Directly after the incredible finish to EPL Season 13, we begin the Blast Premier Spring Showdown 2021. The tournament features a simple single elimination format; a round of 16, quarter finals, semi-finals and finals.
The teams that will be playing are a mix of top tier teams and some who are outside of the top 50. This results in many first round matches, are heavily favoring one team in the CSGO betting odds. For those who enjoy betting on the dark horse, or, on the flip side, a “sure thing”, it will be exciting.
The first few matches have proven how much things can go wrong for the favorites in this event. Out of three matches played thus far, two ended up with the underdogs moving forward, while favorites end up quickly eliminated. We’ve now had two “favorites” meet early departures in Astralis and Liquid who both got eliminated in the opening round.
Coming into day two, we overview five more match ups and analyze the clear winners and potential upsets coming your way. Of course you can have our betting predictions as well.
Out of all the matches in round 1, this is the dark horse pick to make. Extra Salt has no wins against teams in the top 20. However, their map pool lines up nicely against Spirits. The core of Spirit have played together and had success for a while now. With newcomer degster popping off recently, Spirit is for sure the favourite in this one. Expect a close couple of games ending in a 2-0 for Spirit.
Since we expect a close matchup, the best CSGO bet here would be to bet on Team Spirit winning & Over 26.5 Rounds. You can expect a hefty return of x2.55 over at Betway, twice for each map played. If you are a first timer you can also utilize a nice Betway bonus as well.
Gambit is currently one of the best teams in the world, having just come in second place in a heartbreaking loss to Heroic in EPL. An explosive team coming together as a unit, they have been looking unstoppable up until their most recent match. They are going up against NASR, a relatively unknown team ranked #135th in the world on HLTV. The results of this match seem obvious, with no clear path to victory for NASR.
Expect a quick 2-0 for Gambit. To only valid bet here is to go for Gambit winning both pistol rounds at x1.55.
This one is the closest match in terms of esports betting odds. FURIA have been playing very well recently, with a top 4 finish at EPL and 7th at IEM Katowice. With a good well rounded team and a solid map pool, Furia matches up very well against a waffling MIBR. MIBR will be playing with exit, who finally has an opportunity to prove himself against a top team.
Having yet to play an official match with this lineup, expect MIBR to get run over 2-0 though. There are decent returns on predicting the correct score at x1.80.
Coming off of an incredible run in EPL where they did not drop a series, Heroic looks to take their momentum into this tournament. With the whole lineup looking composed, energetic, optimistic and focused, they are running on all pistons and look to overtake SAW, who has yet to play a team in the top 20. We will see if SAW are in for a rude awakening from their recent results. Heroic are the favorite in this match with a deep map pool that has been tested by the best teams in the world, there are few roads that lead to victory for SAW.
A 2-0 from the surging Heroic is likely, and you can expect x1.60 in return.
Finally, with a massive gap in the odds, Vitality look to walk through 9Z with ease. With the recent announcement that RpK will be stepping down after this tournament, expect a swan song performance out of “le tank”. Another factor is the undeniable Zywoo, who is regarded as the next best player in the world after s1mple. 9Z on the other hand, have no games against a team in the top 50. Though the map pool lines up decently for 9Z, it is hard to tell how well their experience will translate against a top team in the world. Expect a 2-0 from Vitality. There is no valid odds to add to our betslip in this matchup in any shape or form.
Most of these games in the round of 16 seem to be very one sided. Though it is unlikely, It would be very exciting to see one of the underdogs come out ahead. An unlikely hero always creates a fun storyline to follow. All matches take place Wednesday and Thursday.
Read next: CadiaN – The back bone of Heroic delivers ESL Pro League glory
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