PGL Major Stockholm Playoffs – New Champions to take the throne in 2021

CS:GO
November 3, 2021
Mario Juric

Nobody expected six big names in competitive CSGO to face elimination before the final stage of the event comes around. Yet, here we are with Astralis, Liquid, FaZe, ENCE and MOUZ all eliminated at PGL Major Stockholm. Now, the stage is set for the best CSGO teams from all over to globe to compete for a Major trophy.

Three matches are promising solid payouts CSGO odds-wise today. Let’s set our predictions and take a look at who makes it past the finish line.

Vitality PGL Major Stockholm

© PGL

Heroic vs Virtus.pro

In the very first match, Heroic will have a solid chance to book themselves a spot in the semifinals. After dropping the first match in the New Legends Stage, Heroic bounced back with three straight victories against Astralis, Vitality, and Copenhagen Flames.

Virtus.pro, on the other hand, went 1-0, but afterwards, they were matched against Gambit and Natus Vincere. No one expected much as they found themselves on the verge of being eliminated. But, they showed great spirit by bouncing back and beating MOUZ and FaZe.

Map veto is going to be interesting in this one. Nuke and Dust 2 are for sure not getting picked. Vertigo seems like a solid pick for Virtus.pro, but bear in mind that Heroic is not avoiding this map either. Danes should have a good time on two maps, that being Inferno and Overpass. They are also much better on Ancient.

All in all, Virtus.pro could snatch a map win out of Heroic, but that is the most they will be able to do. At the current odds, the smart money is definitely on Heroic.

Prediction: Heroic to win
Odds: 1.50

G2 vs NIP

In our opinion, this is the most interesting match of the PGL Major quarterfinals. Both teams are looking so good right now and it is going to be amazing to watch these two titans go at it.

G2 won 4 straight matches while NIP showed signs of struggling against Natus Vincere and Gambit. However, let’s not forget the fact that they trashed Astralis 16-1. We also have to mention that G2 got lucky with the draw because they avoided top teams, unlike NIP that had to compete against the top rosters to get to where they are now.

Map pool is all over the place for this match. Overpass and Vertigo are getting permabanned. NIP relied a lot on Inferno in recent matches hence why we believe that they will go for it again. G2 played a lot of Mirage and this seems like a logical pick for them. If a deciding map is needed, things will probably end up on Ancient or Inferno.

To summarize this pick. G2 did not have to compete against top teams and this is the sole reason why they made it so far without breaking a sweat. NIP, however, had to battle through adversity and they made it in the end. We also strongly believe that NIP has a better map veto and at even odds, NIP is definitely a better choice.

Prediction: NIP to win
Odds: 1.80

Gambit vs FURIA

Last but not least, we left the easiest pick out of them all for the end. FURIA is a great team, but they are nowhere near Gambit right now.

There is no need to talk about current form, map veto, or anything similar for this match. Overall, Gambit is just a much better team in every aspect of CSGO and they are going to win this match without dropping a map.

Prediction: Gambit to win 2-0
Odds: 1.90

Not a bad haul to start off playoffs.

Legends Stage Predictions

Virtus.pro vs MOUZ

After beating Vitality, Virtus.pro suffered defeats to Gambit and Natus Vincere, which was more than expected. They even surprised us by going all 30 rounds against Gambit. On the other hand, MOUZ just got their first victory against ENCCE and they were stomped by both FURIA and NiP.

Map pool for this best of 3 series is quite interesting. We know for a fact that Nuke and Overpass are getting permabanned. Inferno definitely seems like a good choice for Virtus.pro side, while MOUZ will look to compete on Vertigo. As a decider, we can expect Mirage.

All in all, this is a tough match to predict. Even though Virtus.pro had a solid showing against Gambit, they also showed a lot of flaws. MOUZ, however, barely got to this stage and they are underdogs in this match for a reason. We believe that it’s for the best if we avoid the match-winner bet in this one and stick with the “total maps played” bet.

Prediction: Total Maps Played – Over 2.5
Odds: 1.90

Heroic vs Copenhagen Flames

The hype around Copenhagen Flames is insane right now. Can you imagine that this match is considered a coin flip in the eyes of betting sites? Honestly, we can’t.

After suffering a defeat to the best CSGO team in the world, Heroic bounced back with dominant victories against Astralis and Vitality. Copenhagen Flames also suffered a defeat in the opener of The New Legends stage to G2. After that, they trashed FaZe Clan and Evil Geniuses in commanding fashion.

Heroic should definitely go for Inferno as their map pick while Copenhagen Flames already proved that they can play Vertigo on a high level against Heroic. This time around, we think that Heroic will make adjustments and that they’ll take care of their Danish rivals with ease.

Despite losing to Copenhagen Flames in The New Challengers stage, we don’t think that this scenario will happen again. Let’s not forget the fact that Copenhagen Flames don’t belong to the tier 1 teams while Heroic has been playing against top contenders for a while now. At even odds, this is by far the best bet we have for you.

Prediction: Heroic to win
Odds: 1.80

Astralis vs Vitality

Last but not least, we found a solid bet for this match. In this elimination match, we are siding with Vitality, and here is why.

Vitality could have easily advanced through if they were a bit luckier. Matches against Heroic and Virtus.pro could have easily gone the other way around with a bit of luck. Astralis, however, looked poor in their last couple of matches. They won one round against NiP and 7 rounds against Heroic. Danes are definitely in a slump right now.

It is pointless to talk about map veto in this one. Vitality is simply a better team in this match and they should come out on top without any problems. Even though odds are not as rewarding, there is still value in this bet.

Prediction: Vitality to win
Odds: 1.50

This time around, we are looking at 5x return for an accumulator featuring all three matches.

Challengers Stage Round 4 Predictions

We enter a day of eliminations at the PGL Major Stockholm Challenger Stage. Three matches are putting some big names in CSGO on the chopping block. Astralis is facing elimination and so are the Renegades. Meanwhile, ENCE and BIG are seeking to either make it through in potentially two consecutive series.

The CSGO odds are giving amazing payouts if you play your wagers correctly. Let’s take a close look at three matches on the day, set our expectations and give out our predicitons.

Astralis vs paiN

Astralis lost two straight and they are really struggling right now. Gla1ve being back on the roster did not make the team perform thus far. The win against GODSENT keeps Astralis in the event, but they are facing an elimination series today.

Their opponent paiN Gaming, also faced double defeats but they were both highly contested at 16:14. As a squad they do seem to have things together better then Astralis.

When it comes to map pool, this match will likely end up on Nuke and Inferno. Both of these maps are good for either side hence why individual skill will determine who wins this match.

All in all, we believe that paiN have what it takes, and odds are superb on them to win this match.

Prediction: paiN to win
Odds: 4.75

MOUZ vs Renegades

Here’s a simple pick that does not require much thinking. Mouz are amping up right now and they look to be on an up-tick this fall. On the other hand, Renegades did nothing but pump stats by beating amateur teams from their region. Both teams had a bad start to his event, and both are facing elimination even before the main event kicks off.

From our perspective, MOUZ will have to make insane mistakes to lose this match. All in all, this is one of the best bets for an elimination match in the Challenger Stage.

Prediction: Mouz to win 2:0
Odds: 1.55

BIG vs ENCE

Let’s face it. We all know that BIG is not a team that will reach #1. However, every time they attend a major CSGO tournament, they should always be considered as the dark horse. They beat Renegades and Entropiq which is enough to buy them a shot at qualifying in the next two matches. ENCE is in the same lot as they went through GODSENT and MOUZ with similar scorelines to their opponent today.

Both teams are only capable of playing three maps on a high level, and we have every right to believe that this bout will end up on Dust2, Nuke or Inferno. With that being said, this match should be viewed as a coinflip, but betting sites do not see it that way. Currently, Virtus.pro are big favorites in this one and we believe that this should not be the case hence why we are playing the odds in this one.

Prediction: Total Maps over 2.5
Odds: 2.00

We are looking at roughly 15x return on our investment if we tie these three matches up in an accumulator. You may even pair your bet with the Esport Club Betway Bonus and earn yourself some free bets.