The third day of the IEM Road to Rio 2022: European RMR Qualifiers shocked the entire CS:GO scene with the number of upsets that occurred. The brunt of the upsets happened in Group A, as heading into day four we’ve got Fnatic, Astralis, and G2 Esports on the brink of elimination. Of the three teams, Astralis definitely had it the worst after a proper 16-3 dismantling from the Bad News Eagles. G2 Esports stumbled against the Russian squad of 1win while Fnatic got completely outplayed by B8.
Another notable upset that happened was Ninjas in Pyamas’ victory against Cloud 9 in Group A’s Advancement Match. Two more teams that managed to secure Legend Status at the IEM Rio Major are FaZe Clan and Natus Vincere after their wins against Sprout and Outsiders. The leftover match between BIG and ENCE will be played today.
Apart from the leftover advancement match, two of the Group B elimination matches (HEET vs. SAW & Illuminar Gaming vs. FANTASY) will also be played on day four.
At the top of Group A we’ve got a total of three high-seed matches and three low-seed matches. The stakes for the teams in the low-seed matches are much higher considering all of them are just one loss away from tournament elimination. Of the three teams listed above, Astralis will probably have the hardest time seeing as their opponent is forZe. On the other hand, both G2 and Fnatic will be entering their respective matches against Team GamerLegion and Eternal Fire as the favorites.
In the high-seed matches, the respective winners will be one step closer to attaining the coveted Legend status for the IEM Rio Major. Cloud 9 will be looking to redeem their loss to NIP against regional rivals 1win. Team Spirit is going up against the always-problematic Bad News Eagles. Lastly, we’ve got Sprout who will face off against another CIS team, B8.
With Group A’s bracket turning out to be all but expected, it remains to be seen if we’re in store for even more shocking results as the IEM Road To Rio 2022: European RMR progresses further. Now let’s take a deeper look at some of the matchups where we can use these generous CS:GO betting odds to the punters’ advantage.
FANTASY vs. Illuminar Gaming
Both FANTASY and Illuminar have had a catastrophic event so far, and are for good reason locked in a battle for survival in RMR B. FANTASY is quite the enigma in this matchup due to the limited number of games the international stack has played so far. Illuminar is a well-established team on the regional scene, and will definitely have the advantage in experience and coordination heading into the series. Looking at the individual talent on both sides, Illuminar’s morelz will be hands down the best player in the series tomorrow.
As far as the map picks are concerned, FANTASY’s preferences will be somewhat of a difficult read considering the players have only played seven games together. Illuminar will most likely start with their usual Inferno ban with FANTASY going for the Anicent ban. Illuminar will probably turn to Overpass, while the stats suggest that FANTASY should pick Mirage. With Vertigo and Nuke as the next maps to go, Dust 2 should remain as the kicker.
The overall experience and quality are certainly on the side of Illuminar. The Polish side is also looking like the stronger side on Mirage. While FANTASY will not go down without a fight, we honestly expect that Illuminar should have this series in a bag with a clean sweep.
Prediction: Correct Map Score | Illuminar Gaming 2:0 |
Odds: 3.19
Bookmaker: GGBET
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BIG vs. ENCE
BIG will definitely be feeling themselves after yesterday’s victory over Team Vitality, and are entering the series against ENCE as the favorites. ENCE in stark contrast has hit a major slump recently. The Finnish organization has the luck of the draw to thank for its current predicament. Both sides are equal when it comes to talent and firepower, but it’s BIG that’s looking like the better-organized team.
Looking at the possible map picks, BIG is guaranteed to start off with their traditional Anicent ban, with the same going for Inferno in the case of ENCE. BIG’s pick is likely going to be Dust 2, while the most sensible pick out of ENCE’s bag is looking to be Nuke. The next set of bans will probably see Mirage and Vertigo, leaving Overpass as the default.
Both of these teams will be fighting for the Legend Status at IEM Rio 2022, so there is quite a lot on the line. BIG’s victory on Dust 2 is looking very likely, while the same could not be said for ENCE’s Nuke. Both teams are proficient on Overpass, but we’re still giving BIG the edge if it comes to a third map. BIG is certainly looking like the stronger side, so we’re leaning toward their victory in this matchup.
Pick: BIG
Odds: 1.78
Bookmaker: GGBET
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