Our esports expert Michael Lee has focused in on the VCT Berlin Masters this Tuesday, the 14th of September for all three of his best bets of the night. Check out his full preview and betting tips for the key matchups below.
ESports Betting Tips: Tueday, September 14th
G2 Esports vs F4Q
VCT Berlin Masters
G2 Esports will meet with F4Q on Tuesday, September 14, in a rematch from Friday, when G2 won 2-1. The European squad secured a fairly convincing win last time out and could have won 2-0 had they not dropped the ball in the first half of Bind (4-8), which they eventually lost with 9-13.
Regardless, G2 did well on Ascent (13-5) and Haven (13-8) and were undeniably the better team on the day. G2 Esports have since played against Sentinels and lost 1-2, which was an expected result. Even though G2 got outclassed on the day, they played well enough to keep Sentinels on their toes and could have potentially won had they been a bit more consistent.
G2 Esports are stronger than F4Q, but that doesn't explain why are they priced as 1.16 favourites. With those odds, the bookmakers are essentially saying that G2 can't lose, which doesn't seem fair. Even though G2 should win, they aren't reliable enough and more than capable of underperforming against the likes of F4Q.
Realistically, G2 Esports should win, and I wholly expect them to. However, G2 usually struggle on Haven, and there is a good chance that we might see Icebox - a map notorious for being a complete coin flip. I expect to see a 2-0 or 2-1 victory for G2 Esports, and since we're getting 2.10 on F4Q to win one map, it's hard to pass on the outsiders with a map handicap.
Keys Stars vs ZETA DIVISION
VCT Berlin Masters
Keyd Stars and ZETA DIVISION lost their opening VCT Berlin Masters against Team Envy (0-2) and KRU Esports (1-2), respectively. With those losses, Keyd Stars and ZETA DIVISION are now on the brink of elimination, as another defeat would guarantee them a bottom-two finish.
The Brazilians are priced as 1.30 favourites to defeat ZETA DIVISION (3.40), which is a bit low.
As a team that hails from the Japanese region, ZETA DIVISION have entered VCT Berlin Masters with low expectations. However, they're still the undisputed best team from their region, having won all but two of the tournaments they've attended this year. The only two events which ZETA DIVISION haven't won, they finished as runners-up.
ZETA DIVISION won't compete for the title, and I don't expect them to make it out of the group, but they're good enough to make Keyd Stars work for the win. It's also important to consider that Keyd Stars rely way too much on Olavo "heat" Marcelo to do most of the work and are easy to stop, as long as you can contain their star duelist.
ZETA DIVISION winning here would be a huge upset, and I wouldn't count on it happening. But unless Keyd Star play a perfect game, I don't see the favourites winning it 2-0 either.
ZETA DIVISION +1.5 Maps
$1.72
Crazy Raccoon vs Havan Liberty
VCT Berlin Masters
Crazy Raccoon enter this match following a humiliating 1-13, 1-13 loss against Gambit Esports, which definitely can't do any favours to their morale. Similarly, Havan Liberty haven't achieved much in their VCT Berlin Masters opener, when they lost against 100 Thieves (3-13, 6-13).
Havan Liberty are expected to defeat Raccoon, which isn't that surprising, as they have better players. But, at the same time, Havan Liberty aren't a team I would trust with my money when they're priced as the favourites.
The Brazilians are a volatile team that can win any game just as easy as they can lose any game. Even though they are stronger on paper, I wouldn't be surprised if they lose 1-2; granted, I wouldn't go as far as to say that Crazy Raccoon can sweep them.
Expect a crappy series with all three maps played. Crazy Raccoon might be able to edge out a win, but it would require Havan Liberty to blunder. It might happen, but I wouldn't count on it. This should be a close series with each team winning their map pick.
