Losing Timur “FL4MUS” Maryev to GamerLegion in May has not affected Nemiga Gaming too much. However, while they found some success with wins in RES European Series #5 and HellCup #10 earlier this summer, they have not looked great lately.

SINNERS Esports are in a similar spot. After some promising results in July and August, they have struggled to leave a lasting mark in their most recent competitive endeavours.

That said, Sebastian “beastik” Da��o and co. have a positive win rate on six of seven maps, including better than 60% on Vertigo, Mirage, and Inferno. Nemiga can only match that rate on Mirage and Anubis.

At plus money with the best esports betting sites, SINNERS are the obvious choice.

These teams last met during ESL Challenger League Season 48 Europe at the end of July, when Monte won in two maps. The Ukrainian-Polish squad are 1-4 from their last five outings, however, with losses against GamerLegion, PARIVISION, BetBoom Team, and Nemiga Gaming.

EYEBALLERS hold the same record, with defeats against Zero Tenacity, Into the Breach, ECSTATIC, and ex-Qiang. As such, it is hard to see how the top Counter-Strike bookmakers have these teams so far apart in the match betting.

EYEBALLERS parted ways with Peppe “Peppzor” Borak and Maikil “Golden” Selim at the start of the month, which could explain the longer odds. However, Jonathan “delle” Ahistedt and Sebastian “dex” Samuelsson have proved to be solid additions.

Monte deserve to be viewed as favourites, but $1.34 is very short for a team in ordinary form, so we have to take EYEBALLERS to keep it close.

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B8 won their previous YaLLa Compass 2024 Summer fixture against BLEED Esports — who had to field two stand-ins — yet dropped 21 total rounds, needing overtime to win on Anubis. Since then, B8 have played seven games and won all but two, against TSM and 9Pandas, so they are in solid form.

AMKAL Esports have not played a single match since winning their second-round fixture against Passion UA on September 3. With that win, AMKAL are 3-7 from their last 10 outings, with a few concerning losses against Insilo, Young Ninjas, and B8, who bested them during Intel Extreme Masters Rio 2024: European Open Qualifier #2.

While there is no significant quality difference between the two lineups, AMKAL Esports’ form does not inspire much confidence. Nor does their map pool, with positive win rates on just Vertigo and Inferno. At $1.59, B8 are an easy choice.

Nemiga Gaming and Monte will face off for the first time since 2022, and according to the top Counter-Strike betting sites, it should be a close affair.

Monte are 1-4 from their last five outings, beating SINNERS Esports but losing close games to BetBoom Team and GamerLegion. Nemiga Gaming are 2-3 over the same stretch, with wins against Sashi Esports and Permitta.

In terms of map pools, there is not much to set the teams apart. Nemiga have a better win rate on Anubis and Mirage but worse on Vertigo and Nuke, which they generally don’t play. This looks to be a three-map series.

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Despite a shaky start on Inferno, G2 forced overtime and secured an 11-round streak on the CT side to eventually close out the map.

It's a DOMINANT second map from @G2CSGO to close out their opening #ESLProLeague S19 playoff match against @BIGCLANgg

19-16 Inferno
13-4 Ancient pic.twitter.com/p4kcIavTyV

— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) May 7, 2024

The slow start was partially due to a lacklustre performance from Ilya ‘m0NESY’ Osipov and Nemanja ‘huNter-‘ Kova?, but Nikola ‘NiKo’ Kova?’s stellar play helped G2 turn the tide.

BIG missed key opportunities, and G2’s individuals came alive, particularly Nemanja ‘nexa’ Isakovi? with crucial multi-kills.

The following map, Ancient, saw NiKo back to his best with impressive plays, including a memorable Deagle quad-kill and ace.

G2 dominated, closing out the series 13-4.

FlyQuest secured a spot in the second round of the playoffs at the Counter-Strike 2 event with a 2-1 (11-13, 13-9, win over BetBoom.

After losing on Vertigo, FlyQuest rallied with wins on Mirage and Anubis.

Jay ‘Liazz’ Tregillgas’s consistent performance and Kirill ‘Magnojez’ Rodnov’s solid play justified his recent signing for FlyQuest.

BetBoom struggled with their T sides, leading to their downfall.

Paid by the round.

48 rounds played and it ends with a 2-0 victory for @virtuspro over @GamerLegion who will be eliminated from #ESLProLeague S19.

13-11 Anubis
13-11 Mirage pic.twitter.com/3Irxq6jbcr

— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) May 7, 2024

Virtus.pro advanced to the next round with a hard-fought 2-0 (13-11, 13-11) win over GamerLegion, sealing victories on Anubis and Mirage.

Despite a less than inspiring performance in the tournament so far, Virtus.pro managed to overcome GamerLegion, who showed promise with strong fragging performances from Henrich ‘sl3nd’ Hevesi and Andreas ‘aNdu’ Maasing.

FaZe Clan faced a tough challenge from Monte but secured their spot in the next round with wins on Vertigo and Mirage.

Despite a loss on Nuke, FaZe’s resilience, especially Helvijs ‘broky’ Saukants’s standout performances, helped them edge past Monte, who showed great potential with their new players.

FaZe will need to step up their game for their rematch against Natus Vincere in the next round.

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They replaced FURIA, who exited the Counter-Strike 2 tournament after managing wins only against Bad News Kangaroos and ENCE.

Sergey “lmbt” Bezhanov, Monte’s coach, remained realistic about their victory, acknowledging it as a minimum goal but not underestimating the challenges ahead.

Congratulations @Monte_Esports!

They are the last team from the group stage to advance to the #ESLProLeague Season 19 playoffs pic.twitter.com/svldA51LNV

— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) May 5, 2024

He lamented their loss to Team Liquid and the mistakes made against FURIA, especially a critical 5v2 fumble on the first map.

Despite the victory, lmbt emphasized that Monte still had much to improve upon, evident in their match against FURIA.

Although they looked well-coordinated on Nuke, they let the map stay close, eventually winning in overtime.

Mirage seemed like it would be a quick 2-0 for Monte, but FURIA rallied, leading to a Vertigo decider where Monte secured the win, propelled by crucial rounds from Sergiy ‘DemQQ’ Demchenko and Jack ‘Gizmy’ von Spreckelsen.

FlyQuest secured their spot at the ESL Pro League Season 19 playoffs with a convincing 2-0 (13-7, 13-6) victory over Ninjas in Pyjamas’ makeshift lineup.

FlyQuest’s captain, Christopher “dexter” Nong, credited their win to good preparation and a positive mindset.

The first Australian Counter-Strike team to make #ESLProLeague playoffs in 11 seasons @FlyQuestCS ARE IN THE #ESLProLeague S19 PLAYOFFS! @dextersjourney @aliStair_CS @vexite_ @liazzgo @inscsgo @erkaStCSGO pic.twitter.com/Rbs02eTxUW

— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) May 5, 2024

Declan ‘Vexite’ Portelli shone on Ancient, despite previous struggles, while Joshua ‘INS’ Potter played a crucial role on the CT side.

FlyQuest’s dominance continued on Vertigo, with dexter leading the charge.

Vexite’s taunt towards Ninjas in Pyjamas highlighted their confidence and control of the match, closing it out decisively.

Ninjas in Pyjamas, with two stand-ins, faced challenges in Malta.

Coach Richard ‘Xizt’ Landstr?m emphasized simplicity and working with the available pieces.

He hinted at an imminent announcement regarding the team��s full roster.

Ninjas in Pyjamas will regroup at home to finalize their roster, while FlyQuest, the first Australian team in 11 seasons to make the EPL playoffs, will continue their journey in Malta, focusing on evolving their game under pressure and building structure under dexter’s leadership.

Vexite highlighted the team’s newfound confidence with structured gameplay, aiming to further develop their style with each game.

The first playoff series will kick off on Tuesday, May 7, with the grand final set to be played on Sunday, May 12.

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In Group C, MOUZ dominated GamerLegion with a 13-1 victory on Nuke but struggled on their own map pick of Mirage, requiring a 16-12 overtime win to secure a playoff spot in the Counter-Strike tournament.

Last seasons #ESLProLeague Champions are already guaranteed a spot in the playoffs!

Congratulations @mousesports pic.twitter.com/K1TVbv2hqs

— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) May 1, 2024

Team Liquid also secured a playoff spot after a hard-fought 2-0 (22-19, 13-11) victory against Monte.

Despite slow starts on Ancient and Mirage, Liquid managed to close out the series with triple overtime on Ancient and all 24 rounds on Mirage.

The game showcased impressive performances from Russel ‘Twistzz’ Van Dulken and Casper ‘cadiaN’ M?ller, but Liquid’s shakiness and miscommunication were evident, especially with several team flashes on Mirage.

They face a tough challenge against MOUZ in the upper final, where a direct berth to the quarterfinals is at stake.

We have our second team from Group C to be guaranteed a spot in the #ESLProLeague Season 19 Playoffs!

Congratulations @TeamLiquidCS pic.twitter.com/32uwaHr9zW

— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) May 1, 2024

In the lower bracket, ENCE struggled, winning Bad News Kangaroos’ Vertigo pick but falling 9-13 on Nuke.

They managed to restore some confidence with a decisive 13-0 win on Anubis, but questions remain about their long-term competitiveness.

FURIA suffered a major upset, losing 0-2 to a makeshift FORZE line-up, including a humiliating 0-13 defeat on Overpass.

Kaike ‘KSCERATO’ Cerato performed well, but FURIA’s struggles, especially with stand-in Kayke ‘kye’ Bertolucci, raise concerns about the team’s direction.

In Group D, BIG narrowly defeated BOSS 2-0 (16-13, 13-10), while Natus Vincere comfortably advanced by defeating FlyQuest 2-0 (13-5, 13-6).

FURIA’s loss means they drop down to the last-chance stage, facing Bad News Kangaroos next.

FURIA’s co-owner expressed frustration and promised solutions after the humiliating defeat, highlighting the team’s determination to bounce back.

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GamerLegion will clash with ENCE for the second time in 2024, with the Finnish side winning 16-14 in the second round of PGL Major Copenhagen 2024 European RMR B in February. GamerLegion have since produced mixed results and made a couple of roster changes, adding Henrich “sl3nd” Hevesi and Andreas “aNdu” Maasing to the active lineup.

Even with the fresh blood, GamerLegion have won only three of their last seven series — and those wins were against lesser opposition in MOUZ NXT, Copenhagen Wolves, and GUN5. ENCE, meanwhile, are 2-5 from their last seven outings, with concerning defeats against FORZE Esports, OG, AMKAL, FURIA Esports, and paiN Gaming.

ENCE placed top six at Intel Extreme Masters Katowice 2024, but they’ve not shown much since. This looks like a 50-50 match, making it hard to pass on GamerLegion at outsider odds.

Ninjas in Pyjamas are in a difficult spot ahead of their first ESL Pro League Season 19 match, as they’ll have to compete with two stand-ins. Maoz “BluePho3nix” Paz will fill the final missing spot on the roster, while Kacper “xKacpersky” Gabara will replace Fredrik “REZ” Sterner, who was unable to fly out to Malta.

HEROIC field a complete roster but enter the tournament in shaky form. At the start of the month, HEROIC secured a respectable top-eight finish at IEM Chengdu 2024, but they later added a round-one exit from the Esports World Cup 2024 European Open Qualifier with a loss against Brazylijski luz.

Inconsistency has been the theme of this team since the turn of the year, so while HEROIC have the talent to do well, they rarely show what they’re capable of. For this reason alone, backing Ninjas in Pyjamas to win a map makes more sense.

After finishing in fifth-sixth place at Skyesports Masters 2024, FORZE Esports added Aleksey “NickelBack” Trofimov and Owen “smooya” Butterfield to the active lineup. And while the new-look roster looks solid, they have yet to play an official match together.

Monte haven’t made any roster changes since March, yet their results over the last two months leave a lot to be desired. With just one tournament title from RES Eastern European Masters Spring 2024, Monte look like vulnerable favourites for this match.

FORZE’s questionable synergy is a big reason to doubt their chances of winning on Tuesday. Still, they field a better lineup, and they’re against Monte, who’ve recently struggled against lesser squads.

FURIA Esports last met with Team Liquid in the second round of the PGL Major Copenhagen 2024 American RMR, where they won 13-10. Since then, FURIA have played 15 series and lost all but five, with four of those defeats coming in their last five outings.

On the other side, Team Liquid are 5-1 across their last six series; however, they’ve beaten just two notable teams over that stretch: Legacy and M80.

Liquid should be priced as favourites with the top esports betting sites, but $1.45 is way too short for a team that has been anything but consistent over the last four months.

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G2 Esports is one of a handful of teams that should expect to make the playoffs, and in doing so, the world number five should get their campaign off to a good start with a comprehensive win over 9z.

Team Liquid and Heroic will be one of the best matches of the opening round of the group stage, as Casper “cadiaN” Moller will take on his old side for the first time since making the move to Liquid. Expect a tight contest here.

Lynn Vision got the better of FURIA in the opening stage of PGL Major Copenhagen in a best-of-one series and it is very hard to tip against the Chinese team here, who will be playing in their home country.

There are 126 rankings between MOUZ and TYLOO going into this clash and that is why MOUZ is so short with Counter-Strike 2 betting sites. MOUZ should be kicking off their IEM Chengdu campaign with a good win.

Although FlyQuest puts their eight-game win streak on the line at Cloud9 in their opening match of IEM Chengdu, the level of competition has been much easier than the challenge that Cloud9 presents. FlyQuest will be up against it here and are predicted to struggle.

Virtus.pro will be looking for some redemption at IEM Chengdu after suffering a controversial exit from the Copenhagen Major. Wildcard will have their work cut out for them against the methodical game plan of VP.

Monte have been replaced by Steel Helmet on the eve of the tournament and will face Astralis in the opening round. Astralis should be winning this best-of-one series comfortably.

FaZe Clan may start this match against Nemiga as heavy favourites with esports betting sites, but the world number one is known for being slow starters. FaZe Clan should be winning but don’t be surprised if it is closer than expected.

Esports betting tips

Team Liquid enter BLAST Premier Spring Showdown 2024 fresh off a disappointing run at the PGL Major Copenhagen 2024 American RMR, where they crashed out in seventh place and missed their chance to qualify for the upcoming Major.

On the other side, SAW finished the European RMR in sixth-eighth place with wins against Ninjas in Pyjamas, ENTERPRISE, and Fnatic, so they will be travelling to Copenhagen. Even though SAW didn’t have to play any great teams last month, they have performed well to go 8-3 since the start of February.

Counter-Strike betting sites have priced Team Liquid as favourites for this series, and even though Liquid have a higher ceiling, they are in bad form. This looks closer to a 50-50 match, so at the offered Counter-Strike betting odds, SAW is a much better pick.

Complexity secured their ticket for PGL Copenhagen Major 2024 on Monday when they defeated Team Liquid in the final round of the American RMR. Before that, they suffered early exits from BLAST Premier Spring Groups 2024 and Intel Extreme Masters Katowice 2024, so Complexity still have a lot to prove.

OG have not been competitive for a while now, and the recent departure of coach Casper “ruggah” Due to Astralis won’t help. OG have not won a tournament since BLAST Premier Fall Groups 2022, and they enter the Spring Showdown with just one win from their last six series.

OG are not only in bad form, but they also don’t have the talent to compete at the highest level. Complexity aren’t perfect either, as they rely too much on Jonathan “EliGE” Jablonowski to do all the heavy lifting. Still, they’re in a much better spot than OG and should come away with a comfortable win.

Over the last two weeks, Monte have lost Viktor “sdy” Orudzhev and Alexander “br0” Bro without confirming full-time replacements. Jack “Gizmy” von Spreckelsen could step in for the team again this week, and while there are other solid options at their disposal, losing sdy and br0 will be noticeable.

Imperial Esports are not expected to make it far at BLAST Premier Spring Showdown 2024, although their recent form is solid. The Brazilian side won Ace South American Masters Spring 2024 at the start of February and last weekend added a gold medal from the PGL Major Copenhagen 2024 American RMR.

Imperial’s recent success is largely thanks to Henrique “HEN1” Teles. The 28-year-old averaged a 1.62 performance rating at the American RMR; however, his teammates Kaiky “noway” Santos (1.47) and Jo?o “felps” Vasconcellos (1.45) weren’t too far behind.

Monte were very competitive in the second half of 2023, but after seeing them lose two key players, it’s tough to feel optimistic about their chances to do well at BLAST Premier Spring Showdown 2024.

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Each of the three organisations earned qualification for the first Counter-Strike 2 Major with their final win of the RMR, while OG, Monte and Preasy were all eliminated from Major contention.

Apeks showcased their veteran experience and tenacity in a thrilling battle against ECSTATIC, ultimately securing their ticket to the PGL Major in Copenhagen.

Despite a strong performance from ECSTATIC, particularly in the initial stages of the match, Apeks managed to edge out victories on both their map pick and the deciding map, clinching the series 2-1 (10-13, 13-11, 13-11).

Apeks secures their spot at the PGL CS2 Copenhagen Major 2024 after 3 closely contested maps against ECSTATIC!

ECSTATIC isn't out of the RMR yet; they'll fight tomorrow for another shot at making it to Denmark. #PGLRMR pic.twitter.com/x6fWlqWMg4

— PGL (@pglesports) February 21, 2024

Led by players like Jason “salazar” Salazar and Tobias “kraghen” Kragh Jensen, Apeks demonstrated composure and clutch ability, especially in crucial moments where they managed to close out tight rounds and secure essential frags.

Despite ECSTATIC’s best efforts, Apeks’ experience and strategic prowess ultimately proved to be the deciding factors in the series.

With one more opportunity to qualify for the Major, ECSTATIC will need to regroup, maintain mental fortitude, and give it their all in the final decider match against Guild Eagles.

Meanwhile, Vitality asserted their dominance with a commanding 2-0 (13-6, 13-4) victory over ENCE, securing their spot at the Major.

Vitality is heading to the MAJOR after dominating ENCE across two almost-perfect maps!

ENCE isn't done yet – they'll return tomorrow for another shot at qualifying for the PGL CS2 Major Copenhagen 2024! #PGLRMR pic.twitter.com/nUaBA0j8O7

— PGL (@pglesports) February 21, 2024

Led by Dan “apEX” Madesclaire, Vitality displayed confidence and precision throughout the series, capitalizing on strategic decisions and individual performances to secure decisive wins on both Vertigo and Nuke.

Reflecting on their journey to qualify, apEX acknowledged the pressure and significance of earning a spot at such a prestigious event.

With Vitality’s victory, they aim to defend their title as Major champions, showcasing their determination and skill in the face of tough competition.

Lastly, Spirit showcased resilience and determination in their journey to qualify for the Major, overcoming challenges and hardships along the way.

Despite initial struggles, Spirit rallied together, demonstrating their strength as a team and securing a 2-0 (13-8, 13-11) victory over Heroic.

Team Spirit becomes the third team today to secure their spot at the PGL CS2 Major Copenhagen 2024 with a 2-0 victory against HEROIC!

HEROIC isn't out yet – they'll battle tomorrow for another chance to grab their tickets to the first CS2 Major. #PGLRMR pic.twitter.com/JH8SDMZP1X

— PGL (@pglesports) February 21, 2024

Due to Preasy being eliminated from the European RMR, Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen will miss his first Counter-Strike Major of his career and the first CS2 Major in his home country, Denmark.

Dupreeh holds individual records in both Major appearances and Major wins, with the Dane competing in all 18 Counter-Strike Majors and winning five of them.

We gave it all, but wasn��t enough
Starting CS2 without the major in Copenhagen is extremely sad, but in hindsight it just wasn��t meant to be

Thanks for cheering!

— Peter Rasmussen (@dupreeh) February 21, 2024

Thursday’s RMR matches

• ENCE ($2.75) vs Astralis ($1.44) @ 1pm EET
• Heroic ($1.39) vs GamerLegion ($2.95) @ 4pm EET
• ECSTATIC ($1.83) vs Guild Eagles ($1.96) @ 7pm EET

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MOUZ have picked up from where they left off in 2023, continuing the strong form got them third-fourth place at the BLAST Premier World Final.

After being knocked out in the same position at IEM Katowice, MOUZ have maintained their top-four position in the world rankings. With the likes of ��d��m “torzsi” Torzs��s and Jimi “Jimpphat” Salo at the top of their games, MOUZ are expected to qualify for the PGL Major Copenhagen, starting with a dominant opening round win.

As for MOUZ��s opponent, Guild Eagles, they have been competing in qualifiers and are yet to participate in any S-Tier events since the organisation was founded in November 2023.

There are 30 ranking spots between Guild Eagles and MOUZ, and the betting odds are a good representation of how close this match is expected to be.

Team Vitality shocked everyone when they were knocked out of IEM Katowice 2024 in last place after suffering defeats to ENCE and Heroic in the opening rounds. The former world number one played inconsistently throughout the event and paid the price against two teams that are in a transition phase.

Vitality will be seeking another top-tier title after they were victorious at the BLAST.tv Paris Major last year, and failure to qualify for the Major will raise massive questions about this roster.

GamerLegion are not playing well right now either; however, they progressed further at IEM Katowice than their opponents, bowing out in 9th�C12th place after losing to Heroic.

GL could upset a rocky Team Vitality, and esports betting sites aren��t giving the world number 17 much respect here.

IEM Katowice was the first event that Monte played in 2024, and the rust showed as they lost to GamerLegion before claiming victory against Cloud9. The world number 10 was eventually knocked out by G2 Esports in the following round after a three-map series.

Monte will have learned a lot from their three series, and they should be ready to go in the opening rounds of the PGL Major Copenhagen RMR.

The difference in quality between ECSTATIC and Monte is evident when looking at their previous events. ECSTATIC were last seen finishing second in the European Pro League Season 13 (C-Tier) grand final, where they lost to Preasy 3-2.

In what could be a pivotal series for Monte��s RMR campaign, they should be winning this match comfortably over a lesser opponent.

Since the return of Team Spirit��s full roster, they have won seven series in a row, culminating in the IEM Katowice 2024 title. Led by the historic performance of Danil “donk” Kryshkovets on his Big Event debut, Team Spirit were unstoppable?in Katowice as they defeated some of the best teams in the world.

However, ENCE will be?no easy beats in the opening round of the Europe RMR B. Under the new leadership of Lukas “gla1ve” Rossander, ENCE claimed victories against Team Vitality and G2 Esports on their way to fifth-sixth place at IEM Katowice.

It is hard to tip against Spirit after their dominant IEM Katowice triumph, so playing the round-line market is a much better option.

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