After a disappointing fifth-sixth finish at Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2024, FaZe Clan now have a great chance to win their first significant Counter-Strike esports tournament since IEM Chengdu 2024. According to the CS2 betting odds, they are outright favourites to place in the top two at BLAST Premier Fall Showdown 2024.

FaZe’s journey begins with a clash against China’s No.3 team, Rare Atom, who recently booked a spot at IEM Rio 2024 through regional qualifiers and placed top four at XSE Pro League Season 2. Yet despite Rare Atom’s recent success, they are still one of the weaker sides attending BLAST Premier Fall Showdown 2024.

FaZe should feel slightly fatigued, as they have had quite a packed schedule this month, and it is unlikely they will have put much preparation into this series. Still, Finn “karrigan” Andersen and co. are 6-2 as betting favourites since the start of the month and should not struggle against the world’s No.81-ranked team.

HEROIC and OG are still without a tournament title this year, yet there is a significant difference in the tiers of competitions they have attended over the last seven months. While HEROIC have played in eight consecutive S-Tier events leading into BLAST Premier Fall Showdown 2024, OG competed at the top level just twice this year — most recently at the CCT Season 1 Global Finals in May.

OG have recently found some traction, winning five consecutive series at Intel Extreme Masters Rio 2024: European Open Qualifier #1, yet those came against K27, ENJOY, ARCRED, PARIVISION, and B8, and not one of those displays was very convincing. HEROIC are 4-6 from their last 10 outings, albeit against much more formidable opponents.

HEROIC are rightly priced as favourites, yet they have been dropping series against weaker sides, so there is a world where OG catch them sleeping. An upset seems unlikely; however, at $1.76 with top Counter-Strike betting sites, OG are a solid pick to take a map.

AMKAL ESPORTS enter BLAST Premier Fall Showdown 2024 with only four active players, having recently parted ways with Daniil “Sdaim” Tupov. This is not an optimal situation, but they might have found a replacement in Emil “nota” Moskvitin, who played for the Russian squad in their most recent series against Young Ninjas.

Ninjas in Pyjamas have a stable roster but no notable results to show for it. They are 3-2 from their last five series, which includes a questionable overtime win against FAVBET Team and a 7-13 loss against LEON Esports.

On paper, Ninjas in Pyjamas are the far superior team. Still, their results over the last few weeks inspire little confidence, making AMKAL ESPORTS an inviting outsider pick to at least leave a dent in NiP’s armour.

Esports betting tips

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Before the start of the LPL 2024 Summer regular season, Rare Atom and Team WE looked like two prime candidates to top Group Nirvana. Three weeks into the split, we know there is no clear favourite to win this section.

Team WE enter the fourth week on a three-game losing streak, with defeats against ThunderTalk Gaming, Oh My God, and Ultra Prime. Most of their issues stem from a passive playstyle and an unwillingness to actively search for opportunities to get ahead, and that could be a problem on Thursday.

Rare Atom did not produce the most convincing performance in their last series either, yet they are 4-1 and will have side choice. For those reasons, Rare Atom are a much wiser pick at plus money with top betting sites.

Royal Never Give Up suffered their fourth defeat of the split on Monday when they lost against Rare Atom. It was a concerning display from RNG, who had their moments but made way too many mistakes to be left unpunished.

Invictus Gaming won their second game of the split on Friday when they swept EDward Gaming. While they still have some work to do, it was a much better performance than against Oh My God at the start of last week.

Even though the rule for Group Nirvana is to back the underdogs if the betting odds go far above even money, Royal Never Give Up have looked bad enough to make Invictus Gaming a better bet at this price.

Weibo Gaming took a bite out of Bilibili Gaming on Tuesday, proving they can dance with the LPL top dogs. LGD Gaming, on the other side, lost their fifth consecutive game of the split on Saturday against Top Esports.

The teams are trending in opposite directions, but there is an unwritten rule never to trust Weibo Gaming as heavy favourites. Moreover, LGD Gaming are not as bad as their record suggests, as it takes a solid team to fight back from early deficits so consistently.

Weibo Gaming should win, but since both teams are volatile, it is fair to believe LGD Gaming can take at least one map.

Esports betting tips

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Rare Atom won their second match of LPL 2024 Summer on Saturday when they swept Invictus Gaming. It was a nice bounce-back win after losing to Ultra Prime on Thursday, but realistically, it was just another case where Rare Atom were lucky to get the result.

EDward Gaming are a capable and resilient team with solid early-game numbers. But while they rarely fall behind too much before the 20-minute mark, EDward are also very inefficient in using their leads to close out games. That was noticeable in their last two series.

Rare Atom haven’t shown much recently, but at $3.06 with the best esports betting sites, they are a great outsider pick.

Ninjas in Pyjamas lost their third consecutive match of the split on Sunday against Weibo Gaming. In their defence, NiP have so far played LNG Esports, Anyone’s Legend, and Weibo, which is a difficult schedule. Still, their lacklustre record has more to do with volatility.

FunPlus Phoenix showed some glimpses last week when they took a map from JD Gaming, but they are not quite at the same level as in the spring split. Some of it has to do with Ping “Xiaolaohu” Xiao-Hu taking personal leave, leaving FPX without a stable weak-side top laner — although Zhu “Zdz” De-Zhang should find his footing with time.

FunPlus Phoenix have a lot to prove after a shaky run through LPL 2024 Summer Placements, but this is still the same core that posted the league’s fourth-best performance figures. Since both teams are a bit wobbly, this could be a scrappy affair that goes to three maps.

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Invictus Gaming lost to ThunderTalk Gaming on Wednesday in two maps. They came close to tying the series, but like all bad teams, IG didn’t play to the strengths of their composition and had a few too many unforced errors.

Rare Atom were priced at around this number to defeat Ultra Prime on Thursday, but they crumbled and lost in two maps. It wasn’t their best showing, but one bad game should not be a reason for concern.

Invictus Gaming are at roughly the same level as Ultra Prime, yet that doesn’t make them a good bet to beat Rare Atom, who are a better team and will have side choice for this series.

Team WE won their first match of the LPL 2024 Summer regular season on Monday when they defeated EDward Gaming. It was a good performance following a troubling display at LPL 2024 Summer Placements.

Royal Never Give Up lost their second match of the split against Oh My God on Tuesday. OMG were by far the worst team in LPL 2024 Summer Placements, so the loss puts a huge question mark above RNG and their overall quality.

Despite recent results, this is still a clash between two weak, inconsistent squads. Team WE might be one of the stabler teams in this group, but at $2.28 with esports betting sites, Royal Never Give Up to sneak in a map is a much wiser bet.

Weibo Gaming started LPL 2024 Summer with a massive victory against JD Gaming but then lost to LNG Esports on Wednesday. However, they held a 3,500 gold lead on the third map at around the 20-minute mark and looked well on their way to winning the series before they crumbled and let LNG back in.

Ninjas in Pyjamas are the same team we know from LPL 2024 Spring — capable of beating anyone and losing to anyone. But while NiP are the type to capitalise on Weibo Gaming’s errors, LoL betting sites have them priced very short at $1.56.

As long as they don’t shoot themselves in the foot again, this talented Weibo Gaming squad should be able to deal with Ninjas in Pyjamas.

Esports betting tips

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Ultra Prime started LPL 2024 Summer with a 0-2 defeat against Invictus Gaming, whereas Rare Atom swept ThunderTalk Gaming. Neither result was surprising.

Rare Atom performed relatively well in LPL 2024 Summer Placements, and while they’re nowhere near the elite teams, Rare Atom look poised to emerge as the top squad in Group Nirvana.

Ultra Prime managed a respectable 3-5 record in the previous stage, but most of those wins came as a result of opponents’ mistakes. Since Rare Atom aren’t the most reliable team, we can expect Ultra Prime to pocket a map, but anything more seems unlikely.

Despite their success in LPL 2024 Summer Placements, Anyone’s Legend are still underappreciated. Even though their combined record of 9-1 includes mostly victories against weaker teams, they also defeated Ninjas in Pyjamas twice in June.

Ninjas in Pyjamas will have side choice for this series, which gives them a slight advantage. They are also stacked with elite-tier players, but while many things work in NiP’s favour, they’re still an unreliable team.

This could be a very competitive series, but Anyone’s Legend won against NiP last month and proved to be the better team. A 2-0 sweep is a realistic possibility and worth a smaller wager.

Esports betting tips

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ThunderTalk Gaming finished LPL 2024 Summer Placements with a 1-5 record, but they deserve some slack as they had to face EDward Gaming, FunPlus Phoenix, and JD Gaming. Rare Atom placed third in Group C with a 3-3 record, with a victory against the inconsistent LNG Esports and two against Oh My God.

Neither squad showed anything exceptional last month, so it’s hard to justify Rare Atom as the favourites — especially considering ThunderTalk Gaming will have side choice for this affair.

In the current meta, winning a map from offside as a non-elite team is very difficult. So even though ThunderTalk are an inviting bet at outsider odds, siding with them on their map pick at even money is a much better choice.

JD Gaming won LPL 2024 Summer Placements Group A without suffering a single loss, whereas Weibo Gaming placed third in Group D with a disappointing 3-5 record.

Numbers-wise, Weibo performed well, but they consistently collapse once the laning phase ends. For the amount of individual talent on this roster, Weibo Gaming should’ve done better — and they eventually will, but it remains to be seen when.

Weibo Gaming closed as $3.25 underdogs with the best esports betting sites in their last meeting with JD Gaming in the LPL 2024 Spring Playoffs. They’re almost double that, so even considering Weibo’s lacklustre showings the previous month, their current price is too generous.

Esports betting tips

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At the offered LoL esports betting odds on this match, it’s fair to wonder whether backing the underdogs is the wiser option. Yet there are reasons to believe Top Esports are simply that much better.

Top Esports are 5-0 in LPL play since their early exit from Mid-Season Invitational 2024, with four of those series ending in clean sweeps. Rare Atom have managed a respectable 3-2 record, but they showed some cracks against Oh My God and LNG Esports in the first and second weeks.

Rare Atom look like one of the best non-contender teams in the LPL and have shown enough to suggest they can do well against other mid-table teams. Beating elite teams such as Top Esports won’t come as easy, but from a betting perspective, siding with the underdogs on the kill handicap makes sense.

Top Esports will start with a side choice, which makes the idea of an upset less likely. However, on their map pick, Rare Atom should be able to keep the score within 10 kills.

Oh My God have not won a single game across the first three weeks of LoL Pro League 2024 Summer Placements. They have not looked good in any of the five series played, and while there’s room for improvement, they need to show something before we can put any trust in them.

LNG Esports are not a very trustworthy team either. They rarely try to make something happen on the map, instead opting to pray on their opponents’ mistakes. While this can be effective against lesser opposition, it means LNG often struggle against the better teams in the league.

Regardless of their lack of consistency and questionable strategy, LNG Esports are an inviting bet to sweep at $1.66 with esports betting sites.

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Oh My God have not added any new players this offseason, so they enter the LPL 2024 Summer Placements with a lot of continuity. They did enough in LPL 2024 Spring to sneak into the playoffs, yet OMG weren’t exactly title contenders.

Rare Atom, on the other side, missed the spring playoffs completely, with just four wins to their name. Unsurprisingly, they decided to rebuild for the second half of the year.

Bringing in top-laner Liu “Yu” Yu, jungler Peng “Xiaohao” Hao, and Sun “Jwei” Jun-Wei, Rare Atom cut the dead weight and added players who could fit in with their aggressive style of play. But while this iteration could do better, it’s hard to imagine Rare Atom competing for top spots.

Considering Oh My God are not that good, there are priced as heavy favourites with esports betting sites. Even though Rare Atom still have to prove that their new lineup will work, they have the right tools to be feisty underdogs.

Royal Never Give Up enter this match off a crushing 2-0 loss to Team WE in a series where they choked with a 5k gold lead on the second map. Throwing away massive leads isn’t indicative of any significant problem, and it perhaps has more to do with the fact that RNG’s new signings — mid-laner Liu “Xzz” Zhu and ADC Tang “huanfeng” Huan-Feng — haven’t had a chance to settle in yet.

There are reasons to feel optimistic about Royal Never Give Up, but not for this match. Bilibili Gaming are one of the best LoL esports teams in the world, performing at an exceptional level both individually and as a unit.

They’ve played a ton of games this season, so there is a chance some fatigue could be settling in. Still, this is not the game where you’d bet against the Mid-Season Invitational 2024 runners-up.

Royal Never Give Up will have side choice, so we’re taking Bilibili to win their map pick with 10 kills to spare.

Esports betting tips

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For Rare Atom, the LPL 2024 Spring split ended a couple of weeks ago, as they’ve managed just four wins across 15 series. On the other side, LNG Esports still have a shot at finishing the regular season in sixth place and securing a direct bye into the second round of the playoffs.

LNG Esports come into this match as heavy favourites with top esports betting sites. Unlike Rare Atom, who have lost their last three series, LNG are on a four-game winning streak.

LNG Esports’ recent resurgence is promising, as it was only a matter of time before they started performing at a high level. But even though LNG still have a lot more to prove, it seems unlikely they will struggle against this Rare Atom outfit.

Top Esports were by far the most dominant team in the LPL for most of the split and are unquestionably one of the LPL’s top three squads. They have so far lost only against Bilibili Gaming, FunPlus Phoenix, and JD Gaming, but more importantly, Top Esports have been very consistent in crushing any weaker opponent.

While Ninjas in Pyjamas are talented enough to compete at the top level, their early game isn’t great. They are also passive and tend to gain leads by taking advantage of their opponent’s mistakes. This approach works against most LPL teams, but it won’t fly against Top Esports.

Stylistically, this will be a very tough match for Ninjas in Pyjamas.

Esports betting tips

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This encounter marked the much-anticipated return of Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev to competitive Counter-Strike 2 action, as he joined Team Falcons on loan.

The match unfolded with twists and turns, ultimately leaving spectators with mixed impressions.

.@METIZPORT TAKE DOWN THE FALCONS! #BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/7uqRewqjR6

— BLAST Premier (@BLASTPremier) March 6, 2024

Team Falcons began the series on a high note, clinching victory on Mirage, the opening map.

Despite S1mple’s somewhat lacklustre individual performance, marked by a rating of 0.84 and a kill/death difference of -1, his contributions proved pivotal in securing the win for his team.

However, as the series progressed to Overpass, S1mple exhibited signs of improvement in his individual gameplay.

Despite Falcons falling short on this map, S1mple’s resilience and adaptability shone through, evident in his positive first kill difference of +5.

The decider, Vertigo, presented its own set of challenges, particularly for a player like S1mple, who had limited experience on the map.

Nonetheless, he showcased a willingness to adapt, contributing with crucial kills and assists, albeit in a losing effort.

Overall, S1mple’s return to competitive play evoked both excitement and scrutiny.

While his presence undoubtedly adds firepower to Team Falcons, his mixed performance in this match raises questions about his adaptation to the evolving CS2 landscape.

As the season progresses, all eyes will be on S1mple and Team Falcons, as they navigate through challenges and strive for success in the competitive arena.

Meanwhile, Heroic and Cloud9 took care of business against Ninjas in Pyjamas and Rare Atom in their respective series to qualify for the quarterfinals alongside Metizport.

Thursday’s Spring Showdown matches

• Team Liquid ($1.66) vs SAW ($2.10) @ 3:15pm CEST
• Complexity ($1.30) vs OG ($3.40) @ 6pm CEST
• Monte ($1.83) vs Imperial ($1.83) @ 8:30pm CEST

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