Only days after the dust settled on the BLAST Premier Spring Finals, the latest event in the Counter Strike: Global Offensive calendar - the Roobet Cup - began.
Group A and Group B have already played their first round of matches and it is now the turn of the teams in Group C and D to kick off their campaigns.
The tournament features 16 teams spread across four groups with the top two in each section progressing to the quarter-finals. It is then a straight knockout stage with the winning side set to scoop $250,000.
More expected from talented ENCE group
| What | ENCE v Eternal Fire, Roobet Cup, Counter Strike: Global Offensive |
| Where | Europe (Online) |
| When | 14.00pm, 23rd June 2022 |
| How to watch | CS:GO Roobet Cup Twitch channel |
| Odds | ENCE 1/5, Eternal Fire 10/3 |
It was not a particularly memorable BLAST Premier Spring Finals campaign for ENCE, who crashed out in the quarter-final stage after finishing with a 1-1 record in the group.
That said, this year has still been a successful one with the team capturing the BLAST Premier Spring Showdown title back in May and making the semi-finals of the PGL Major Antwerp.
They also progressed to the Grand Final of the IEM Dallas, losing 3-0 to Cloud9 in the final, and are dark horses in this event.
ENCE are currently third in HLTV's CS:GO world rankings and, with NAVI not involved in this tournament, they should be considered FaZe Clan's closest challengers for the title.
Their dip in form at the BLAST Premier Spring Finals should not hinder their chances against minnows Eternal Fire, who lost three of their four matches at the PGL Major Antwerp Challengers Stage, and a bet on ENCE to win this one 2-0 at 5/6 could be the way to play it.
FURIA fancied to overpower minnows
| What | FURIA v 9z, Roobet Cup, Counter Strike: Global Offensive |
| Where | Europe (online) |
| When | 18.00pm, 23rd June 2022 |
| How to watch | CS:GO Roobet Cup Twitch channel |
| Odds | FURIA 1/14, 9z 13/2 |
Another fairly one-sided betting heat in the next batch of matches at the Roobet Cup pits one of the few non-European outfits - FURIA Esports - against a 9z team who are ranked 52nd in the world.
FURIA tend to struggle against the real big guns of CS:GO, having collapsed upon reaching the knockout stage of the PGL Major Antwerp earlier this year, while they fluffed a decent chance to go the distance at the IEM Dallas, losing to ENCE in the semi-finals.
But that does not take away from the fact they have a talented and flexible roster and a decent map pool and should have enough in their locker to overpower 9z, who have lost each of their last five games across the PGL Major Antwerp and the IEM Dallas.
The match prices once again offer minimal value in this one, but FURIA could be worth a selection at -1.5 on the match handicap at 4/9.
MOUZ to continue trend of low-scoring matches
One team to keep an eye on in the Roobet Cup are MOUZ, who are in Group C along with ENCE, Eternal Fire and their opening opponents Imperial Esports.
MOUZ are 17th in the HLTV rankings with Imperial 15th, but the prices suggest MOUZ are actually the stronger side right now.
That is a fair assessment given they have won three of their last five matches and are fresh from reaching the final of the Global Esports Tour in Dubai last month.
That was an A-Tier tournament with the Roobet Cup slightly more prestigious as an S-Tier event and MOUZ may have their work cut out going deep, especially given the challenging nature of the group.
But they should be fairly comfortable in their opener with Imperial Esports, who have pulled off only one win in their last eight matches across all competitions and are 7/4 to win this contest.
MOUZ have seen 12 of their last 13 best-of-three matches at all events feature under 2.5 maps and, if punters fancy them to run out comfortable winners in this one, that could be the best betting angle at 8/11.
