It seems like we hav ebeen waiting an eternity, but the next CS:GO major event is finally set to kick off as the best teams in the world travel to Sweden for the PGL Major Stockholm. Michael Lee has three best bets from the Monday night action at the major below.
Esports Betting Tips: Tuesday, October 26th
Astralis vs Copenhagen Flames
PGL Major Stockholm 2021
The Major defending champions, Astralis, will clash with Copenhagen Flames on Tuesday, October 26, in the opening match of the New Challengers Stage. The two Danish CS:GO teams have never met before, which should provide us with an exciting fixture.
Astralis are billed as one of the top teams at the tournament and are one of the best teams in the world, however, that doesn't mean much, at least not for this match. As history has taught us, Major opening matches are tough to predict, especially since they're all BO1, and it's not too uncommon for the underdogs to cause an upset.
While that's not a very smart way to approach betting on all games, there is more to Copenhagen Flames than just the »underdog BO1 buff«. Copenhagen Flames have earned their right to play at the Major, and even though they haven't won any major tournaments, they have done well against other top teams.
Just two weeks back, the Flames defeated the former no.1 team, Gambit Esports (2-0) and claimed a 19-16 victory against G2 Esports at the start of the month. They have since produced a few questionable performances, but Copenhagen Flames are still 12-3 in their last 15 fixtures.
It won't be easy, but I have faith in Copenhagen Flames to step up and keep this match close.
Copenhagen Flames +2.5 Rounds
$2.14
MOUZ vs Sharks Esports
PGL Major Stockholm 2021
MOUZ might be a more established name than Sharks Esports, with far more achievements under their belts, but they have not been in good form for a while. MOUZ have been highly disappointing across the last two months, and while they are 8-5 since late September, MOUZ haven't beaten any good team.
Their only wins of that run came against BIG, Fnatic, Evil Geniuses, AURA, FunPlus Phoenix, 9z Team, and K23. Fnatic and Evil Geniuses are the only two teams who you could consider to be good, but, they have both been struggling and are not the same powerhouses they once were.
MOUZ have essentially done well only against second-tier teams. While I wouldn't rank Sharks much higher than a second-tier team, I would also not say they deserve to have odds of 4.16.
Sharks have mostly been playing against the domestic competition, meaning they have no experience playing at the highest level. Still, they have done well and should be able to carry their weight at the Major.
I don't see Sharks qualifying for the next stage, but they should be able to cause some damage in BO1 matches, especially against teams like MOUZ, who are not looking too sharp.
Sharks Esports +5.5 Rounds
$1.98
Renegades vs Movistar Riders
PGL Major Stockholm 2021
Everyone expected Movistar Riders to defeat Renegades, but that has more to do with the regional bias rather than the team's true quality. So while Renegades shouldn't be considered as serious candidates to qualify for the next stage, let alone reach the playoffs, they also shouldn't be priced at 2.39 against Movistar Riders.
Movistar Riders have been playing well this month and finished fifth in IEM: Fall Europe. But how much is that placement worth, knowing that they have only beaten Complexity, Sinners Esports, Endpoint, Copenhagen Flames, and G2 Esports?
Some may praise Movistar Riders for their wins against G2 and Complexity, but I wouldn't rank those too highly. G2 Esports and Complexity are in disastrous form so seeing them lose against Movistar is more about G2 and Complexity being terrible rather than Movistar being good.
We don't know much about Renegades and how will they do in Europe since they've spent most of the year competing inside their region. However, Renegades have been by far the best Oceanic team which is an achievement, even though the region isn't very strong.
Movistar Riders are a bit overrated. They're decent, but they're not much better than Renegades, who should have opportunities to cause an upset. At the very least, the Australian squad should be able to force a close match.
Renegades +2.5 Rounds
$2.00
