DFSGhost 
CS:GO Slate Summary: Early ESL (2am EST)
- 2 matchups on DK
- Best of 3 series
CS:GO Slate Overview
Game #1: ORDER (-200) vs Avant (+150)
The first of two matchups on the Early CS:GO slate sees ORDER taking on Avant for the fourth time since the player break, where the former holds a 2-1 record thus far. ORDER bans Overpass first at an 84% rate while Avant bans Vertigo first 98% of the time; every series has begun this way and it should continue in this matchup. The map selections here are tough to predict given how frequent these two teams have faced another, but both Nuke and Train have been selected every time they’ve faced each other, so it’s probable that the trend will continue here, while all three of Inferno, Mirage, and Dust2 are possibilities warranting consideration from both sides. Although ORDER holds the advantage on all five maps left to choose from, they’ll be wary of Train and Mirage, where Avant has proven to be able to matchup fairly well. Both aliStair and Rickeh make for viable pay up options, especially the former, who is carrying a 1.25 K/D and 0.77 KPR in the past 3 months. On the flipside, sterling is simply too cheap for someone of his calibre; he has a 1.22 K/D and 0.77 KPS in the past 3 months and should be crucial to his team’s success as always. An interesting punt play that I’ll have exposure to in MME in BL1TZ, who has gone +27 on 134-107 in the three previous matchups despite losing in two of them.
Top Targets (ORD): aliStair ($8,400), Rickeh ($7,800), USTILO ($7,200)
Top Targets (AVT): sterling ($7,400), BL1TZ ($6,000)
Game #2: ViCi (-425) vs Invictus (+300)
The second of two matchups on the Early CS:GO slate has ViCi taking on Invictus for the fourth time since the break where ViCi will be looking to continue their dominance over Invictus; ViCi is 3-0 in the previous 3 while only dropping a single map. ViCi bans Dust2 first at an 89% rate while Invictus bans Overpass first 73% of the time; it’s been this way for three games straight and it shouldn’t be any different here unless Invictus chooses to ban Nuke instead. ViCi selects Nuke first at a 44% rate and have a whopping 93% win rate on 15 maps played, including three consecutive victories there, and should Invictus ban it, they’re still in a premier spot to win the series. Invictus has tried using Inferno, Vertigo, and Mirage with their first pick, with only Inferno being successful in a 19-17 overtime win; look for them to take their chances there again or turn to Mirage. With the trio of JamYoung, kaze, and aumaN leading the charge, ViCi should cruise to another victory here, and the trio are a combined +136 on 448-312 in the previous three encounters.
Top Targets: JamYoung ($8,600), kaze ($8,200), aumaN ($8,000)
Salary Saver: zhoking ($6,600)
CS:GO Slate Summary: Main ESL (9am EST)
- 2 matchups on DK
- Best of 3 series
CS:GO Slate Overview
Game #1: Heroic (-125) vs G2 (-110)
The first of two semi-final matchups on the Main CS:GO slate sees a rematch between Heroic and G2. While the former has mightily impressed since coming out of the player break, the latter looked quite sloppy yesterday in a win versus OG, and although they did get the best of Heroic in the first encounter, give me the slight favorite here in Heroic. Since both teams ban Overpass first at 71% and 92% rates, look for Heroic to do as they did last time and remove Dust2 from the selection since it is G2’s map of choice. Since Heroic dominated G2 16-7 on Nuke and they select it first at a 29% rate, I see no reason for them to differ to another map here. On the flipside, since Dust2 has been predicted as a ban, look for G2 to turn to Vertigo if their map of choice is gone; with Heroic matchup well on Train and Mirage, look for them to close out the ban phase by removing Inferno and being content with whichever map is left.
Top Targets (Heroic): stavn ($7,800), TeSeS ($6,000)
Top Targets (G2): nexa ($7,400)
Game #2: Vitality (-170) vs NiP (+125)
The second of the semi-final matchups on the Main CS:GO slate sees ZywOo and Vitality taking on NiP, who are coming off an impressive victory at the hands of Astralis. Vitality bans Train first at a 98% rate and considering NiP’s strength on that map, there isn’t another map I see them banning here. NiP can take two courses of action: choose to ban their typical map in the first round, Dust2, which they do 80% of the time, or choose to eliminate one of Vitality’s stronger maps in Nuke. With that being said, Vitality will choose Nuke or Dust2, in that order of preference, while NiP will likely counter with Overpass, which they pick first 39% of the time, or Mirage, where they hold a decent map advantage over Vitality. Despite NiP running hot at the ESL, including picking up victories over BIG, NAVI, and Astralis, I think they run into a wall here with Vitality, who hold the advantage on every map other than Mirage. Statistics are needed to justify playing ZywOo, but also consider RpK as one of the best value plays on the slate; he has a 1.09 K/D and 0.73 KPR since coming out of the player break, including 62 DK FPPG in during that stretch.
Top Targets: ZywOo ($10,000), shox ($8,200), RpK ($5,400)
One-off: hampus ($4,600)
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