Our esports tipster Michael Lee returns with Counter-Strike: Global Offensive betting picks for three CCT North Europe Series #2 playoff games on Monday, December 5. Today he looks at three matches in the second quarter-final round, in Movistar Riders vs forZe, HEET vs Into The Breach, and ENCE vs AGO.
Esports Betting Tips: Monday, December 5th
Movistar Riders vs forZe
CCT North Europe Series #2 Playoffs
After two months, forZe found the first replacement for the departed Aleksandr "KENSI" Gurkin and Evgeniy "Norwi" Ermolin, by bringing in Vladislav "Krad" Kravchenko. Krad was last seen competing with Entropiq, with who he achieved a lot in 2021, but was let go due to visa issues and unsatisfactory performances in the last two Major qualifiers.
As an experienced rifler, Krad just might be the player to help forZe bounce back, but the team will need a bit more time before we'll see any great results. Movistar Riders have not made any roster changes since October, but perhaps they should have.
Over the last two months, Movistar Riders haven't much, claiming just four victories over a 10-game stretch, and that includes a handful of very disappointing results against SAW, For the Win, and BLUEJAYS.
Movistar Riders are clearly struggling with their form, while forZe seem to be on the upswing. This is still a match between two weak teams, but out of the two, I prefer forZe, who have a much higher ceiling.
forZe to win
$1.85 (1 Unit)
HEET vs Into The Breach
CCT North Europe Series #2 Playoffs
Despite forming a promising lineup, HEET have yet to impress and are 2-4 since the start of November. They had to play tough opponents during Elisa Masters Espoo, so that record might not paint an entirely fair picture, but the team's performances as a whole have been very unconvincing.
Into the Breach are in much better form, having won six straight games in November, which includes three during the CCT North Europe Series #2 group stage, beating Illuminar Gaming, forZe, and 9INE. Not very tough opponents, but at least they're winning games consistently.
HEET field a more talented roster, so I am not too shocked to see them priced as the main favourites for this match. But given their lack of consistency, I would not expect them to walk away from this match unharmed.
This is a game where Into the Breach can easily take one map and perhaps even cook up an upset. So I have no issues taking over 2.5 maps at 1.88.
Over 2.5 maps
$1.88 (1 Unit)
ENCE vs AGO
CCT North Europe Series #2 Playoffs
ENCE are massive favourites against AGO, who enter this match as 4.33 underdogs. And that is not too surprising.
Even though ENCE are no longer the same team that took the CS:GO scene by storm earlier this season and finished top four at PGL Major Antwerp, they have been performing strongly. Last month, ENCE fought well in the Rio Major, and even though they exited the tournament in ninth-12th place, ENCE still secured two wins in the Legends Stage, beating Bad News Eagles and Team Vitality.
AGO, have not achieved anything I could compare to ENCE's recent results. The Polish squad's only noteworthy over the last five months was a successful qualification run through CCT Central Europe Series #3: Closed Qualifier and CCT North Europe Series #2: Closed Qualifier. On the other hand, they crashed and burned at CCT Central Europe Series #3 and ESL Challenger League Season 43: Europe, where they placed 17th-19th and 17th-23rd.
If ENCE don't play the way they can, there is a chance AGO might make a day harder for them, but I wouldn't count on that happening. ENCE, while weaker than how they were in the first half of the season, are stil miles ahead of AGO. Anything but a 2-0 sweep won't cut it.
ENCE -1.5 maps
$1.83 (1 Unit)
