Big night of esports coming up this Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning with a variety of different events on the card! Today we take a look at some of the key matchups from the LPL 2021 Spring as well as the BLAST Premier: Global Final 2020.
ESports Betting Tips: Tuesday, January 19th
EDward Gaming vs LGD Gaming
LPL 2021 Spring
LGD Gaming enter this match off a 1-2 loss against Victory Five on Saturday, where they did not look too bad all things considered. LGD took game one quite convincingly but got completely outclassed in game two and three, and eventually lost 1-2.
Even though it's hard to praise a team for losing, LGD are capable of much more than what they have shown so far. Despite their loss, we have to consider hat V5 are looking very sharp this season so winning one map against them is an achievement of sorts.
EDward Gaming won their most recent bout with FunPlus Phoenix (2-1) in what was a very close affair from start to finish. Having said that, I can confidently say that that match was more likely to end in EDG's 2-0 win rather than the other way around.
These early-season fixtures are rarely one-sided, seeing how there were only six clean sweeps in 20 games played. That was somewhat expected considering many top teams underperform early into the season, whereas underdogs tend to shine in this chaotic period.
There is no denying EDG are individually stronger, but that does not mean much so early into the season. EDG are priced at only 1.58 to win with 2-0, which is why I will much rather side with LGD to win one map at 2.14.
LGD Gaming +1.5 Maps
$2.14
Astralis vs Evil Geniuses
BLAST Premier: Global Final 2020
Astralis enter the BLAST Premier: Global Final 2020 looking for their first CS:GO tournament title of the year and if the esports betting odds are any indication, the Danes are in a very good spot to achieve that feat. They will begin their journey through the competition with a clash against Evil Geniuses, who will appear on the battlefield for the first time since November when they crashed out of the Intel Extreme Masters XV - Beijing Online: North America.
Evil Geniuses were one of the most up-and-down teams in 2020. They started the year with shaky performances, then went on to dominate the North American scene and ended the season with another streak of disappointing results.
Regardless of EG's inconsistencies in 2020, they are one of few teams that usually perform well against Astralis, largely due to their firepower, which matches nicely up with Astralis' tactical playstyle.
These teams last met in November 2019 when Astralis won 2-1. Seeing best-of-three fixtures between these two sides go the distance was quite a regular occurrence so there is definitely a chance we might be in for another close series.
I don't have a problem with bookmakers pricing Astralis as heavy favourites, but I would not dare to predict a clean 2-0 victory. We have to keep in mind this is the first fixture after the competitive break, and games like this are usually very open. Bet on EG to win one map!
Evil Geniuses +1.5 Maps
$1.90
G2 Esports vs FURIA
BLAST Premier: Global Final 2020
FURIA took an extended trip to Europe to participate at the BLAST Premier: Global Final 2020, where they will meet with G2 Esports for the fourth time in the last three months. FURIA enter this match 2-1 in the head-to-head with G2, however, they're still priced as massive underdogs, which is understandable given their recent roster changes.
FURIA have not long-ago parted ways with their AWPer Henrique "HEN1" Teles, who got replaced by Paytyn "Junior" Johnson. Even though we have yet to see Junior play for FURIA, this seems like a downgrade. Additionally, Junior will not be able to help FURIA at the BLAST due to visa issues and got replaced by Lucas "honda" Honda, which is definitely a downgrade since he is a rookie with no previous experience in competing at the highest level.
G2 Esports are not exactly one of the most in-form teams in the scene, but they had a few flashes of greatness shortly after the signing of Nikola "NiKo" Kovač. They have since produced a mixed bag of results, which is not all too exciting, however, since this is the first tournament after the break, BLAST will be a perfect opportunity for G2 to start fresh.
Both teams will enter this match a bit ring rusty since they were both on a month-long break, meaning we can expect a more open affair. Even with that, I don't see how FURIA can defeat G2, even though there is a chance they steal one map.
