This article is part of our DraftKings CS:GO series.
Games (EDT)
- 10:30 a.m: Natus Vincere (NaVi) vs. G2 Esports (G2)
- 1:00 p.m: Vitality (VIT) vs. Ninjas in Pyjamas (NiP)
- 5:30 p.m: Evil Geniuses (EG) vs. MiBR (MiBR)
Natus Vincere vs. G2 Esports
The first match of the day in BLAST Spring is an unexpected lower bracket elimination match between current world No. 1 G2 Esports and the former top dogs, Na'Vi. This elimination match is one that not many would have predicted, as G2 came in as tournament favorites and Na'Vi would have expected to dispose of Complexity with relative ease. Nonetheless, these team will clash once more. The last time they met was on June 9 in DreamHack Masters Spring, with G2 walking away the 2-0 winners in two very close maps, and there's no reason for Friday's matchup to be any different. The veto has been pretty consistent for these two sides and it is a setup that both teams would be quite happy to play again: Nuke, Dust and Mirage. If there were to be a curve ball it is likely to be the addition of Inferno, a relatively neutral map that both teams play quite well. The key players to watch are the leading superstars on either side, s1mple, consistently one of the best two players in the world, and huNter-, an elite rifler who should have his way with most of the Na'Vi lineup. Whichever superstar is on form has a good chance to carry the day, and s1mple has been indomitable of late.
Games (EDT)
- 10:30 a.m: Natus Vincere (NaVi) vs. G2 Esports (G2)
- 1:00 p.m: Vitality (VIT) vs. Ninjas in Pyjamas (NiP)
- 5:30 p.m: Evil Geniuses (EG) vs. MiBR (MiBR)
Natus Vincere vs. G2 Esports
The first match of the day in BLAST Spring is an unexpected lower bracket elimination match between current world No. 1 G2 Esports and the former top dogs, Na'Vi. This elimination match is one that not many would have predicted, as G2 came in as tournament favorites and Na'Vi would have expected to dispose of Complexity with relative ease. Nonetheless, these team will clash once more. The last time they met was on June 9 in DreamHack Masters Spring, with G2 walking away the 2-0 winners in two very close maps, and there's no reason for Friday's matchup to be any different. The veto has been pretty consistent for these two sides and it is a setup that both teams would be quite happy to play again: Nuke, Dust and Mirage. If there were to be a curve ball it is likely to be the addition of Inferno, a relatively neutral map that both teams play quite well. The key players to watch are the leading superstars on either side, s1mple, consistently one of the best two players in the world, and huNter-, an elite rifler who should have his way with most of the Na'Vi lineup. Whichever superstar is on form has a good chance to carry the day, and s1mple has been indomitable of late.
Prediction: 2-1 Na'Vi
- NaVi Players to Target: s1mple ($14,400 Captain, $9,600 Flex)
- G2 Players to Target: huNter- ($11,700 Captain, $7,800 Flex)
Vitality vs. Ninjas in Pyjamas
The second match is the other lower bracket semi-final and features two extremely volatile rosters in the ZywOo-lead Vitality side, and an inconsistent NiP outfit. This match feels like one that has been talked about numerous times, and for good reason, as it is the fifth time these two teams have met in the last month. Vitality have won three of those matches, NiP won one and one draw, with Vitality taking some dominant wins over the Swedish side. This match should revolve around one man, ZywOo, who matches have a tendency to revolve around simply due to his dominance. If he is on form, Vitality are bordering on unbeatable, but if he isn't, like Thursday, Vitality find it hard to beat anyone. The map veto should be one of the most interesting of the day, as these teams have played five different maps across their five meetings, but have shown a large preference towards Nuke and Inferno, two relatively neutral maps. In their most recent meeting G2 took the honors with an interesting pick of Mirage, shutting down the French side 16-5, and completely nullifying ZywOo with an interesting attacking side, if they have a similar trick the Swedes could take the match. Overall, this match is nearly impossible to split, and the man to watch in the match, in either direction, is ZywOo. If he's on form, he's the best on the planet, if not, Ninjas in Pyjamas could run riot against the French side.
Prediction: 2-1 Vitality
- VIT Players to Target: ZywOo ($15,600 Captain, $10,200 Flex)
- NiP Players to Target: nawwk ($11,100 Captain, $7,400 Flex), Plopski ($10,500 Captain, $7,000 Flex)
MiBR vs. Evil Geniuses
The final match of the day is the unlikely North American upper bracket final, with both teams coming in off the backs of upset victories. MiBR took down FURIA in the Brazilian derby, while Evil Geniuses overcame Team Liquid, one of their oldest foes, to stay in the upper bracket. This match is another incredibly close one, and one that is almost impossible to split by any metric: in map wins it's 3-3 with one even. In their last two meetings these sides are 1-1, and both feature very similar team setups: a star AWPer (CeRq vs. FalleN), star rifler (Ethan vs. fer) and struggling supports (tarik vs. TACO). Inferno and Dust2 are nearly guaranteed to make an appearance, as they have in the last five times these sides have met, and though the decider tends to be Vertigo, a Train or Mirage is entirely possible because both teams have immense experience on those maps. The value in a match this close is likely to be purely from the winners, and it is very hard to look past a confidence-filled MiBR. More than any other team in the world, MiBR seem to find success off their confidence and form, and I don't think anything will fill them with more confidence than taking down FURIA in a hotly contested Brazilian derby.
Prediction: 2-1 MiBR
