This article is part of our DraftKings CS:GO series.
Games (EDT)
- 8:00 a.m: MAD Lions (MAD) vs. Fnatic (FNC)
- 11:30 a.m: Ninjas in Pyjamas (NiP) vs. Vitality (VIT)
- 3:00 p.m: BIG Clan (BIG) vs. G2 Esports (G2)
MAD Lions vs. Fnatic
Two weeks ago this would have looked like a one-sided affair for the Swedes. However, it actually might be the closest match of the day. It will feature two of the biggest young prospects in the world, as Brollan and Bubzkji go head to head, with both rifle players providing the firepower for their veteran cores. This match, despite the similarities in the two rosters, features a stark contrast in how the two sides approach games, and how they veto. MAD Lions tend to look towards Dust 2 or Mirage, two maps where their individual prowess can take over and control the more open maps. Fnatic, on the other hand, look to Inferno, Train and Overpass, where they can let their team play and cohesion control the more rigid maps. With neither team playing Vertigo, it looks likely that Vertigo and Overpass will be removed, leaving a likely setup on Mirage or Dust 2, alongside Train or Inferno, with Nuke a likely decider. Despite how close this match is, there could be excellent value, as the star AWPer for MAD Lions, acoR comes in at only $9,300, with a similarly good salary for sjuush at $10,200. While form might favor MAD Lions, Fnatic, with their solid roster top-to-bottom, come in as slight favorites, and if their return to
Games (EDT)
- 8:00 a.m: MAD Lions (MAD) vs. Fnatic (FNC)
- 11:30 a.m: Ninjas in Pyjamas (NiP) vs. Vitality (VIT)
- 3:00 p.m: BIG Clan (BIG) vs. G2 Esports (G2)
MAD Lions vs. Fnatic
Two weeks ago this would have looked like a one-sided affair for the Swedes. However, it actually might be the closest match of the day. It will feature two of the biggest young prospects in the world, as Brollan and Bubzkji go head to head, with both rifle players providing the firepower for their veteran cores. This match, despite the similarities in the two rosters, features a stark contrast in how the two sides approach games, and how they veto. MAD Lions tend to look towards Dust 2 or Mirage, two maps where their individual prowess can take over and control the more open maps. Fnatic, on the other hand, look to Inferno, Train and Overpass, where they can let their team play and cohesion control the more rigid maps. With neither team playing Vertigo, it looks likely that Vertigo and Overpass will be removed, leaving a likely setup on Mirage or Dust 2, alongside Train or Inferno, with Nuke a likely decider. Despite how close this match is, there could be excellent value, as the star AWPer for MAD Lions, acoR comes in at only $9,300, with a similarly good salary for sjuush at $10,200. While form might favor MAD Lions, Fnatic, with their solid roster top-to-bottom, come in as slight favorites, and if their return to form continues, they should have enough to dispatch the Danes.
Prediction: MAD Lions 1-2 Fnatic
- MAD Players to Target: sjuush ($10,200 Captain, $6,800 Flex), acoR ($9,300 Captain, $6,200 Flex)
- FNC Players to Target: Brollan ($14,100 Captain, $9,400 Flex), KRIMZ ($12,900 Captain, $8,600 Flex)
Ninjas in Pyjamas vs. Vitality
The second match of the day is a rematch of the BLAST Spring final, as the Swedes of NiP take on ZywOo and the Frenchmen of Vitality, who look to repeat their victorious performance once more. While Vitality won the most recent match between these two sides, it was far from convincing, and far from stable, as Vitality won despite only ZywOo going positive. NiP will have left BLAST Spring on a high note, with solid performances from their core of nawwk and Plopski leaving the team looking to turn around a poor spring season, especially with the addition of new in-game leader, hampus. Vitality are looking towards one man, the best player in the world: ZywOo. If he is at his very best then Vitality should have the firepower to overcome NiP, especially if one of the other stars of the team, specifically shox or RpK, can show up and provide an additional threat. The map veto should look similar to the match in BLAST Spring, with Nuke, Overpass and Vertigo looking to be strong picks for both sides, leaving the volatile nature of Dust 2 or Mirage behind. The value in this match should come from the Swedish side, where another strong team performance, lead by nawwk at only $10,800, or Plopski at $10,500, could see them turn that tight defeat into a victory.
Prediction: NiP 1-2 Vitality
- NiP Players to Target: nawwk ($10,800 Captain, $7,200 Flex), Plopski ($10,500 Captain, $7,000 Flex)
- VIT Players to Target: ZywOo ($15,300 Captain, $10,200 Flex)
BIG Clan vs. G2 Esports
The final match of the slate also looks to be the most one-sided, as BIG Clan take on G2 Esports in a match that many expected the Germans to come nowhere near making. BIG Clan come into the match after absolutely thrashing FaZe Clan in an upset 2-0 victory that saw tabseN and syrsoN, alongside the AWP of k1to, absolutely dismantle the international side. Meanwhile, G2 qualified in similar fashion, upsetting the world no. 1 side, NaVi, 2-0 in two nail-biting maps. This match should be the most interesting of the day, as BIG Clan look to put together another upset, especially off the back of their strong map pool, where they have no map under a 60 percent win rate. That being said, G2 are favorites and in fine form overall, except for kennyS. The French maestro at the center of the team was well off his game Tuesday against s1mple and NaVi, and if G2 want to take down the Germans, kennyS will be crucial. The Map veto will be strong for BIG no matter what, but they will look towards Dust2 and Nuke, alongside a very strong Mirage. On the other side, G2 favors Mirage, Vertigo and Inferno, maps where their depth can help them over the line. The Germans bring most of the value in the series, especially with excellent salaries for syrsoN, k1to and XANTARES, the Turkish star of BIG Clan. G2, on the other hand, have jaCkz and AmaNeK, in admittedly poor form, who have the ability to turn it around and take G2 over the line.
Prediction: BIG Clan 2-1 G2 Esports
