I am so proud of Liquid - such an unexpected upset
Anyways on to todays games:
Virtus.pro < SK
Liquid < fnatic
I will provide reasons/analysis before the game.
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Here is my reasoning (If it's needed):
Pretty crazy but here's the veto we all came to conclusion. Azy published it I think earlier;
VP ban Dust 2
SK ban Nuke
VP pick Overpass or Nuke (Depends on SK ban)
SK pick Train
Random map from Cobble/ Cache/ Mirage.
Let me break down the veto, VP always ban D2, it is something they just really don’t want to play when it comes to important times so there’s no surprise of what they’ll ban. However, for SK, it gets difficult because VP now have a potential lifesaver, it’s Nuke – a map that absolutely nobody have really practiced for, which is why VP can have a really good shot on it as a team and totally throw the prediction down the cliff if they get Nuke somehow. After reading this, you might think SK will just ban Nuke but that opened up another possible gateway, which is Overpass, a map that VP is very strong on their CT but a little iffy on the other. Overpass is also a map that SK seems to not be confident enough to play it head on (aka something they will not pick themselves) so besides Cache (a map that lacks information), Overpass is a map that VP can go for if they are really confident about their Cobble game. For SK’s pick, they might just go for Train (A map that when compared to VP, SK is much better) or they can go for Cache, which is a very skeptical pick but if they got their game straight on it for this major, they will pick it over the other maps as it is one of the map that VP really don’t enjoy playing.
Now that’s the picks are gone, the 3rd map is random between Cobble/Cache/ Mirage and it really up to what the 3rd map is going to be to predict the outcome. One thing as to why I am always skeptical about VP facing SK is that the map pool they share is pretty much identical (Cobble, Train, Mirage, Overpass) so the maps that get picked will be the maps that both team can perform on and VP shouldn’t be looked down on too much. It is true they haven’t gotten back to their prime form but that doesn’t mean these guys are not capable of beating top teams yet. One wrong move from SK on the veto and the course will change really quickly. Overall, to just make it simple, VP is losing to SK in forms but for map and veto and such, they are not in disadvantage and the only way for either team to win is to outplay their opponent because there’s no real map advantage. Betting wise, taking advantage of the sub 25% odds is not a bad idea but somehow personally, I really think VP will struggle. Still, it is very important to see what the last map is and who will start on what side (Team B can pick side for 3rd map). If VP got Nuke, it is a good choice to go with them but in general, the smart bet is to play odds and just forget about the hype. The risky bet is to with SK but I really don’t think it’s a good idea given this odds.
- Article by Azy
Really good breakdown by Azy, cAre and ghostR.
Good luck Zilara with your bet!
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