Despite entering the Counter-Strike match as favourites, Vitality remained vigilant against SAW, who had earlier taken down top teams like G2 Esports and FaZe Clan in a stunning run.

Vitality captain Dan “apEX” Madesclaire emphasised their respect for SAW’s performance, saying, “We did not underestimate them, but focused on ourselves, and it paid off.”

.@TeamVitalityCS aren't here to mess around!

They take down @sawggofficial with a clean 2-0 to secure a spot in the Grand Final of #IEM Cologne 2024

13-6 Nuke
13-5 Dust 2 pic.twitter.com/RNimfdL8c7

— Intel? Extreme Masters (@IEM) August 17, 2024

The match kicked off on SAW’s pick, Nuke, where the underdogs managed to stand toe-to-toe with Vitality early on.

However, after a crucial misstep against pistols, Vitality regained control, eventually turning a 3-5 deficit into a 7-5 half.

Vitality dominated on their terrorist side, allowing SAW just one more round and taking the map 13-6.

The momentum carried into Dust2, where Vitality crushed a deflated SAW 13-5, securing their place in the final.

For SAW, this loss marked the end of their best run in a Big Event, but they can take pride in making their first appearance on such a big stage in Cologne.

It was a CLOSE match but @natusvincere come out on top, defeating @mousesports 2-0 in the #IEM Cologne Semi-Final

16-14 Inferno
13-11 Mirage pic.twitter.com/RCzaHBbwfH

— Intel? Extreme Masters (@IEM) August 17, 2024

The second semi-final saw Natus Vincere (NaVi) edge out MOUZ in a tightly contested two-map series, extending their unbeaten run on Mirage to 12 wins.

Despite NaVi’s strong group stage showing, MOUZ made them fight hard for the victory.

MOUZ’s surprise pick of Inferno caught NaVi off guard, but NaVi managed to rally, winning crucial clutches to take the map 13-11.

On Mirage, MOUZ initially dominated, with Dorian “xertioN” Berman leading the charge with an 18-5 K/D and 152 ADR in the first half.

However, NaVi’s resilience, bolstered by clutch plays from Justinas “jL” Lekavicius and Ihor “w0nderful” Zhdanov, allowed them to claw back and win 16-13, securing their spot in the final.

Aleksi “Aleksib” Virolainen, NaVi’s captain, acknowledged that they need to improve their terrorist-side play if they want to defeat Vitality in the upcoming best-of-five grand final.

The match promises to be a high-stakes showdown between two of the world’s top teams, with NaVi looking to continue their dominant form and Vitality eager to claim their first trophy of 2024.

IEM Cologne grand final

• Team Vitality ($1.66) vs Natus Vincere ($2.10) @ 5pm CEST

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SAW had to win their way into the main event of IEM Cologne through the play-in stage, where they took both games with ease. Throughout the group stage, the all-Portuguese squad upset G2 Esports 2-0 and defeated The Mongolz with the same scoreline before falling to Natus Vincere in the Group A upper-bracket final.

FaZe Clan are coming off one of the biggest comebacks in Counter-Strike 2 history after they overturned a 3-12 deficit to defeat Team Liquid and qualify for the playoffs. Despite losing to Team Vitality in the Group B upper-bracket semi-final, the world’s No.6 team seems to be playing its best CS ahead of the playoffs.

FaZe Clan’s experience in big matches on stage will prove pivotal in this contest, and it should get them over the line without dropping a map.

MOUZ appear to have drawn the worst opponent in the quarter-finals, as they will clash with a red-hot G2 Esports. The world No.5’s IEM Cologne campaign has featured close victories over Falcons and Complexity before falling to Team Vitality in the Group B upper-bracket final.

G2’s upset defeat at the hands of SAW has awoken this squad, which has dismantled the highly regarded Team Spirit and only dropped one map since that opening series. With Nikola “NiKo” Kovac, Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov, and Mario “malbsMd” Samayoa all rated inside the top five players in Cologne, this roster is humming ahead of a massive quarter-final clash.

G2 have been playing do-or-die series in their last three, and they will be primed for this clash. Top esports betting sites are offering $2.50 for G2 to claim this match 2-0, and that looks to be a great price.

Esports betting tips

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Both teams secured their spots in the Group B lower bracket final after decisive 2-0 victories in the Counter-Strike 2 event.

FaZe dominated Falcons and Liquid bested Complexity, setting up a high-stakes clash later in the day for a place in the playoffs.

Liquid’s choice to play Ancient, a map they had only recently added to their map pool, proved risky yet effective.

Despite Roland “?ultimate?” Tomkowiak having a quiet start, Liquid’s riflers, including Keith “?NAF?” Markovic and Russel “?Twistzz?” Van Dulken, stepped up to secure a close win on the first map.

Mareks “?YEKINDAR?” Ga?inskis made key plays on the counter-terrorist side, helping Liquid maintain their momentum.

The second map, Anubis, saw Liquid dominate with strong counter-terrorist tactics and a resurgent ultimate, who delivered an ace to regain his confidence.

Liquid won six straight rounds in the second half to quickly wrap up the series with a 13-5 win.

FaZe entered their match against Falcons as heavy favorites with esports betting sites, and they lived up to expectations.

Dust2 began with an 8-0 streak, with H?vard “?rain?” Nygaard dismantling the Falcons’ offense.

Although Falcons managed to force overtime, FaZe’s superior firepower and strategic adjustments secured a 16-13 win.

The second map, Ancient, saw a back-and-forth battle, but FaZe’s momentum from a crucial pistol round propelled them to victory, sealing their spot in the lower bracket final.

The rematch between FaZe and Liquid was nothing short of epic.

WHAT. A. GAME.

AN INSANE COMEBACK FROM @FaZeClan SENDS THEM TO THE #IEM COLOGNE PLAYOFFS OVER @TeamLiquidCS!!

13-9 Inferno
13-16 Nuke
16-13 Mirage pic.twitter.com/aghGQtSmPs

— Intel? Extreme Masters (@IEM) August 13, 2024

FaZe had narrowly defeated Liquid in their group opener, but this time, the stakes were even higher, with a spot in the playoffs on the line.

Liquid picked Inferno instead of Mirage, hoping for a better outcome, but FaZe’s David “?frozen?” ?erňansky dominated the B-site, helping FaZe secure a 13-9 win.

Nuke was more competitive, with Liquid pushing the game into overtime before FaZe’s defence, led by frozen, halted several of their advances.

Liquid eventually broke through the strong defences, securing the map with a 16-13 scoreline to send the series to a deciding map.

The decider on Mirage seemed destined for a Liquid victory as they stormed to an 11-1 lead, leaving FaZe on the brink of elimination.

However, in one of the greatest comebacks in CS2 history, FaZe clawed their way back from a 3-12 deficit.

A flawless defence from ?rain? and Robin “?ropz?” Kool shut down Liquid’s attacks, forcing the match into overtime.

FaZe completed their miraculous comeback, winning nine consecutive rounds to secure a spot in the playoffs.

.@G2CSGO show no mercy again as they dominate @paiNGamingBR on their way to the #IEM Cologne 2024 Playoffs

13-6 Nuke
13-1 Mirage pic.twitter.com/uMqdJ09qLe

— Intel? Extreme Masters (@IEM) August 13, 2024

In Group A, G2 Esports made a statement by crushing paiN Gaming 2-0 (13-6, 13-1) in a one-sided series, securing their playoff spot.

Nikola “?NiKo?” Kova? and new addition Mario “?malbsMd?” Samayoa led the charge, with G2 delivering a string of dominant victories through the lower bracket.

Natus Vincere, after a sluggish start against SAW, found their form on Ancient and Inferno, securing a 2-1 (9-13, 13-2, 13-6) win and a direct path to the semi-finals.

Meanwhile, Team Vitality overcame MOUZ 2-0 (13-6, 16-13) in a tough upper bracket final, avoiding a quarter-final matchup against the in-form G2.

Friday’s IEM Cologne playoff fixtures

• SAW ($3.00) vs FaZe Clan ($1.35) @ 3:45pm CEST
• MOUZ ($2.35) vs G2 Esports ($1.55) @ 7pm CEST

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The world number two entered IEM Cologne 2024 as the $3.50 favourite with esports betting sites, but after falling to The Mongolz in the opening round, Spirit were faced with a daunting task against G2 in the lower bracket to remain in the tournament.

G2, who were also upset by a play-in stage qualifier, had their IEM Cologne title defence dealt an early blow after suffering a 0-2 loss against SAW.

The do-or-die series began on Spirit’s map pick of Nuke, and it was Nemanja ‘huNter-‘ Kova? who started off hot for G2, recording five kills in the first two rounds to set the tone.

The Kova? cousins, Nikola ‘NiKo’ Kova? and huNter-, dominated for G2 in the first half, propelling the squad to a 9-3 halftime lead.

Three first-half rounds would be the only round wins that Spirit claimed, as G2 quickly wrapped up the map 13-3.

Only Danil ‘donk’ Kryshkovets cracked double-digit kills (10), while Myroslav ‘zont1x’ Plakhotia struggled with four kills and 37.9 ADR on Nuke.

Following a lacklustre performance on their map, Spirit was tasked with playing G2’s pick of Mirage.

However, G2 started Mirage with four straight rounds on the terrorist side before Spirit won their first, thanks to three kills from zont1x.

Unfortunately for Spirit, G2 continued their dominance and finished the half with a massive 11-1 lead before closing out the series with a 13-1 demolition.

.@G2CSGO absolutely DOMINATE @Team__Spirit in the lower bracket of Group A, eliminating the Katowice champions in the process!

13-3 Nuke
13-1 Mirage pic.twitter.com/Fo5lFZABef

— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) August 11, 2024

Spirit has been sent packing from IEM Cologne following an embarrassing performance, which saw them win just four rounds in the clash with G2.

9z Team joined Spirit in last place after they were eliminated from Cologne by paiN Gaming in a back-and-forth three-map series, with paiN completing the reverse sweep after losing the first map.

Meanwhile, Natus Vincere (NaVi) and SAW secured their spots in the LANXESS Arena following their victories in the Group A upper bracket semi-finals.

NaVi proved too strong for Astralis and took the series 2-0 (13-4, 13-7).

SAW was pushed to their limits against The Mongolz, as they played all three maps and eventually claimed the series 2-1 (13-16, 13-7, 13-10).

The IEM Cologne group stage will continue on Monday, with two elimination matches scheduled to kick off the day.

Monday’s IEM Cologne group stage fixtures

• Team Liquid ($1.40) vs FURIA ($2.75) @ 1:30pm CEST
• Virtus.pro ($1.66) vs Falcons ($2.10) @ 1:30pm CEST
• Complexity ($3.00) vs MOUZ ($1.36) @ 3:45pm CEST
• FaZe Clan ($2.37) vs Team Vitality ($1.53) @ 3:45pm CEST
• Astralis ($2.37) vs G2 ($1.53) @ 6:45pm CEST
• The Mongolz ($1.53) vs paiN Gaming ($2.37) @ 6:45pm CEST

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Liquid demonstrated their resilience and depth by overcoming FURIA 2-1 in a dramatic reverse-sweep, where the new and improved Counter-Strike 2 roster continued their upward spiral.

A reverse sweep sees @TeamLiquidCS best @FURIA 2-1 in their advancement match

Anubis 8-13
Nuke 13-11
Mirage 13-7 pic.twitter.com/8Jp8rE9YUP

— Intel? Extreme Masters (@IEM) August 8, 2024

After dropping their Anubis pick, Liquid found themselves in trouble but bounced back on Nuke.

Key performances from Russel “?Twistzz?” Van Dulken and Roland “?ultimate?” Tomkowiak helped Liquid turn the tide.

The decider on Mirage saw Liquid dominate, with Justin “?jks?” Savage and Keith “?NAF?” Markovic anchoring both ends of the map, allowing Mareks “YEKINDAR” Ga?inskis and ultimate to roam freely.

Liquid’s strong map pool and adaptability carried them to victory, with a final win securing their spot in the top-16.

It went to DOUBLE OT but @ComplexityCS still defeat @eternalfiregg 2-0 in order to advance at #IEM Cologne 2024 without dropping a map in Stage 1

13-9 Vertigo
19-17 Dust 2 pic.twitter.com/BCEKQbOL1q

— Intel? Extreme Masters (@IEM) August 8, 2024

Complexity also punched their ticket to the group stage with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Eternal Fire.

After a rough start on Vertigo, Complexity managed a comeback, fueled by a 1vs3 pistol clutch and stellar terrorist-side play from Jonathan “?EliGE?” Jablonowski.

The battle on Dust2 was even more intense, with Complexity and Eternal Fire trading rounds in a messy but entertaining match.

Michael “?Grim?” Wince’s 1vs2 ace clutch was pivotal, and despite some shaky moments, Johnny “?JT?” Theodosiou’s clutch in double overtime secured the win.

And it's @sawggofficial who best @BIGCLANgg over the 3 map series to secure their spot in #IEM Cologne Stage 2!

7-13 Anubis
13-5 Ancient
13-11 Inferno pic.twitter.com/AylbhdCrFk

— Intel? Extreme Masters (@IEM) August 8, 2024

SAW became the first team to advance to the group stage from the play-in.

The Portuguese squad triumphed over BIG in a three-map series that culminated in a nail-biting Inferno decider.

After trading each other’s map picks, SAW came back from a deficit on Inferno, with Jo?o “?story?” Vieira’s 1vs2 clutch in the final round sealing the victory.

The win was a significant milestone for veterans Ricardo “?roman?” Oliveira and Christopher “?MUTiRiS?” Fernandes, who credited their younger teammates for the success.

While those three teams have qualified for the main event at IEM Cologne, FlyQuest, 3DMAX and ALTERNATE aTTaX were eliminated from the play-in stage on Thursday after suffering their second loss.

Friday will be the final day of the play-in stage, and the remaining 10 squads will battle it out for the last five places in the main event.

Friday’s IEM Cologne play-in matches

• 9z Team ($1.44) vs MIBR ($2.62) @ 1:30pm CEST
• Imperial ($2.50) vs paiN Gaming ($1.50) @ 1:30pm CEST
• BIG ($2.25) vs Falcons ($1.57) @ 3:45pm CEST
• FURIA ($1.83) vs Heroic ($1.83) @ 3:45pm CEST
• The Mongolz ($1.61) vs Eternal Fire ($2.20) @ 6:45pm CEST
• Winner of Imperial/paiN Gaming vs Loser of MIBR/9z Team @ 6:45pm CEST

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The first day produced some upset results, with The Mongolz and Heroic going down as the esports betting sites’ favourite in their opening best-of-three series.

The Mongolz are on the brink of elimination at IEM Cologne after a 1-2 loss to SAW, faltering on defence.

BIG, on the other hand, managed a comeback victory over FlyQuest after initially blowing a 9-3 lead.

These two winners will face off for a spot in the main event of the tournament.

SAW, energised and well-prepared under new head coach Danny “?BERRY?” Krüger, overcame a slow start on Anubis.

They trailed 4-8 on the counter-terrorist side but rallied in the second half, exploiting The MongolZ’s weak B bomb site.

Despite a comeback from The Mongolz forcing overtime, SAW secured a 16-13 win.

After The Mongolz won on Ancient, SAW dominated Dust2, with key contributions from Jo?o ‘story’ Vieira, Michel ‘ewjerkz’ Pinto, and Rafael ‘arrozdoce’ Wing, to win 13-5.

.@BIGCLANgg put a stop to the @FlyQuestCS comeback at the last hour! The German squad opens their #IEM Cologne 2024 campaign with a victory

14-16 Ancient
13-10 Inferno
13-11 Vertigo pic.twitter.com/B9DTOIWTD7

— Intel? Extreme Masters (@IEM) August 7, 2024

BIG’s match against FlyQuest was similarly dramatic.

After trading 9-3 terrorist halves and forcing overtime, FlyQuest took the lead.

BIG responded by winning on Inferno and dominating Vertigo with a 10-0 start.

FlyQuest attempted a comeback, but BIG held on for a 13-11 victory.

MIBR, under new in-game leader André “?drop?” Abreu, defeated Heroic 2-1.

Heroic struggled on the defensive side, losing 7-13 on Mirage and Anubis after a strong start on Ancient.

MIBR’s Felipe “?insani?” Yuji and AWPer Rafael “?saffee?” Costa were standout performers.

.@MIBR take down @heroicgg 2-1 in their opening game of #IEM Cologne 2024

10-13 Ancient
13-7 Mirage
13-7 Anubis pic.twitter.com/GtNPlIX1xR

— Intel? Extreme Masters (@IEM) August 7, 2024

The next phase will see 3DMAX face Heroic in an elimination match, and 9z Team take on MIBR for a group stage spot.

9z easily defeated 3DMAX 13-3 and 13-4, showcasing star player Franco “?dgt?” Garcia and captain Maximiliano “?max?” Gonzalez.

Eternal Fire is close to securing a spot in the main event after a 2-1 win over Falcons.

The match saw standout performances from Ismailcan “?XANTARES?” D?rtkarde? on Vertigo and ?zgür “?woxic?” Eker on Dust2, despite some sloppy play from both teams.

Team Liquid and FURIA won their opening matches, defeating paiN Gaming and Imperial, respectively.

Liquid, coming off strong performances at BLAST Premier Fall Groups, overcame paiN with solid terrorist-side efforts on Anubis and Inferno.

FURIA’s Brazilian derby against Imperial saw them recover from a disastrous start on Dust2 to win the series 2-1, highlighted by a 13-0 thrashing on Inferno.

Day one of #IEM Cologne 2024 and we've seen it all.

A back and forth affair that goes 3 maps until @FURIA decided to end it with a 13-0 against @imperialesports

3-13 Dust 2
13-11 Nuke
13-0 Inferno pic.twitter.com/Os0naPYZyI

— Intel? Extreme Masters (@IEM) August 7, 2024

Thursday’s IEM Cologne play-in fixtures

• SAW ($1.80) vs BIG ($1.90) @ 1:30pm CEST
• The Mongolz ($1.40) vs FlyQuest ($2.75) @ 1:30pm CEST
• 3DMAX ($2.25) vs Heroic ($1.57) @ 3:45pm CEST
• FURIA ($2.62) vs Team Liquid ($1.44) @ 3:45pm CEST
• ALTERNATE aTTaX ($7.00) vs Falcons ($1.08) @ 6:45pm CEST
• Complexity ($2.10) vs Eternal Fire ($1.66) @ 6:45pm CEST

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FlyQuest and BIG have enough talent on their rosters to qualify for the IEM Cologne 2024 main event. However, it is tough to pick a winner between these two, and betting on the total maps market looks to be the safest play.

The Mongolz broke into the top 10 on the ESL world rankings for the first time, but they have since dropped to 11th. The Mongolian squad is ranked 18 spots higher than SAW and shouldn’t have much trouble beating the Portuguese roster.

Heroic will have to play at IEM Cologne with Volodymyr “Woro2k” Veletnjuk as a stand-in, which should make this clash against MIBR closer than first expected. Neither team enters this event in great form, so taking the underdog at the match line is the play.

9z Team surprised everyone when they finished in third-fourth place at IEM Dallas 2024, where they defeated the likes of Liquid, Vitality and MOUZ. 3DMAX have had little time to prepare for their IEM Cologne campaign after being added as a replacement for BetBoom Team on Monday. At $1.80 with top esports bookmakers, 9z represent great value.

These teams are separated by 84 spots in the ESL world rankings, so it is no surprise that Complexity are $1.06 favourites. There is no value in head-to-head or match-line betting with esports betting sites, so the round-line market is the value option.

Falcons have yet to win an S-Tier tournament since their inception into Counter-Strike; however, recent results suggest they are improving steadily. Eternal Fire enter this series as favourites, but given the improvement of this Falcons squad, the underdogs can spring a surprise.

FURIA are heavy favourites to beat Imperial, as they are 16 spots higher in the ESL world rankings. Following a strong performance at the Esports World Cup, it is hard to bet against this new and improved FURIA outfit.

Team Liquid have looked better under the leadership of Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken, defeating Natus Vincere twice en route to qualifying for the BLAST Premier Fall Final. PaiN Gaming have been competing against South American teams in qualifiers and A-Tier events, so it is hard to see them beating Liquid in this series.

Esports betting tips

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Following the second and final day of the group stage, G2 Esports and SAW were eliminated in seventh-eighth place after suffering defeats at the hands of Team Vitality and Astralis, respectively.

Although G2’s star AWPer, Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov, arrived in London at the venue just minutes before their series started, the lack of reps and play time for the Counter-Strike squad showed as they fought hard but couldn’t secure pivotal rounds.

Vitality would take the series 2-1 (13-4, 9-13, 13-5) with G2 only able to secure Vitality’s map pick of Anubis, thanks to Nikola “NiKo” Kovac putting the team on his back and recording a map-high 1.51 rating.

Demonstrating their dominance, every player on Vitality recorded a positive kill/death differential and a rating above one, with Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut leading the way with a series-high 1.44 rating and +19 K/D.

.@kingmezii WILL play in front of the home crowd as @TeamVitality secure the series! #BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/GrEsCaGCJS

— BLAST Premier (@BLASTPremier) June 13, 2024

Meanwhile, SAW was thrashed by a much-improved Astralis in two maps, as the Nicolai “device” Reedtz’ led squad claimed Dust2 13-6, thanks to a vintage performance from the in-game leader.

After a dominant first map, it was device again who would lead a second map stomp, as the Danish roster only needed 16 rounds to claim Mirage 13-3 and wrap up the series.

Topping the charts in terms of ratings for the second day, device finished with a massive 1.90 rating out of 2, +23 kill/death difference, and 109.9 ADR.

.@AstralisCS are heading to the OVO Wembley Arena #BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/BFCTWmd8I2

— BLAST Premier (@BLASTPremier) June 13, 2024

Although the other four teams didn’t risk elimination, the results would set up the playoff bracket, with Natus Vincere getting the better of FaZe Clan 2-1 (13-5, 9-13, 13-10), and Team Spirit proved the superior team in their region as they bested fellow Russian squad Virtus.pro 2-0 (13-4, 13-11).

With the loss, FaZe will clash with Team Vitality in the opening match on Friday, where the winner will advance to the semi-finals to take on Team Spirit.

Later, Virtus.pro and Astralis will clash for the right to play against Natus Vincere in the other semi-final on Saturday.

Friday’s Spring Final matches

• FaZe Clan ($2.07) vs Team Vitality ($1.74) @ 4pm BST
• Astralis ($1.62) vs Virtus.pro ($2.27) @ 7pm BST

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This victory marked a turnaround for the Counter-Strike powerhouse, following some lukewarm performances at previous events like ESL Pro League and IEM Dallas.

The match against SAW saw a fierce battle unfold, particularly on Ancient, where SAW initially seized control with a dominant lead.

Despite FaZe facing match point, they staged an impressive comeback, pushing the game into overtime and eventually clinching the win.

Nuke, though floated as a comfort map for both teams, wasn’t necessary as FaZe displayed their prowess on Inferno, securing the series convincingly.

First W of the Spring Final secured for @FaZeEsports #BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/pffNGLCDFc

— BLAST Premier (@BLASTPremier) June 12, 2024

Meanwhile, Natus Vincere made a strong statement with a swift 2-0 (13-11, 13-9) victory over Astralis, bouncing back from a disappointing IEM Dallas showing.

Their win over the Danish giants set them up for a showdown against FaZe, while Astralis geared up to face SAW in a bid to stay alive in the tournament.

No dramas for @natusvincere on the opening day of the Spring Groups #BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/b7rLBvSXF8

— BLAST Premier (@BLASTPremier) June 12, 2024

Virtus.pro, after breaking a four-series losing streak, secured a hard-fought 2-1 (5-13, 13-11, 13-10) win over Vitality, propelling them to the upper bracket final of Group B.

Despite trailing on Inferno and Dust2, Virtus.pro staged a remarkable comeback, particularly on Anubis, where they showcased their resilience and determination.

What a reverse sweep from @virtuspro, securing their spot in the Wembley Arena! #BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/Gr057w7eEp

— BLAST Premier (@BLASTPremier) June 12, 2024

Team Spirit also started strong with a 2-1 (8-13, 13-7, 13-4) victory over G2 Esports, despite the latter fielding coach Wiktor ‘TaZ’ Wojtas instead of star player Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov due to visa issues.

Spirit’s triumph over G2, highlighted by their dominant performance on Anubis, sets up an intriguing clash against Virtus.pro in the upcoming matches.

.@Team__Spirit secure the final W of the opening day in London! #BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/NXn4BOg4yL

— BLAST Premier (@BLASTPremier) June 12, 2024

Thursday’s Spring Final matches

• SAW ($4.15) vs Astralis ($1.22) @ 12pm BST
• FaZe Clan ($1.60) vs Natus Vincere ($2.32) @ 2:30pm BST
• Team Vitality ($1.60) vs G2 Esports ($2.28) @ 5pm BST
• Virtus.pro ($3.88) vs Team Spirit ($1.25) @ 7:30pm BST

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FaZe Clan have terrorised the Counter-Strike esports scene since October 2023, but they’ve recently lost some of their potency. After a streak of placing top three in nine of 10 consecutive tournaments, FaZe finished ESL Pro League Season 19 and Intel Extreme Masters Dallas 2024 in fifth-eighth and fifth-sixth place, respectively.

In both events, FaZe were eliminated by the eventual finalists, so things aren’t that bad. And considering they are still 14-6 from their last 20 series, there’s no reason for panic.

SAW haven’t been attending many top-rated events since late last year, and even in the tournaments SAW have participated in, they’ve rarely made it further than the first stage. The Portuguese CS squad are also 2-5 from their last seven series, which include defeats against Sangal Esports, RUSH B, SINNERS Esports and Zero Tenacity.

FaZe Clan might not be as dangerous as they were a few months back, but they should crush SAW without any issues.

Natus Vincere haven’t shown much since their victory at PGL Major Copenhagen 2024, with two early exits from ESL Pro League Season 19 and Intel Extreme Masters Dallas 2024.

NaVi’s form seems to be deteriorating, and their recent performances against Complexity, FaZe Clan, Team Spirit, and HEROIC make it very hard to believe they have a realistic chance to win in London.

Astralis found momentum after missing out on the Copenhagen Major, with three semifinal appearances at IEM Chengdu 2024, ESL Pro League Season 19, and CCT Season 1 Global Finals. But they did not look nearly as good at the recent YaLLa Compass 2024.

Astralis are priced as favourites with the best esports betting sites, which makes sense after what they’ve shown in recent tournaments. But the Danes overperformed in April and May, and they’re not that much better than Natus Vincere.

Team Vitality have emerged as one of the more consistent Counter-Strike teams in Europe. Since their semifinal run at the Major, Vitality have added two silver medals from ESL Pro League Season 19 and IEM Dallas 2024, proving they belong among the elite squads.

Virtus.pro have shown some improvement since April with promising runs at IEM Chengdu 2024, ESL Pro League Season 19, and BetBoom Dacha Belgrade. But in Dallas, they crumbled and headed home early.

Virtus.pro have had their moments over the last couple of months, but it’s tough to believe they’ll stand a chance against Team Vitality, who rarely struggle against lesser opponents.

G2 Esports accomplished the impossible and won Intel Extreme Masters Dallas 2024 despite playing with a stand-in. They are now in a similar position for BLAST Premier Spring Final 2024, as they’re without Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov.

Team Spirit have also found some success since March. They reached the PGL Major Copenhagen 2024 playoffs, finished second at BetBoom Dacha Belgrade 2024, and made it all the way to the semifinals in Dallas.

Form-wise, Team Spirit and G2 Esports look fairly equal, and even though G2 will travel to London without their star AWPer, it’s absurd to see a team with so much firepower priced as $4.50 underdogs. Even without m0NESY, G2 Esports should be priced closer to $3.00.

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