The esports action around the world continues this Sunday night with some intriguing matchups in the CS:GO and DOTA2 titles. We have a full preview and betting tips for some of the key games of the night and into Monday morning below.
Esports Betting Tips: CS:GO and Dota2 – Sunday, April 12th
Vikin.gg vs Cyber Legacy
ESL One Los Angeles 2020 Dota2 Online: Europe & CIS
Even though Vikin.gg defeated Gambit and produced an upset win against OG, it's hard to find a reasonable explanation of why Cyber Legacy are priced as high as 3.70. Looking back, Cyber Legacy defeated B8 (2-1), lost to Nigma (1-2) and Virtus.pro (1-2), and most recently suffered a complete stomp against OG (0-2). Those results might not look very promising on the paper, but in all fairness, in their 1-2 loss to Nigma Cyber Legacy did not look all that bad, while we can't criticise them too much for their loss against OG, who are clearly an elite-level Dota2 squad.
Cyber Legacy met with Vikin.gg four times since late March and lost all four fixtures with the aggregate score showing 9-2 in favour of the Romanian squad. Still, it's worth noting that those matches were much closer than the score would suggest and had Cyber Legacy just a bit more luck on their side, they would have easily picked up at least two wins. Although there is no denying Vikin.gg are the stronger team in these meetings, they looked very shaky in their loss against Virtus.pro on Friday and seem ripe to lose their third match of the tournament. After a poor start, Cyber Legacy will desperately have to step up their game and we believe the pressure should inspire slightly better performance here. Bet on Cyber Legacy to pick up at least one map.
Cyber Legacy +1.5 Maps
$1.81
Nigma vs HellRaisers
ESL One Los Angeles 2020 Dota2 Online: Europe & CIS
Nigma have been all over the place with their performance so far at ESL One LA, however, with a 2-2 overall record, they're still serious contenders for a playoffs appearance. Looking back, Nigma suffered a devastating 0-2 loss to Gambit on Wednesday but managed to bounce back with a commanding 2-0 win over B8 on Friday, where we finally got to see the ex-Liquid roster perform up to par with the expectations. HellRaisers, on the other side, started their ESL One LA venture with a 1-2 loss against VP, to which they added a 2-0 triumph over Vikin.gg, a 1-2 loss to B8 and most recently, the CIS squad picked up a 2-1 win over Gambit.
On paper, Nigma are the stronger side, but we could have said that for every match Nigma have played so far. Although we can safely assume Kuro "KuroKy" Salehi Takhasomi and co. will make it to the second stage of the tournament, their shaky performances make it hard to side with them to produce clean sweeps. Nigma tend to have their flashes of inconsistency, which leads us to believe they will drop at least one map here, which is why siding with HellRaisers at +1.5 map handicap is the best bet to take.
HellRaisers +1.5 Maps
$1.62
HAVU vs MIBR
CS:GO FLASHPOINT
MiBR won seven out of their last eight matches played in FLASHPOINT (albeit against lower-ranked opposition), however, they were absolutely dreadful in the EPL, where they picked up only two wins in six matches played, which includes two losses against their compatriots FURIA. HAVU, on the other side, surprised everyone with what they have shown so far at this tournament, and with the decline of ENCE, HAVU have arguably already established themselves as the top Finnish CS:GO team.
Apart from their loss to MAD Lions (who are undisputed FLASHPOINT favourites), HAVU won all of their remaining matches, so it's safe to assume they will be entering this bout with high morale. What's more, this will be the first time MiBR and HAVU will meet on the battlefield, which will make it hard for MiBR to prepare a solid strategy against the hot Finns. Momentum will play a crucial factor here, and we can say with confidence that HAVU hold a significant edge in that department. It's also worth noting that MIBR's "new superstar player" Ignacio 'meyern' Meyer proved to be anything but a superstar, while the recent departure of MiBR's coach who left due to supposed internal struggled in the team won't help their cause either. Clearly, MiBR are in shambles, while HAVU look to be in the best shape this team has ever been. Siding with HAVU is a no-brainer pick in our books and with generous odds offered on the Finns, it's hard to pass out on this bet. Bet on HAVU to win.
SMASH vs Illuminar
CS:GO LOOT.BET Season 6
Both sides are coming into the second round of LOOT.BET Season 6 after suffering defeats the previous round, with SMASH losing to Gambit Youngsters (1-2), while Illuminar suffered a 1-2 defeat against Endpoint. Apart from that, it's worth noting that Illuminar's new roster has played only one match together, which was the beforementioned 1-2 loss to Endpoint. In that fixture, the only player of Illuminar who managed to look at least half-decent was Janusz "Snax" Pogorzelski with 1.07 HLTV rating across the series, which is not all too promising but we should give the new-look squad a bit more time before we criticise them. SMASH, on the other side, are entering this bout hoping they can break their four-game losing streak, which they accumulated against Nordavind, Syman, Spirit and BIG. What’s more, SMASH won only five games since the turn of the year, which suggests they are dealing with much greater problems than just a period of poor form.
Both sides have their own issues; SMASH are in a slump, while Illuminar's new roster clearly did not have enough time to get together, so we can't expect too much from them either. With that in mind, this match looks like a complete coin toss, as it can easily go either way. Having said that, Illuminar at least have the advantage when it comes to boasting with stronger morale, which should give them an edge over SMASH, who won only five games out of 17 played since January.
