With the likes of Natus Vincere, Astralis and Ninjas In Pyjamas involved, the BLAST Premier Fall Groups begin in Copenhagen on Friday with two matches in Group A.
BLAST Premier Spring Finals runners-up Team Vitality firstly take on OG before a clash between Ninjas In Pyjamas and Astralis later in the day.
Then on Saturday it is the turn of Group B as juggernauts Natus Vincere lock horns with Complexity and G2 Esports encounter Team Liquid.
Vitality should run out comfortable winners against OG
What | Team Vitality v OG, CS:GO BLAST Premier Fall Groups |
| Where | Copenhagen, Denmark |
| When | 12.00, Friday August 19th, 2022 |
How to watch | BLAST Twitch & YouTube channels |
| Odds | Team Vitality -150, OG +110 |
Team Vitality finished as runners-up at the BLAST Premier Spring Finals earlier this year and, although their IEM Cologne campaign was underwhelming, they can return to winning ways at the BLAST Premier Fall.
Vitality made arguably the standout signing of the CS:GO off-season when capturing 21-year-old rifler Lotan "Spinx" Giladi from ENCE this summer and he should ease the pressure on star man Mathieu "ZywOo" Herbaut.
"Spinx" significantly improves Vitality's roster and they can show their experience and big-game pedigree against OG, who lost two of their three matches at their last big event - the Roobet Cup - and are worth opposing.
Astralis could edge close Group A encounter
What | Ninjas In Pyjamas v Astralis, CS:GO BLAST Premier Fall Groups |
| Where | Copenhagen, Denmark |
| When | 13.00, Friday August 19th, 2022 |
How to watch | BLAST Twitch & YouTube channels |
| Odds | Ninjas In Pyjamas -120, Astralis -120 |
Team Vitality are arguably the standout team in Group A but both Ninjas In Pyjamas and Astralis should fancy their chances of running them close.
The winner of this match will face the winner of Vitality v OG in the upper-bracket final and Astralis are worth a bet at -120 to get the victory.
Ranked fourth in the world, the Danes have come a long way and their summer has featured a run to the final four of the IEM Cologne and the Roobet Cup as well as a runners-up finish at the Pinnacle Cup Championship.
These teams are difficult to separate but Astralis look the better bet as they prepare to play on their own patch.
Related Esports News
Esports: BLAST Premier: Fall Groups 2022
Potential absence of star man could restrict NAVI
What | Natus Vincere v Complexity, CS:GO BLAST Premier Fall Groups |
| Where | Copenhagen, Denmark |
| When | 12.00 Saturday August 20th, 2022 |
How to watch | BLAST Twitch & YouTube channels |
| Odds | Natus Vincere -450, Complexity +300 |
Natus Vincere, otherwise known as NAVI, are giants on the CS:GO BLAST circuit and will be touted by many as serious title challengers once again.
They won the BLAST Premier Spring Finals back in June, have since finished as runners-up at the IEM Cologne and are second in the CS:GO world rankings.
However, the potential absence of star player Aleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev, considered one of the best to ever play the Esport, cannot be ignored and they may not have things all their own way in the opener against Complexity.
Complexity should have some confidence behind them coming into this one, having won all four of their matches at the IEM Road to Rio this month, and they are worth backing at +4.5 on the round handicap on map one.
G2 and Team Liquid set for open match
What | G2 Esports v Team Liquid, CS:GO BLAST Premier Fall Groups |
| Where | Copenhagen, Denmark |
| When | 13.00 Saturday August 20th, 2022 |
How to watch | BLAST Twitch & YouTube channels |
| Odds | G2 Esports -150, Team Liquid +110 |
It has been a pretty busy off-season for G2 Esports but their new additions could take time to settle and punters might not want to rush to back them in the BLAST Premier Fall Groups against Team Liquid.
Justin "jks" Savage and Rasmus "HooXi" Nielsen have both been snapped up by G2 and show promise - "jks" was a competent stand-in player for FaZe Clan earlier this year - but the roster has a new look to it and could take time to gel.
G2 lost two of their three matches at the IEM Cologne in July and the best betting angle in this one could be to back over 27.5 rounds on map one at -100 with an open encounter expected.
