Now we can put the Challengers Stage behind us, and look forward to the Legends Stage with the first eight series on Saturday being best-of-one matches between the remaining 16 teams in the main event of the BLAST.tv Paris Major. Below you will find our preview and best bets for each of the eight games on day one of the Legends Stage, with odds courtesy of the best esports betting sites.
9INE vs TEAM LIQUID CS:GO BETTING & MATCH DETAIL |
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| Best Odds: | 9INE $1.80 at Betway | TL $1.90 at Betway |
| When: | May 13, 2023 | 11:30 CET |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/blastpremier) |
The opening series of the Legends Stage will see the all-Polish roster of 9INE taking on North American roster of Team Liquid.
9INE were very good in their European RMR, where they won all three of the matches and defeated Team Vitality to finish on top of Europe RMR B, seeing them qualify straight into the Legends Stage of the BLAST.tv Paris Major. Team Liquid struggled in both the Americas RMR and the Challengers Stage, where they came back from an 0-2 start to finish 3-2 and become the last team to qualify for the Legends Stage.
After Team Liquid struggled in the Challengers Stage, and now they come up against the second seed in the Legends Stage, we will be taking 9INE to win this series.
9INE To Win
NATUS VINCERE vs GAMERLEGION CS:GO BETTING & MATCH DETAIL |
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| Best Odds: | NAVI $1.25 at Betway | GL $3.75 at Betway |
| When: | May 13, 2023 | 11:30 CET |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/blastpremier) |
This series between world no. 3 Natus Vincere and world no.35 GamerLegion appears to be one of the more lop-sided series of the opening round, with the top seed of the Legends Stage taking on the bottom and 16th seed.
Natus Vincere are coming into the BLAST.tv Paris Major as the equal-third favourite to go all the way, and they will come up against the team with the longest odds, who had to qualify through the Challengers Stage to make the main event. NaVi compete against the best CS:GO teams in the world each and every tournament, while this be GamerLegion’s second S-Tier event for the year.
We are currently getting $1.90 for Natus Vincere to win this best-of-one by six rounds or more and we think that is great odds for a match that looks very one-sided.
NAVI -5.5 rounds handicap
FNATIC vs NINJAS IN PYJAMAS CS:GO BETTING & MATCH DETAIL |
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| Best Odds: | Fnatic $2.00 at Betway | NiP $1.72 at Betway |
| When: | May 13, 2023 | 13:00 CET |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/blastpremier) |
Fnatic were very impressive in Europe RMR A, where they won three straight matches against Vipero, 1WIN and B8 to finish second and qualify automatically for the Legends Stage as the fourth seed. Meanwhile, Ninjas in Pyjamas had to go through the Challengers Stage to make their way into the Legends Stage, but they were one of the most impressive and surprising teams at the opening stage of the Major, winning three of their four series to qualify as the 13th seed.
Although Fnatic, the world no.15, may have had an easier RMR run to qualify for the Major, you have to beat the teams that are put in front of you, much like NiP did in the Challengers Stage. The last time these teams met in a best-of-one series at the IEM Rio Major, Fnatic won 16-13, and we expect a similar tight contest here.
Over 26.5 total rounds
FURIA vs MONTE CS:GO BETTING & MATCH DETAIL |
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| Best Odds: | FURIA $1.66 at Betway | Monte $2.10 at Betway |
| When: | May 13, 2023 | 13:00 CET |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/blastpremier) |
FURIA will hold all the hopes of Brazilian Counter-Strike fans, as they will be the only Brazilian team left in the BLAST.tv Paris Major, and they will take on Monte in their opening round series of the Legends Stage.
The all-Brazilian roster of FURIA is currently ranked as the eighth best team in the world. FURIA were dominant in their RMR, winning all four of their series to earn automatic qualification into the Legends Stage and they are coming off a fifth-sixth-place finish at IEM Rio 2023 at their last event. Monte was very good in the Challengers Stage, where they pushed FaZe Clan and defeated TheMongolz and paiN Gaming, but they don’t have the quality to beat a team like FURIA.
Most esports betting sites are offering a 2.5 round handicap for FURIA, and we are more than happy to take that, as we anticipate a rather comfortable victory for the favourites in this clash.
FURIA -2.5 rounds handicap
HEROIC vs FAZE CLAN CS:GO BETTING & MATCH DETAIL |
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| Best Odds: | Heroic $1.72 at Betway | FaZe $2.00 at Betway |
| When: | May 13, 2023 | 14:30 CET |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/blastpremier) |
The fifth series of the day will feature two teams that know each other very well, with the no.1 team in the world Heroic taking on world no.5 FaZe Clan. These two met twice in the BLAST Premier Fall Final in November of last year both teams splitting the meetings, while they split both of their best-of-one series at the BLAST Premier Fall Groups in August last year.
So far this year, Heroic as finished second at IEM Katowice, fifth-eighth at ESL Pro League 17 and second at IEM Rio 2023, so they will be looking to break their streak of good performances and win their first Major as an organisation.
As for their opponents, FaZe Clan, the European roster and recently awarded Intel Grand Slam winners showed that they are here to win in the Challengers Stage of the Paris Major. Even with their loss to ENCE thrown in the mix, FaZe look to be back at their best and they are one team that you don’t want to face late in the tournament.
Four of the last five maps between these two have covered the 26.5 total maps line, so we will be backing that into salute once again in this series.
Over 26.5 total rounds
INTO THE BREACH vs APEKS CS:GO BETTING & MATCH DETAIL |
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| Best Odds: | ITB $2.62 at Betway | Apeks $1.44 at Betway |
| When: | May 13, 2023 | 14:30 CET |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/blastpremier) |
One of the more interesting series of the opening round will be the matchup between Into The Breach and Apeks, with both teams being ranked outside the top 25 in the world, but they are the sixth and 11th seed, respectively. When it gets to the pointy end of the BLAST.tv Paris Major, we don’t expect to see either of these teams there, but it if they can rattle off a couple of early wins, who knows how far they can go.
Into The Breach qualified through the Europe RMR A after they finished third. Apeks had to go through the Challengers Stage where they were one of the more impressive teams, making history in their 16-0 trashing of Grayhound, becoming the second team to ever win 16-0 at a Major.
Apeks were dominated by G2 in their first promotion series 0-2, while Into The Breach pushed Natus Vincere to double overtime in a thrilling 19-22 loss in their opening RMR series, which indicates to us that the outsiders in this match is a better bet here.
Into The Breach to win
BAD NEWS EAGLES vs ENCE CS:GO BETTING & MATCH DETAIL |
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| Best Odds: | BNE $2.62 at Betway | ENCE $1.44 at Betway |
| When: | May 13, 2023 | 16:00 CET |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/blastpremier) |
Bad News Eagles are coming off a fourth-place finish in the Europe RMR A and a second-place finish at ESL Challenger Melbourne 2023 at their most recent event, before going into the Legends Stage the BLAST.tv Paris Major. Their opponents and world no.9 ENCE appears to be back at their best, after they went through the Challengers Stage undefeated and qualified as the ninth seed.
ENCE defeated OG, Ninjas in Pyjamas and FaZe Clan in their Challengers Stage run, which was the toughest run of games of any team, in our opinion. Coming up against Bad News Eagles in their opening match of the Legends Stage will be at a similar level, so we could have a very good series on our hands here, and the gap between the two in the market is too big.
At the IEM Rio 2023 Europe Closed Qualifier these two played out back-to-back 16-12 maps, so with the total rounds sitting at 26.5 rounds, we are more than happy to back them to cover the line.
Over 26.5 total rounds
TEAM VITALITY vs G2 ESPORTS CS:GO BETTING & MATCH DETAIL |
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| Best Odds: | Vitality $2.00 at Betway | G2 $1.72 at Betway |
| When: | May 13, 2023 | 16:00 CET |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/blastpremier) |
Along with the Heroic vs FaZe Clan clash earlier in the day, this match between Team Vitality and G2 Esports will be one of the better best-of-one series for the opening round of the Legends Stage.
Team Vitality is currently the world no.2 in CSGO esports and are coming off a strong performance at IEM Rio 2023 where they won six-straight series to take out the $250,000 tournament in late April. Vitality was victorious last time these teams met, at the BLAST.tv Paris Major Europe RMR B, where they took the series 2-0 (16-13, 16-8).
G2 Esports had to settle for a Challengers Stage spot, after they struggled in the Europe RMR B, with that loss to Vitality sending knocking them out in fifth place. The former world no.1 team dropped to no.4 in the world after they finished in 9th-12th place at ESL Pro League 17. G2 are the current esports betting sites favourite, so no matter the result in this match, we expect them to go a long way and challenge for the Major title.
With both teams playing a high level and wanting to make a strong statement in their opening series, we will be taking the overs in the total maps market.
Over 26.5 total rounds
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