Vitality (World rank: #11) vs. Complexity (World rank: #22) - 6:00 A.M. ET

Moneyline Odds: Vitality (-360) | Complexity (+280)

Round Handicap: Vitality -4.5 (-120) | Complexity +4.5 (Even)

  • This is a best-of-one on LAN for PGL Major Antwerp 2022 Challengers Stage - Swiss round one
  • Vitality - Rating at event: N/A
  • Vitality - Rating past three months: ZywOo  1.15 | dupreeh 1.09 | Magisk 1.05 | apEX 0.96 | misutaaa  0.87
  • Complexity - Rating at event: N/A
  • Complexity - Rating past three months: floppy 1.15 | Grim 1.12 | junior 1.07 | FaNg 1.00 | JT 0.96

H2H Data:

  • These rosters have never faced each other. 

Prediction/Narrative: Vitality wins 16-8.

Complexity haven’t proven that they can beat elite teams yet as they have a 10-26 W/L record across 36 maps played against top 30 teams. Complexity also have limited experience on LAN with junior & FaNg, meanwhile Vitality have former Major winners with dupreeh, Magisk and apEX. Vitality have had mixed results with their new lineup, but I think their best is still yet to come. I expect Vitality to outclass Complexity in this spot.

Favorite Draftkings Plays (In order of priority): 

ZywOo ($10,200) | apEX ($7,000) | dupreeh ($9,000) | Magisk ($7,800) | misutaaa ($6,000) | junior ($5,400) 

 

Eternal Fire (World rank: #29) vs. Bad News Eagles (World rank: #28) - 6:00 A.M. ET

Moneyline Odds: Eternal Fire (-115) | Bad News Eagles (-105)

Round Handicap: Eternal Fire -2.5 (+120) | Bad News Eagles (-145)

  • This is a best-of-one on LAN for PGL Major Antwerp 2022 Challengers Stage - Swiss round one
  • Eternal Fire - Rating at event: N/A
  • Eternal Fire - Rating past three months: XANTARES 1.28 | imoRR 1.14 | woxic 1.11 | Calyx 1.08 | xfl0ud 1.06
  • Bad News Eagles - Rating at event: N/A
  • Bad News Eagles - Rating past three months: juanflatroo  1.13 | rigoN 1.10 | sinnopsyy 1.10 | gxx- 1.10 | SENER1  1.03

H2H Data:

  • These rosters faced in November 2021 when BNE was playing under the name BLINK and Eternal Fire won 2-1 (16-6 Mirage / 13-16 Inferno / 16-8 Vertigo). Woxic led the server with 67 kills and a 1.40 Rating across three maps.

Prediction/Narrative: Eternal Fire wins 16-11.

Bad News Eagles have been a trendy team as of late considering they were the first team from their region to reach the RMR, and now they are making history by finally qualifying for the Major. However, Eternal Fire have players with Major experience already, and the Turkish team has been on fire since woxic took over at IGL. Eternal Fire are currently in their best form ever as a team with a 31-14 W/L record across 45 maps played in the past three months, and they beat this BNE lineup last time, so I expect them to come out on top in this best-of-one.

Favorite Draftkings Plays (In order of priority): 

XANTARES ($8,400) | imoRR ($7,600) | woxic ($6,800) | Calyx ($6,000) | gxx- ($6,000) | xfl0ud ($5,200) | rigoN ($6,800) 

 

G2 (World rank: #6) vs. Team Liquid (World rank: #13) - 7:15 A.M. ET

Moneyline Odds: G2 (-195) | Team Liquid (+160)

Round Handicap: G2 -3.5 (+105) | Team Liquid +3.5 (-125)

  • This is a best-of-one on LAN for PGL Major Antwerp 2022 Challengers Stage - Swiss round one
  • G2 - Rating at event: N/A
  • G2 - Rating past three months: NiKo  1.20 | huNter 1.18 | m0NESY 1.13 | JACKZ 0.96 | Aleksib  0.88
  • Team Liquid - Rating at event: N/A
  • Team Liquid - Rating past three months: EliGE 1.23 | NAF 1.20 | oSee 1.17 | nitr0 1.01 | shox 0.98

H2H Data:

  • These rosters faced in February at IEM Katowice 2022 and G2 swept 2-0 (16-8 Vertigo / 16-5 Mirage). NiKo led the server with 52 kills and a 1.82 Rating across two maps played.

Prediction/Narrative: G2 wins 16-10.

Liquid did not look good when we last saw them play at BLAST Premier Spring Showdown 2022 North America as paiN pulled the upset against them. We can surely expect to see them more focused for an event as important as the Major, but they have a brutal first match-up against G2. Liquid only managed to win 13 rounds across two maps last time these teams played, and G2 looked like the much better team by far. G2 have been playing well with an 18-11 W/L record across 29 maps played in the past three months. If we get a good performance from G2 here, then this could be another quick win for them.

Favorite Draftkings Plays (In order of priority): 

m0NESY ($7,400) | NiKo ($9,400) | huNter- ($8,800) | NAF ($7,000) | JACKZ ($6,600) | Aleksib ($5,600) | oSee ($6,200)

 

Astralis (World rank: #9) vs. IHC (World rank: #52) - 8:30 A.M. ET

Moneyline Odds: Astralis (-645) | IHC (+465)

Round Handicap: Astralis -6.5 (-110) | IHC +6.5 (-110)

  • This is a best-of-one on LAN for PGL Major Antwerp 2022 Challengers Stage - Swiss round one
  • Astralis - Rating at event: N/A
  • Astralis - Rating past three months: blameF  1.19 | k0nfig 1.16 | Farlig 1.05 | Xyp9x 0.95 | gla1ve 0.95
  • IHC - Rating at event: N/A
  • IHC - Rating past three months: sk0R 1.34 | bLitz  1.13 | Techno 1.13 | kabal 1.12 | nin9 1.11

H2H Data:

  • These rosters have never faced each other. 

Prediction/Narrative: Astralis wins 16-6.

Astralis are the biggest favorites on the slate, and I see no reason to fade them here. We have seen Asian teams make some noise and pull upsets in past Majors, especially in best-of-ones, but I just don’t think IHC have what it takes to get past an Astralis team that is finally starting to put the pieces together. Astralis have a 22-15 W/L record across 37 maps played with their lineup, and everybody on the team has been playing better since Farlig got added. Astralis just have too much firepower to get upset by a team like IHC. 

Favorite Draftkings Plays (In order of priority): 

k0nfig ($9,200) | Farlig ($8,000) | blameF ($10,400) | gla1ve ($6,400) | Xyp9x ($7,200) | sk0R ($7,000) 

 

Outsiders (World rank: #10) vs. MiBR (World rank: #23) - 9:45 A.M. ET

Moneyline Odds: Outsiders (-210) | MiBR (+170)

Round Handicap: Outsiders -3.5 (-105) | MiBR +3.5 (-115) 

  • This is a best-of-one on LAN for PGL Major Antwerp 2022 Challengers Stage - Swiss round one
  • Outsiders - Rating at event: N/A
  • Outsiders - Rating past three months: Jame  1.15 | YEKINDAR 1.15 | FL1T 1.12 | Qikert 1.02 | buster  0.97
  • MiBR - Rating at event: N/A
  • MiBR - Rating past three months: JOTA 1.26 | chelo  1.21 | exit 1.10 | Tuurtle 1.09 | WOOD7 1.02

H2H Data:

  • These rosters have never faced each other. 

Prediction/Narrative: MiBR wins 16-14.

Outsiders are the better team on paper, but they often find themselves playing close maps as heavy favorites, and I have trouble backing them against a team as hot as MiBR. The Brazilians have a 47-15 W/L record across 62 maps played in the past three months, and their map pool has been solid with at least a 66.7% win rate on every map in the pool besides their permaban, Mirage. There are rumors that YEKINDAR may be moving on from the Outsiders lineup, and the team only has a 10-11 W/L record across 21 maps played since having to play under the name Outsiders instead of Virtus.pro. The upset potential is certainly there, so I’d prefer to target the value on MiBR. 

Favorite Draftkings Plays (In order of priority): 

chelo ($6,400) | JOTA ($7,400) | WOOD7 ($4,400) | YEKINDAR ($9,800) | exit ($5,800) | Tuurtle ($5,000) | Jame ($8,200)

 

ENCE (World rank: #4) vs. 9Z (World rank: #30) - 9:45 A.M. ET

Moneyline Odds: ENCE (-575) | 9Z (+420)

Round Handicap: ENCE -5.5 (-120) | 9Z +5.5 (Even)

  • This is a best-of-one on LAN for PGL Major Antwerp 2022 Challengers Stage - Swiss round one
  • ENCE - Rating at event: N/A
  • ENCE - Rating past three months: Spinx  1.17 | hades 1.12 | dycha 1.10 | Maden 1.02 | Snappi 0.98
  • 9Z - Rating at event: N/A
  • 9Z - Rating past three months: dgt 1.23 | Luken  1.14 | max 1.09 | dav1d 1.02 | rox 0.84

H2H Data:

  • These rosters have never faced each other. 

Prediction/Narrative: ENCE wins 16-10.

ENCE have been dominating lately as reflected by their number four world ranking, and they are the second heaviest favorite on the slate. I expect them to win, but the odds do seem pretty steep here considering 9Z have also been playing great Counter-Strike as of late, particularly at the RMR. The coach of 9z, zakk, was banned from the Major just a few days ago, but I don’t think that will affect the outcome of this best-of-one all that much either way. ENCE have a 49-28 W/L record across 77 maps played in the past three months, and their international roster has proven itself as elite, so I will certainly be backing ENCE in this spot. Still, I think ENCE seem to be fairly overpriced on Draftkings since 9Z are a strong team as well, so they are a good stack but certainly not my favorite. 

Favorite Draftkings Plays (In order of priority): 

Spinx ($10,000) | Maden ($7,200) | dycha ($8,200) | hades ($9,600) | dgt ($6,400) | Snappi ($6,200) | Luken ($5,800)

 

*Top Stacks: Astralis, Vitality, G2, ENCE, Eternal Fire, MiBR

*Favorite Captain Plays: ZywOo, k0nfig, NiKo, Spinx, XANTARES, Farlig, dupreeh, blameF, huNter-, dycha, Magisk, hades, YEKINDAR

*Favorite Value Plays: m0NESY, apEX, imoRR, chelo, gla1ve, Maden, woxic, JOTA, Xyp9x, misutaaa, JACKZ, WOOD7