tell whether that win indicates great things to come.

OpTic Texas only had one match last week, when they beat London Royal Ravens (3-0) after a strong run in CDL Major 3 (2nd). OpTic enter this match with a 6-2 record since CDL Major 3 and just seven series lost since the turn of the year (15-7).

Yet, OpTic Texas lost against the New York Subliners at the start of March (0-3), which explains why they’re not priced at shorter odds. So while this is still OpTic Gaming’s game to lose, we wouldn’t sleep on the Subliners, who have shown before that they can push OpTic to their limits.

?More esports betting tips

Los Angeles Guerrillas rebuilt its CDL division following a terrible display at CDL Major 1, where the Guerrillas placed ninth-12th, with their one win against Decimate Gaming (3-0). Shockingly, the Guerrillas decided to proceed with its academy lineup, which did well at the Major, placing third in the group with Seattle Surge, Atlanta FaZe, and London Royal Ravens.

The new-look roster features three academy players and Alec “Arcitys” Sanderson, creating an interesting lineup that might impress. Or, at the very least, the Guerrillas won’t do worse than they had in CDL Major 1. With a new roster, it’s hard to put too much weight on the Guerrillas’ performances so far, but it’s fair to mention that they are fairly solid on Search&Destroy (56.56%).

Florida Mutineers are not one of CDL’s top teams, and given their inconsistency; it’s hard to believe they will make it far. But somehow, the Mutineers always find a way to grind out solid results. This is not the most talented team, and their Hardpoint (25%) is the worst in the league, but the Mutineers perform well on S&D (58.33%) and Control (55.56%).

There’s a world where the Guerrillas win, but we don’t know much about this team nor how will they perform in the big league. At $1.66, the Mutineers are priced at fair odds and are a solid pick to start CDL Major 2 Qualifiers with a W.

London Royal Ravens failed to impress in the opening Major of the 2023 Call of Duty League season. They reached the Major with two wins against New York Subliners and Los Angeles Guerrillas but have since lost four series against Seattle Surge (1-3), OpTic Texas (2-3) and Seattle Surge (0-3) and Los Angeles Guerrillas Academy (2-3) at the Major.
The Royal Ravens are in terrible form, and their map record is nothing to write home about. Hardpoint (50%) is their best game mode, but Royal Ravens sport a sub-50% win rate elsewhere, including 33.33% on Control.
Minnesota R?KKR finished seventh-eighth at CDL Major 1, thanks to their solid showings on Control (77.78% win rate). But their S&D (40%) and Hardpoint (46.67%) records aren’t great, and until R?KKR show some improvement, we wouldn’t overhype this team.
London Royal Ravens are in a rough spot and have yet to give us anything to feel excited about this team. However, this is a match where the Royal Ravens can do some damage. On paper, R?KKR should win, but this has the potential to be a five-map series.

Atlanta FaZe and Seattle Surge will clash on Saturday in a CDL Major 1 Winners Final rematch, which belonged to Seattle Surge (3-2). It was an extremely close series which could’ve easily ended the other way, so it’s not fair to say that the Surge are vastly superior.
However, even though FaZe can win, there’s no reason to have them priced at just $1.36. FaZe are the most successful CoD team in the CDL era, and are one of the main candidates to win the 2023 Championship, but that doesn’t explain why they’re priced at such low CDL betting odds.
Seattle Surge have been playing extremely well this season, and even though you could consider their W against FaZe at the Major as a fluke, they shouldn’t be priced at $3.00 to emulate that success. At the offered odds, betting on Seattle Surge to win offers far more value.

Recently, Paul “PaulEhx” Avila, who was a temporal substitute from Team WaR announced that he will no longer be competing in the CDL and as such, Skrapz will be taking the place of PaulEhx in the team’s lineup.

The franchise made the announcement in a tweet, welcoming the 25-year old back to the team, stating that he will be making his way into the team’s starting roster.

“The kid is back,” the franchise announced.

“Ahead of the upcoming Major II Qualifiers,
@skrapzg is moving into our starting roster in place of PaulEhx. #6thRaven”

Skrapz will be amongst the active for the upcoming roster for the online qualifier matches for Major Two of the 2023 CDL season which commences on Friday, January 13th. The 25-year old British Main AR will be playing alongside Trei “Zer0” Morris, Byron “Nastie” Plumridge, and Obaid “Asim” Asim in the team.

Skrapz has a notable history in the competitive Call of Duty scene, having played for several top franchises such as Fnatic, UNILAD, Red Reserve, and FaZe Clan, before the CDL era of competitive Call of Duty began. He began his run in the CDL with London in 2019, before moving to the Paris Legion, the last CDL franchise he represented before taking a brief hiatus from competing to focus on streaming. He has since had some play time in Challengers and competed at the CDL Raleigh amateur event with the Louisville Red Wolves.

Skrapz is known for his exceptional gun skills as well as his entertaining interviews and antics, making him one of the more popular players in European history. His return to the CDL is highly anticipated by fans and his team, the London Royal Ravens, who is looking to improve its performance and move up in the league standings.

Reacting to his return to his former fold, Skrapz took to his Twitter page to share the news of his return to his fans. He went on to thank the team and head coach James “Dominate” Batz for believing in him as he looks to start the season with the franchise.

“Thanks for all the love, mid scrims right now but you know I appreciate you all, shout-out my teammates for trusting me & the goach
@DominateJB for believing in me,” Skrapz said.

Currently, the London Royal Ravens sits at the bottom of the league standings in 12th place with only 20 CDL points, a 2-4 match record, and an 11-14 game record. The team is looking to turn its fortunes around with the addition of Skrapz, who brings a wealth of experience and skill to the roster. With the online qualifier matches for Major Two of the 2023 CDL season beginning on Friday, January 13th, Skrapz’s return to the CDL will be official when London takes on the Toronto Ultra on the same day at 2 pm CT.

The 2023 CDL season is shaping up to be an exciting one, with many teams making changes to their roster and looking to improve their performance. The addition of Skrapz to the London Royal Ravens roster is a significant move, and fans can expect to see some high-level competition from the team in the upcoming matches.
More esports news

This news has come as a surprise to his fans and team, the London Royal Ravens, because he only just joined the team on October 27 of last year. For the time being, PaulEhx will be substituted by British player Matthew “Skrapz” Marshall.

PaulEhx stated that he was leaving because he needed to retract his life in order to be successful and fulfilled in the future. He also added that he will be staying off social media until he feels fit to compete again.

“Hey guys I wanted to let you all know I need some time to find my footing in life again if I want to progress,” PaulEhx explained. “This is me stepping away from social media and from competing until I feel that I am the best person and teammate I possibly can be.”

The 21-year-old Call of Duty player also expressed his gratitude to his fans and commended his team for their support in his journey. He added that, while he was stepping away, he would still be part of the London Royal Ravens as a substitute player.

“I am still a part of London as their substitute, and I have their back like I know they have mine,” he continued. “They have been nothing but supportive of me in this situation. Thank you to everyone who supports me. I hope you will continue to support me through my journey. I’ll be back better than ever.”

PaulEhx has been a very determined player since time immemorial. The American national started his career in 2020, and within the short time he has made immense progress in Call of Duty. PaulEhx has been signed to the European squad, Team WaR, AF Academy, UYU, and most recently, the New York Subliners. Also, prior to joining his current team, the London Royal Ravens, in October 2022, PaulEhx was first signed to the team in 2021 before he left in the same year to represent another Call of Duty franchise.

Having represented these teams in full capacity, he has made a few headlines in tournaments, which include the 2022 Call of Duty League :Stage Four Major, where his team at the time, the New York Subliners, came in at second place. However, proceeding further into the playoffs, the team was only able to garner a fifth-sixth place finish. Notwithstanding, they put up a good fight with their opponent, OpTic Texas.

Currently, the London Royal Ravens are left with British players Byron “Nastie” Plumridge, Trei “Zer0” Morris, the Canadian player Obaid “Asim” Asim, and substitute player Skrapz.

More esports news

OpTic Texas started their Call of Duty League 2023 season in an unconventional manner when a contested decision on a replay of a game against Minnesota R?KKR led to OpTic forfeiting the match. Thereafter, the franchise regained its composure against the Florida Mutineers with a clean sweep. Scump appeared resolute in maintaining the momentum for OpTic Texas against the Royal Ravens, refusing to succumb to defeat as he led the team to a 3-2 victory.

Following a disappointing 0-2 defeat on Hardpoint in their match against the Seattle Surge, including a 250-63 loss on Hotel, the Royal Ravens were able to turn things around due to impressive performances from Obaid “Asim” Asim. As a seasoned CoD veteran, Asim set a new kill record for 2023 with a 38-22 score on Fortress (Hardpoint), leading the team to a 1-0 lead before moving on to Mercado (Search & Destroy).

In the second map of the series, Scump demonstrated exceptional skill, achieving an 8-2 statline and making a crucial play. At a critical juncture in the game, with the score tied at one round each, OpTic held a two-vs-one advantage, but Paul “PaulEhx” Avila managed to eliminate Anthony “Shotzzy” Cuevas-Castro, leaving Scump to face the remaining opponent alone.

With time running out and the bomb planted for the London team, Scump rushed into the bomb site and successfully shot PaulEhx, defusing the bomb and giving Texas a 2-1 lead in the round. Ultimately, OpTic emerged victorious with a 6-2 score, thanks in large part to Scump’s exceptional performance as team captain.

On Hotel (Control), Optic Texas found themselves behind 2-0 in the early stages. This deficit required them to win both the attacking and defensive rounds in order to proceed to the fifth round. Fortunately, they had the skilled Scump on their team, who was able to hold their defensive round.

In order to keep the game going, Texas had to capture the B point. Scump performed admirably, securing a three-piece kill and a grenade kill, which put pressure on the Royal Ravens and allowed his teammates to secure the point. This resulted in the round being clinched and the game being pushed to a fifth game.

The performance of OpTic during the final contest was highly professional and disciplined, effectively preventing any member of the Royal Ravens from making progress. As the Texas team extended their lead to 2-1, the Royal Ravens continued to display impressive skill on Hardpoint, with Asim displaying exceptional prowess by amassing 35 kills on the way to a commanding 250-193 victory on Embassy.

London fought valiantly in order to reach map five, but OpTic succeeded in completely shutting down the Royal Ravens in the decisive Search & Destroy round on Fortress. Due to a notable performance by Scump, who achieved a 7-3 score on the map, OpTic were able to secure a commanding 5-1 lead and only needed one more round to secure the map and series. In a two-vs-two scenario, iLLeY peaked around the corner and, using his sniper, was able to shoot both PaulEhx and Byron “Nastie” Plumridge, thereby earning a collateral victory.

Following their victory, OpTic are currently at 2-1 in the online qualifiers, with one remaining match against the reigning CDL champions, the Los Angeles Thieves, on December 11. Going into the game, OpTic Texas are close favorites to win on GG Bet with odds pegged at $1.78.

The Royal Ravens, on the other hand, have fallen to 2-2 in the online qualifying stage. Only the top eight teams will be participating in the season’s first major event in Raleigh, North Carolina, next weekend.

?More esports news

The franchise are currently the only Call of Duty squad in Europe, and with the recent announcement, the last piece of the 2023 Call of Duty League rostermania offseason has been placed. The team became the only competing CoD squad in Europe after the Paris Legion decided to move to Las Vegas.

The European organization’s picks for the 2023 season feature the return of several old players. Byron “Nastie” Plumridge and Trei “Zer0” Morris ended their run last year as starters and will continue with the London Royal Ravens in the new season.

Paul “PaulEhx” Avila will also be a part of the team. The player spent most of the previous year in the New York Subliners’ lineup. The new season will be PaulEhx’s third time playing for the London Royal Ravens.

In 2021, he was part of their lineup for six months and came in as a substitute in March. After the match, he spent the rest of the 2022 season with the New York Subliners.

Matthew “skrapz” Marshall is another face fans can expect to see on the London Royal Ravens’ 2023 CoD roster. Skrapz played with the European squad during the first year of the league and, while there, was integral to their fourth-place finish.

In December 2020, Skrapz moved to Paris Legion and played with the squad for the rest of the season. His stint with the squad concluded in August 2021, and Skrapz started playing with Aw0babobs in July. He was not a part of the Call of Duty League in the Vanguard era, which was held this previous year.

Obaid “Asim” Asim is the only new player on the London Royal Ravens’ roster. He is a veteran of the Call of Duty league scene and has previously played for squads like FaZe and Minnesota R?KKR.

Asim was also a part of the New York Subliners and the L.A. Guerrillas’ lineups for the past three years. The player’s stint with the L.A. Guerrillas is the most recent, and he was part of the squad that won the second Major last year. The team faced off against FaZe in the tournament’s grand finals and won with a 5-2 record.

The London Royal Ravens did not mention the player who would assume the substitute role during the 2023 season.

PaulEhx and Asim are the only North American players on the London Royal Ravens’ roster. The rest, including Nastie, Zer0, and Skrapz, are UK players. PaulEhx’s stint with the London Royal Ravens in 2021 made him the third NA player to ever play for the team, while Asim’s recent addition made him the fourth.

The 2023 CDL season will start much earlier than in previous years. With the London Royal Ravens being the last franchise to announce their 2023 roster, the season is raring to go.

Twelve top organizations will participate in the 2023 Call of Duty League season and vie for the impressive prize pool in the next few months. The regular season will officially kick off on December 2 and come to a close on May 28. However, it will be broken up by a number of high-stakes Major tournaments.

Modern Warfare 2 has received a lot of hype since it was announced and will be the Call of Duty League’s platform of choice for the next two years. This is because, for the first time in more than a decade, a new Call of Duty title will not be released in 2023.

?More esports news

RektGlobal, which is the parent company of League of Legends esports team Rogue and Call Of Duty esports team the London Royal Ravens.

RektGlobal also has other acquisitions like TalentX Entertainment, Fullcube, and Greenlit Content under its wings.

The deal stipulates that the company will continue to run independently with founders, Amish Shah and Dave Bialek, at the helm of affairs.

According to the official release, the definite merger is said to be encompassing as iR will be integrating all ReKT’s business divisions, including the esports franchises, tech products, talent management, and its marketing and partnership arms.

We're thrilled to officially announce that ReKTGlobal and all of its assets have been purchased by Infinite Reality. We believe this is the next chapter in our evolution into the metaverse.
Read more via @Forbes: https://t.co/vXwzoXqzSD

— ReKTGlobal (@ReKTGlobal) April 12, 2022

John Acunto, CEO of Infinite Reality, spoke about the acquisition, and described it as “another step in iR’s journey towards becoming the leading Metaverse Entertainment company in the world.”

“This acquisition is another step in our journey towards becoming the leading Metaverse Entertainment company in the world,” said Infinite Reality CEO John Acunto.

“The synergies across our combined business units from content creation to Web3 entertainment to APIs and more are awe-inspiring.

“We look forward to working with ReKTGlobal’s senior leadership to integrate our valuable combined assets and accelerate Infinite Reality’s growth.”

Speaking on the acquisition, Shah expressed his excitement stating that the ReKT’s journey is only beginning. He guaranteed that the merger will make them an “unstoppable force in the marketplace.”

“We are extremely excited to announce this acquisition to all of our investors, employees, and clients, as well as all Rogue and Royal Raven fans around the world.

“Our journey does not end today. We are beginning the next chapter in our evolution into the Metaverse.

“The explosive combination of our shared collective assets together creates a dominant, unstoppable force in the marketplace.”

CEO of RektGlobal, Bialek was more descriptive about the promises the acquisition holds for the future of business, entertainment, socializing, and learning.

He went on to highlight the possibility attainable with iR’s sister company, Thunder Studios.

“We believe that the future of business, entertainment, socializing, and learning will be conducted in digital environments and that iR is the company that will bring it all to life.

“We will employ the incredible 150,000 square foot production facilities at Thunder Studios to create the digital twins of our gaming and creator brands, as well as the many businesses, municipalities, and brands who also wish to take the transformative step.

“With many thanks to John Acunto and Rodric David and the many brilliant and creative minds at iR who recognized the synergies between our companies and quickly and innovatively snapped the pieces together.”

Infinite Reality was established in 2020 by parent company Display Social, Inc. Infinite Reality is an interactive social platform on the metaverse that allows creators and users to engage via live digital content.

iR’s services span through consultancy for Web3 and Metaverse enthusiasts (including brands, agencies, and celebrities). Also includes the development and deployment of Metaverses for potential clients.

iR’s mission is “to empower creators, innovators, and brands with the tools and strategy required to establish themselves in the Metaverse.”

More esports betting news

?

The Minnesota Call of Duty League Major kicks off on Thursday, March 31, with a clash between London Royal Ravens and Florida Mutineers, who last met in February. London Royal Ravens won that bout 3-0, and according to the latest CDL betting odds, they should claim another W this week.

There is very little to suggest London Royal Ravens can’t do it, not necessarily because Florida Mutineers are terrible, but because the Royal Ravens are that good. Their only four defeats of the 2022 season came against CDL Major 1 champions OpTic Texas (1-3), the reigning CDL champions Atlanta FaZe (1-3, 1-3) and Los Angeles Guerrillas (1-3), who London beat 3-2 just three weeks later.

We wouldn’t expect London Royal Ravens to produce a clean sweep, but they shouldn’t give up more than a map.

?

Boston Breach claimed the second seed, which is impressive, but they deserved it. Anthony “Methodz” Zinni and co. were excellent in the qualifiers, beating Seattle Surge (3-1), Minnesota R?KKR (3-0), Toronto Ultra (3-2), and Florida Mutineers (3-0), while their only defeat came against London Royal Ravens (1-3).

Los Angeles Guerrillas also showed some glimpses of greatness during the CDL Major 2 qualifiers, namely with their wins against the Surge (3-1) and Los Angeles Thieves (3-2). Admittedly, the Guerrillas have yet to show any form of consistency, but they are a team that can go toe-to-toe with anyone on a good day.

Guerrillas’ upside makes it hard to bet against them, even though we know that Boston Breach are better and more reliable team of the two. So we have to trust the eye test and predict Los Angeles Guerrillas to lose but put up enough resistance to make it interesting and keep Boston Breach on their toes.

Prediction: Over 4.5 maps – $3.00 at GG.Bet