by The ESL Pro League Season 10 Finals kicks off this Tuesday at the Odense Congress Center in Denmark, where 16 elite CS:GO esports team will fight over six playoff spots. Here are our predictions for the first round of fixtures in Group A, with odds courtesy of ESB’s top-rated online bookmakers.
Natus Vincere vs TYLOO
Tuesday, December 3 – 12:00 CET
After a streak of underwhelming results in the last couple of months, Natus Vincere (-312.5) will fancy their chances against the struggling TYLOO (+227).
All CS:GO betting sites seem to agree the fixture between NaVi and TYLOO will be a one-sided affair, yet we cannot forget best-of-one (Bo1) fixtures often produce upsets.
NaVi have been inconsistent since they parted ways with IGL Danylo “Zeus” Teslenko in September. Some of their questionable results in recent weeks include a 15-15 draw with Cloud9 and a 9-16 defeat against FaZe Clan at BLAST Pro Series: Copenhagen, as well as a 0-2 defeat to Heroic at StarSeries & i-League CS:GO Season 8.
TYLOO, on the other side, come into the ESL Pro League Finals after an impressive semi-finals run at the CS:GO Asia Championships, where they defeated both G2 Esports and MiBR 0-2 before losing 1-2 against mousesports. They also claimed the Chinese Champions Cup title and finished second at the WESG China: Southern Circuit.
Although they have played weaker opponents, TYLOO seem to be in a much better shape than NaVi ahead of this bout. While the Chinese underdogs might not get the win, they will give NaVi a run for their money.
Prediction: TYLOO +4.5 maps – -116.28 at BetOnline
FaZe Clan vs MiBR
Tuesday, December 3 – 12:00 CET
FaZe Clan (-175.44) versus MiBR (+134) is expected to be an exciting clash between two teams who never fail to amaze with their inconsistency and unpredictability.
FaZe come into the ESL Pro League Finals after an up and down performance in European qualifiers, where they performed poorly in round one, picked up the pace in round two, then defeated Fnatic to secure a ticket to Odense.
Speaking of unstable results, MiBR are the prime example of a team that can impress one day and disappoint the next. They severely underperformed at the ECS Season 8 Finals earlier this year, suffering an early exit in the group stage after losing two games to Fnatic.
FaZe are heavy favourites, but only due to their title-winning run at Blast Pro Series: Copenhagen. This match is a toss-up between two inconsistent teams, which is why we will side with MiBR at inflated odds.
Prediction: MiBR to win – +134 at BetOnline
Heroic vs 100 Thieves
Tuesday, December 3 – 13:15 CET
The clash between Heroic (+132) and 100 Thieves (-172.41) is yet another where we feel like CS:GO bookmakers overrate one team and underestimate the other.
The 100 Thieves roster was nothing more than average while under the Renegades banner. Since their second-place finish at IEM Beijing, however, 100T have become a great team in the eyes of esports bookies. We cannot agree with that.
The true mark of the team came in the IEM Beijing finals, when 100 Thieves copped a 0-3 sweep at the hands of Astralis. Since then, 100T have played only one match – a 2-0 win over eUnited in the ESL Pro League Americas qualifiers.
While 100 Thieves should still win this one, do not count on a one-sided affair. Heroic have a solid roster and while they can underperform at times, they can also put up a solid fight.
We will trust Heroic to win at least 11 rounds here, which is why we will go for over 26.5 maps.
Prediction: Over 26.5 maps – -111.11 at BetOnline
Fnatic vs Evil Geniuses
Tuesday, December 3 – 13:15 CET
Fnatic (-105.26) will clash with Evil Geniuses (-121.95) in what should be a close match.
Evil Geniuses are loaded with elite players, yet they have failed to turn their potential into strong results. Fnatic suffer from a similar condition, as their highly experienced roster should deliver more on the big stage.
While EG have a more talented group of players, their lack of consistency makes them hard to trust. If they cannot defeat teams like mousesports, MiBR and Ninjas in Pyjamas, EG will not have an easy time against Fnatic either.
Prediction: Fnatic to win – -105.26 at BetOnline
