The Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 playoffs start with a clash between MOUZ and The MongolZ, marking a rematch from the elimination stage when MongolZ bested the European lineup 16-13. Nevertheless, MongolZ this match enter as underdogs with the best Counter-Strike betting sites.

The MongolZ have not lost a game at the Shanghai Major and are on a 13-game winning streak, which extends back to their title run at Thunderpick World Championship 2024. MOUZ have not been performing poorly, but they have looked a bit shaky in China.

MOUZ are a quality team with very strong teamwork, whereas MongolZ rely more on individual firepower. While this has helped the Asian squad make it this far, MOUZ are among the few teams who could punish MongolZ’s somewhat reckless playstyle.

While MongolZ are a more inviting bet at outsider odds, this should be a highly competitive game which can easily extend to three maps.

Team Liquid reverse-swept Team Spirit in September in a very competitive three-map game, winning 13-11 on Nuke and 13-10 on Anubis after dropping Dust2 3-13.

Team Spirit looked a bit shaky early into the Major but have found momentum in the latter stages — largely thanks to Danil “donk” Kryshkovets, who has been performing incredibly well. The young player has posted the tournament’s highest average performance rating at 1.55 over six maps played.

While Spirit are not at 100% yet, they are trending up and could reach top form in the playoffs. That does not do any favours for Team Liquid, who are arguably the weakest of the eight Counter-Strike teams to reach the knockout stage in Shanghai.

Liquid have had the easiest path to the playoffs, yet they did not look great in some of their wins. While Team Liquid are still a quality team, Team Spirit are rightly priced as favourites for this match.

Esports betting tips

Miami Heretics did not perform well on LAN last year, with a 3-10 record, and they were 14-14 online. Consistency was a major issue, and it led to some roster changes, including the arrival of Diego “SupeR” Escudero, David “RenKoR” Isern, and coach Gonzalo “Sikotik” Galán.

It is unclear whether the new-look lineup will manage to find more stability, but the Heretics have some upside, as long as they manage to improve on respawns and continue to post solid results on Search & Destroy.

Vegas Falcons’ lineup consists of former Call of Duty Challengers players who will likely struggle on respawns, but they have shown good things on Search & Destroy during the Esports World Cup. So, while their ceiling is lower, the Falcons match up well with Heretics.

Minnesota RØKKR’s new roster has a lot of firepower, although they lack strong leadership, which could become a problem later. On the other side, with Daniel “Loony” Loza as head coach, the RØKKR’s ceiling is very high.

Boston Breach, like RØKKR, freshened up their lineup after their shaky run through the 2024 Call of Duty League season. But even with the new signings, the Breach have some issues, mainly iffy firepower, which will show in respawns.

This is a winnable match for both teams and close to a coin flip, so we will gladly side with the underdogs at plus money.

Vancouver Surge enter the 2025 season with a much different roster compared to 2024, featuring two new pickups, Charlie “Hicksy” Hicks and Byron “Nastie” Plumridge. The core made the Esports World Cup 2024 semifinals, so there is some potential, but the Surge could struggle with their firepower this season.

This is where Jovan “04” Rodriguez will play a significant factor for the squad, who besides questionable firepower, have the tools to fight for a strong placement this year.

Like last season, the Surge could struggle against CDL’s top teams, which explains why they are priced as underdogs with the best Call of Duty betting sites. However, at this price and so early into the season, it is worth taking a shot with the underdogs.

Los Angeles Thieves replaced their entire lineup after a disappointing fourth-place finish in the CDL Championship 2024 and acquired Dylan “Envoy” Hannon, Paco “HyDra” Rusiewiez, and Thomas “Scrappy” Ernst. While we have not seen the Thieves play yet, this is a very stacked lineup which should compete for a podium finish this season.

Cloud9 New York created an interesting roster, with players who competed together before, creating a powerful synergy with plenty of talent to bite at the heels of the top squads. Whether the project will work out remains to be seen, but it is also hard to say whether LA Thieves will perform as well as expected, especially so early.

Regardless of Thieves’ higher ceiling, Cloud9 New York can keep it close.

Esports betting tips

Minnesota RØKKR built a new CoD roster at the start of November, featuring a fairly young lineup of players with a very high ceiling. But the lack of leadership could be a massive problem, especially if RØKKR do not start strong.

Los Angeles Guerrillas blew up their 2024 lineup and rebuilt with former New York Subliners trio Preston “Priestahh” Greiner, Cesar “Skyz” Buen, and Matthew “KiSMET” Tinsley, who will link up with Thomas “Lynz” Gregorio from Minnesota. Essentially fielding the Modern Warfare II championship roster, the Guerrillas look strong on paper; individually, however, the four players did not look great last season.

The quality is still there, which explains why LAG are priced as favourites with the best Call of Duty betting sites. However, it is hard to look past Minnesota RØKKR’s upside, which is a good enough reason to take their side at outsider odds.

After winning the Call of Duty League Championship 2024, OpTic Texas kept their roster intact. OpTic were by far the best Hardpoint team in the league with a 70.11% win rate, while they also posted a positive win rates on Control (58%) and did slightly worse on Search & Destroy (47.83%).

Boston Breach made some roster changes at the end of the 2024 season and performed well at the Esports World Cup 2024, with a fifth-eighth finish. This is a well-rounded lineup, although there are some concerns with Eric “Snoopy” Pérez, who did not have the best year and enters the 2025 season with a chip on his shoulder.

Boston Breach could be better than they seem, but that does not make them a good pick against OpTic Texas’ proven lineup.

Vegas Falcons enter the 2025 season with a strange roster situation, having registered nine players. However, we will likely see the same lineup that represented Team Falcons at Esports World Cup 2024, finishing in last place.

While the Saudi team showed good things on Search & Destroy, respawns will be a major problem for the Call of Duty Challengers roster.

Carolina Royal Ravens are priced as massive favourites for this match, mainly due to the Falcons’ questionable quality. But like the Vegas Falcons, Royal Ravens lack firepower, which will likely lead to a much closer match than what the betting odds suggest.

Despite the painful ending to the 2024 CDL season, Atlanta FaZe decided to run it back with the same lineup, which won the Esports World Cup in August. While this roster does not lack quality, FaZe have became know to choke in important matches, but that is a problem for later.

Toronto Ultra signed two new players in October, Ben “Beans” McMellon and Joseph “JoeDeceives” Romero, creating a scary roster which should easily secure a winner’s bracket spot for the first Major.

While not as proven as that of Atlanta FaZe, you have to have a good reason to take the underdogs at this price at the start of a new season. A smaller position on Toronto Ultra to upset is worth a look.

Esports betting tips

The MongolZ cruised through the opening stage of Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 with dominant victories against Rare Atom, MiBR, and GamerLegion while posting the stage’s highest average performance rating for a team at 1.50.

On Thursday, they will face a much tougher opponent in G2 Esports. But the Mongolian squad are in excellent form and they played a highly competitive game against Nikola “NiKo” Kovač and co. in July, so it is hard to doubt their ability to hold their own.

With momentum on their side, MongolZ have a realistic chance to upset G2 Esports.

Natus Vincere are billed as the team to beat in China, which comes as no surprise as they have posted incredible results over the last two months, including two titles from ESL Pro League Season 20 and Intel Extreme Masters Rio 2024.

Team Liquid made it through the opening stage with wins against Cloud9, Wildcard, and FlyQuest, but they did not look great in either of the three victories – averaging a 1.11 performance rating as a unit. Moreover, TL are known for struggling when facing tougher opponents, which makes it hard to justify taking their side in this fixture.

GamerLegion exceeded expectations in the opening stage by beating FURIA Esports, paiN Gaming, and Passion UA. However, they also suffered a rough loss against The MongolZ, which should be a much better indication of how Erik “ztr” Gustafsson and co will perform when faced with an elite-tier team.

Team Vitality slipped at Intel Extreme Masters Rio 2024, where they placed top six but have otherwise performed well in bigger events. More recently, Vitality made the final four at BLAST Premier: World Final 2024.

GamerLegion took a map off Vitality in July but have since slowed down and are sure to struggle on Thursday.

FURIA Esports did not look great in the first stage of the Major. But it’s not like Team Spirit have shown anything noteworthy or any form of consistency lately.

The Russian squad are 6-4 from their last 10, and recently, they have only performed well against weaker teams such as Aurora Gaming, Sashi Esports, and Ninjas in Pyjamas. Their matches against Passion UA and G2 Esports were not as smooth.

While much stronger on paper, Team Spirt have yet to reach their final form and are vulnerable to upset in a best-of-one.

MOUZ are priced as heavy favourites with the best Counter-Strike betting sites to defeat paiN Gaming, which is not surprising. They beat the Brazilians in October and once before in August.

PaiN Gaming have had their moments in the first stage of the Major, yet they’ve only beaten Imperial Esports, Cloud9, and FlyQuest. Before the RMR, Rodrigo “biguzera” Bittencourt and co. have not found much success against other elite teams, and it is unlikely that will change.

Wildcard reaching the elimination stage of Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 is a massive accomplishment. However, they have had a fairly easy path, beating the disjointed Fnatic and struggling Virtus.pro, to which they added a close 2-1 victory against Passion UA.

Despite their success, Wildcard are not at the level of FaZe Clan, who are objectively better and more experienced. Best-of-one games introduce some volatility, which benefits the underdogs, but Wildcard should never pose a threat to FaZe, who rarely slip as favourites.

BIG will clash with HEROIC for the first time since the European RMR when the German squad won 13-8. According to the latest betting odds, however, HEROIC should get their revenge.

BIG have not shown anything inspiring in the opening stage, posting a 1.00 performance average across the nine maps played. Rigon “rigoN” Gashi, in particular, has been struggling with a 0.89 average, but we can expect some improvement in this stage.

Even though BIG are not in top form, the same can be said for HEROIC who did not perform amazingly well in the RMR. As a clash between two shaky teams, this should be a scrappy affair, making the outsiders a more inviting pick.

3DMAX looked incredible during the European RMR with wins against TSM, Eternal Fire, and G2 Esports. Even before that, the French squad posted promising results at Thunderpick World Championship 2024, proving they belong among the world’s elite.

MiBR have had their moments over the last two months, but looked lacklustre in the opening stage, with rough losses against MongolZ and Passion UA.

While 3DMAX still have a lot to prove at the top level, this should be an easy match for them.

Esports betting tips

FURIA Esports secured a ticket for Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 by the skin of their teeth after beating M80 in the seventh place decider in the American RMR. They are 4-2 from their last six, with losses against Legacy and Team Liquid, while their only notable victory over that stretch came against M80 in the deciding RMR fixture.

GamerLegion have had a similar road through the European RMR with wins against UNiTY, Team Falcons, SINNERS Esports, and BetBoom Team in the seventh-place decider. Before the RMR, GamerLegion had not accomplished as much as FURIA, who placed top four at Intel Extreme Masters Rio 2024. Still, that success alone is not enough to view the Brazilians as a vastly superior team.

GamerLegion are a competitive side and should keep this match close.

MiBR shocked the world by finishing the American RMR 3-0, but they got a bit lucky, and it is not like André “drop” Abreu and co. had to struggle much, with wins against KRU Esports, Imperial Esports, and Complexity. Virtus.pro went 3-1 in the European RMR B, but like MiBR, their schedule was fairly soft, with wins against TSM, 9Pandas, and Sashi Esports.

While neither squad showed much in the RMRs, Virtus.pro are rightly priced as favourites with the best Counter-Strike betting sites. While somewhat inconsistent, VP boast a strong map pool and have flown higher than MiBR this season.

Cloud9 have not met expectations this season, especially in the last two months. C9 have consistently struggled against tougher opponents, but are effective when faced with lower-ranked teams.

Team Liquid have had their moments throughout the year, but these have became scarcer in the latter part of the season. As with Cloud9, TL’s lack of accomplishments was due to their poor record when faced with top-10-ranked squads.

Both teams struggle with the same problem, and while TL have shown more over the last 11 months, Cloud9 to win at $2.53 in a best-of-one is an easy choice.

Complexity should be clear favourites to win their opening match of Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024, but it is hard to justify taking their side at $1.24 in a best-of-one.

FlyQuest are not expected to do well in China, but they won the ESL Challenger at DreamHack Atlanta 2024 in October and have since posted solid results against regional opponents. That does not make them favoured to win this match, but seeing the Australian squad priced at $2.66 is too generous. Australians can bet on Flyquest at the top Australian esports betting sites.

BIG and Passion UA met during the Europe RMR B last week when BIG won with a 2-1 reverse sweep. According to the latest odds, they are expected to do it again, but their past success does not justify this number.

Passion UA have been playing exceptionally well of late, and while this won’t last forever, the Ukrainian squad are in excellent form – and, as shown last week, capable of holding their own against BIG.

At plus money, Passion UA are a more appealing pick.

Fnatic continue to rely on Benjamin “blameF” Bremer – the third-highest-rated player at EU RMR A (1.40) – to do most of the heavy lifting. But sometimes, that is enough, especially against weaker teams who can’t stop him.

Wildcard are a surprise appearance at the Shanghai Major after producing a 3-0 run through the Americas RMR. But that success should be taken with a grain of salt.
Fnatic are far from one of the leading candidates to do damage at the Major, but at $1.77, they are an obvious pick to defeat Peter “stanislaw” Jarguz and his crew.

The MongolZ are given an 86.2% implied probability to defeat Rare Atom, which is a massive number for a best-of-one match. Even though they have accomplished much more than Rare Atom, the Chinese side beat MongolZ in July and played two competitive games in April.

Although a less accomplished team, Rare Atom know their opponents well and as seen in their recent clashes, RA know how to deal with Garidmagnai “bLitz” Byambasuren and his crew. So, while this is still The MongolZ’s game to lose, Rare Atom should be able to keep it relatively close.

PaiN Gaming and Imperial Esports have met six times this season, and all but one best-of-one match ended in paiN’s victory. That includes a dominant victory 13-5 win during the Americans RMR earlier this month.

Imperial Esports have since beaten KRU Esports and RED Canids, improving their record to 4-6 from the last 10. On the other side, paiN Gaming are 8-2 over the same stretch.

Even though regional derbies tend to be more unpredictable, Rodrigo “biguzera” Bittencourt and co. have beaten Imperial enough times this season to believe they can do it again without any issues.

Esports betting tips

DRX rebuilt their VALORANT roster ahead of the 2025 season with No “freeing” Ha-jun, Song “HYUNMIN” Hyun-min, and Na “Athan” Ha-jun, and the ambitious project seems to be working out well.

The South Korean side left a good impression at TEN Valorant Asia Invitational 2024 and did not disappoint in victories against Bilibili Gaming and Gen.G Esports during the VALORANT Radiant Asia Invitational group stage.

Paper Rex were not as clean, needing three games to reach the playoffs; however, Jason “f0rsakeN” Susanto and co. showed a lot of good things in their wins against EDward Gaming and Rex Regum Qeon.

Priced at plus money with the best VALROANT betting sites, DRX are an easy choice for this fixture.

DetonatioN FocusMe rebuilt their entire lineup in October and kept Ibuki “Meiy” Seki as the only carryover from the 2024 season. The new-look Japanese-Korean mix first appeared at the Red Bull Home Ground #5 APAC Play-In, where they did not find much success.

DFM did better in the first stage of the VALORANT Radiant Asia Invitational, however, beating the likes of EDward Gaming and Rex Regum Qeon. That said, Trace Esports will not come as easy.

VALORANT Champions 2024 quarterfinalists had a slow start to this tournament but played much better in their wins against Bilibili Gaming and Gen.G Esports. Zhang “LuoK1ng” Zhanpeng has been especially impressive, recording the tournament’s fourth-highest KDA (1.87).

We could see all three maps played, but this is Trace Esports’ game to lose.

Esports betting tips

G2 Esports are short-priced favourites to make it through Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 European RMR B, paying $1.14 on the best Counter-Strike betting sites. Ninjas in Pyjamas are listed at $5.00 in the outright markets, which shows how one-sided this affair should be.

A best-of-one game does not help make a case for G2 Esports, especially considering how inconsistent they can be. However, Ninjas in Pyjamas have not beaten a top-10 squad in months and are 2-4 from their last six outings, with losses against Metizport, BetBoom Team, Imperial Esports, and HEROIC.

This is G2 Esports’ game to lose.

Team Spirit have played just five games since the end of September, but they have done well, with wins against Team Vitality, FaZe Clan, and Astralis. Their only two losses over that stretch came against G2 Esports.

B8 are also 3-2 in their last five outings, albeit against weaker opponents. B8 have not had a chance to face off against elite teams, making it tough to say how they will do in this contest.

Since Spirit have not been too active of late, it is fair to question how prepared they are for the RMR. But this is still one of the world’s most stacked Counter-Strike teams, while B8 only recently broke into the top 20.

Eternal Fire are priced as favourites for this match, mainly because Aurora Gaming aren’t that good. However, as seen in their results from the start of October, Eternal Fire are very up-and-down.

Aurora Gaming are 2-7 from their last nine, with just two victories against 9INE and 9Pandas. That said, they did play a close game against Eternal Fire in August and have the tools needed to upset the Turkish side in a best-of-one.

As the latest esports betting odds suggest, Virtus.pro should not struggle to beat lower-ranked teams like Passion UA. However, their recent results are not that great.

The Russian squad lost to OG twice at the end of October during Thunderpick World Championship 2024 and have since not played a single match. Passion UA, on the other side, recently lost to BC.Game Esports, ex-Soul’s Heart Esports, and 500.

Both teams have looked shaky of late, and while Virtus.pro have a higher ceiling, their lack of consistency makes it easy to expect a close affair.

HEROIC have a better win rate than PARIVISION on five maps in the rotation. However, this match will likely play out on Nuke or Anubis, where the two teams hold similar win rates.

This should not benefit PARIVISION, who have recently dropped games against the likes of Nemiga, Fnatic, and Sashi Esports. HEROIC have not been perfect either, but they’ve been gaining momentum and are 7-2 from their last nine outings.

Damjan “kyxsan” Stoilkovski and co. should not be losing games like this.

Astralis will not be able to count on Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz, who decided to skip the RMR due to stress-related health issues. This is a blow for the Danish Counter-Strike squad, but with the core available and Alexander “br0” Bro stepping in, Astralis should do just fine.

9Pandas can hope to take advantage of Astralis’ issues, and they seem to be in a fine spot to do so, having dropped just two of their last 17 games. On the other side, 9Pandas have faced mostly weaker teams over that stretch.

While weakened, Astralis are the more appealing pick at this price.

BIG have done well for their standards, with a runner-up finish at the ESL Challenger at DreamHack Atlanta 2024 and a top-eight result at Thunderpick World Championship 2024 in October.

Sashi Esports have also shown signs of life, but only in lower-rated events — namely the Winline Insight Season 6 at the start of the month, when they reached the final four.

BIG have dropped maps against GUN5 Esports and XPERION NXT over the last month, so they are not immune to slipping on Thursday. But the Germans rarely underperform against weaker teams, and it is unlikely that will change this week.

TSM have faced 3DMAX twice since July and lost both series, 0-2 and 1-2. Over the five maps played, TSM won one, forced overtime once, and took 11 rounds on Dust2 in October, suggesting they can hang with 3DMAX.

These numbers, however, do not show that TSM are 0-5 ahead of their first fixture at the RMR and haven’t played a match in three weeks. In contrast, 3DMAX are 4-1 over the same stretch and in good shape.

Taking the French squad to win with three rounds to spare is an obvious choice.

Esports betting tips

Natus Vincere enter the Perfect World Shanghai Major as the world’s best team, although they were knocked out of the BLAST Premier World Final in last place. As Fnatic are 33 places lower than NaVi in the world rankings and have struggled to contend in second-tier tournaments, it is hard to find many positives for them in this fixture.

Team Vitality will regain William “mezii” Merriman for the Europe RMR, and for the Major if they are to qualify, which will bring a completely different Vitality compared to the squad that finished in third-fourth place at the BLAST World Final. GamerLegion are still working things out after adding Sebastian “Tauson” Tauson Lindelof to the roster two months ago, so Vitality should have no issues in this matchup.

FaZe Clan have not lifted a trophy since April at IEM Chengdu, and there is plenty of talk about a potential roster change in the coming months. Somehow, Cloud9 are ranked as the world’s 66th best team heading into the Europe A RMR; however, if Kirill “Boombl4” Mikhaylov can rally his squad, there is no reason they can’t make the main event and do some damage on the way.

MOUZ are rated as an unbackable $1.16 chance with Counter-Strike betting sites to qualify for the Shanghai Major. While some will say Nemiga Gaming’s form is better than their odds suggest, they have been competing in second-tier events against much weaker teams. The 4.5-round line is very generous in favour of MOUZ.

SAW are in the midst of a four-game winning streak following their ESL Challenger Katowice 2024 triumph. Last time they met SINNERS, they claimed a 2-0 win and gave up just eight rounds across the two maps. SINNERS are one of the lowest-ranked teams in this RMR, and if they can record one victory throughout the event, it will be seen as a successful trip to China.

Team Falcons have recorded eight straight losses in the last two months. The addition of Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyljev has not changed their fortunes, and it is hard to see them qualifying for the Major unless their form reverses completely. At the other end of the spectrum, Dynamo Eclot have won nine of their last 13 matches and could be poised to spring an upset.

BetBoom Team are fresh off their YaLLa Compass Fall 2024 triumph and will put their three-game win streak on the line in the opening round. UNiTY were knocked out of that event early in the Contenders phase, but that poor result followed a decent third-place finish at the United21 League Season 20. Despite the odds, this clash could go either way, so take the plus money on the underdogs.

Sangal Esports and Rebels Gaming have met four times throughout 2024, with Rebels claiming the first two meetings before Sangal produced two dominant victories in their most recent clashes. Sangal have not played an official match since claiming the ESL Challenger League Season 48 Europe title in late October, while Rebels are fresh off European Pro League Season 20. With more time to bootcamp and study their upcoming opponent, back the favourites to win again.

Esports betting tips

FURIA Esports are one of the leading candidates to qualify for the Shanghai Major. They looked excellent at Intel Extreme Masters Rio 2024 last month, with wins against FaZe Clan, MOUZ, and Natus Vincere, although it is not uncommon to see FURIA have promising tournament runs only to fall apart shortly after.

Legacy have not accomplished anything nearly as impressive in top-tier events this season, and they did not make it very far in their most recent competitive endeavour at ESL Challenger Katowice 2024. However, Legacy showed a pulse at Thunderpick World Championship 2024 and know their opponents well.

Team Liquid had a rough run through Intel Extreme Masters Rio and BLAST Premier World Final 2024, going 1-4 across the two tournaments. North America’s No.1 side have since not played a match, but the long break might be what they needed to get back on track.

Despite Liquid’s shaky showings last month, they are the superior team in this contest. Wildcard are 0-3 down in the head-to-head standings, and their performances at ESL Challenger League Season 48 North America last month are reason enough to doubt their chances of winning on Tuesday.

Complexity are expected to cruise through the Perfect World Major Americas RMR, priced at $1.40 on the outright markets with the best Counter-Strike betting sites. But it is tough to make a strong case for a team who have played just three series since the start of October.

BESTIA have not been too active lately, but they performed well at Thunderpick World Championship 2024 two weeks ago, when they defeated M80 twice and added a competitive 1-2 loss against 3DMAX.

Complexity are rusty and one of the more inconsistent teams in the region. At the offered betting odds, BESTIA are an excellent outsider pick.

PaiN Gaming have proven their worth in the latter half of the 2024 season. They played competitive games against the world’s elite teams at Intel Extreme Masters Rio 2024 and added a semifinal run at ESL Challenger Katowice 2024 at the end of October.

Nouns Esports’ only accomplishments have come in C-Tier events. Their early exits from CCT Season 2 North American Series #3 and ESL Challenger League Season 48 North America are better indications of how they might do in the RMR.

Don’t expect any surprises on Tuesday. PaiN Gaming should roll over Nouns.

9z Team lost to RED Canids twice in May and June, but they are expected to do well on Tuesday. The Brazilians have had a chance to get ready by playing tougher opponents at IEM Rio 2024, Elisa Masters Espoo 2024, and Thunderpick World Championship 2024, although they went 1-6 over those three events.

RED Canids have not appeared in any top-tier tournaments since ESL Pro League Season 20 and have been inconsistent at ESL Challenger League Season 48 South America. However, they have picked up a few wins and are worth a look for this series at plus money.

Priced at $3.94 with esports bookmakers, BOSS might have some followers simply because they beat M80 once last month during ESL Challenger League Season 48 North America. But as M80’s 13-1 victory in the rematch suggests, that result was nothing more than a fluke.

M80 will not make the same mistake on Tuesday and let Ancient slip through the ban phase. That would leave BOSS with only Mirage, where they are not too effective.

MiBR will face off against KRU Esports for the first time since ESL Challenger League Season 48 South America in October, when they won with 13-11 on Ancient and 13-2 on Nuke. According to the latest betting odds, the Brazilian squad should be just as successful on Tuesday.

While MiBR have a higher ceiling than KRU, they are rusty, so it is hard to justify betting on them at this number. Take KRU at the round handicap.

This should be the most one-sided game of the opening round of the Perfect World Major Americas RMR, and the odds at GG Bet reflect that.

Imperial Esports have not looked the greatest in October, finishing fifth-sixth at ESL Challenger League Season 48 South America and fifth-eighth at Thunderpick World Championship 2024. But they have accomplished a lot more than Case Esports this season.

With a more experienced lineup and a substantially better win rate on all maps except for Ancient, Imperial Esports should stomp South America’s 13th-ranked team.

Esports betting tips

The MongolZ are the leading favourites to win the Asia-Pacific RMR and qualify for the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024. So, it is easy to understand why the top Counter-Strike betting sites are giving the Mongolian side a 91.7% implied probability of winning the series.

The MongolZ have dominated the regional scene for the past two years and left a positive impression in some European tournaments. They placed second at Skyesports Championship 2024 in July and won Thunderpick World Championship 2024 earlier this month.

Alter Ego have shown some signs of life over the last two months. Still, besides beating lesser domestic opponents in the South-east Asian qualifiers, Gan-Erdene “dobu” Batbold and co. have done hardly enough to be considered a threat for The MongolZ.

DRILLAS came together in August and have since managed a 59.1% win rate, competing only in second-division European tournaments. So, while they field some known names from the tier-one scene, DRILLAS are still unproven.

Lynn Vision Gaming are the fourth-highest-ranked team in Asia, with experience facing European squads. In September, they attended ESL Pro League Season 20 and CCT Season 2 European Series #12, and while both ended in early eliminations, Lynn Vision have some decent results against tougher opponents.

DRILLAS have a higher ceiling than the Chinese outfit, but they have yet to prove their worth and are not a good pick at this price in a best-of-one series.

Rare Atom defeated GR Gaming in February, and the rematch should end no differently. Cai “Summer” Yulun and co. are not in the best shape ahead of the Shanghai Major 2024 RMR, with one win from their last five fixtures and defeats against Johnny Speeds, Endpoint, and Spirit Academy (twice).

But excluding their fixtures against European sides, Rare Atom are 7-3, and their only three losses over that stretch came against TYLOO. GR Gaming have managed the same record, with most of those victories coming against lesser opponents, including SayGGTeam, -72C, and Chinggis Warriors.

GR Gaming have not had a proper chance to be tested ahead of the RMR, and in games where they faced more challenging opponents, such as TYLOO, they fell apart. So, while Rare Atom can be a bit up and down, this is their game to lose.

TALON looked good at Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024: Oceanic Qualifier in August, but they have not shown much since, with early exits from CCT Season 2 Europe Series #13 and Shuffle Masters #2. Moreover, Oceania’s no.7 have not played a match since September.

FlyQuest enter this match with more achievements under their belt, with back-to-back titles in October at ESL Challenger at DreamHack Atlanta 2024 and ESL Challenger League Season 48: Oceania. But, like TALON, they have been out of action for a while.

Both squads are a bit rusty, which does not help make a case for FlyQuest as heavy favourites. However, Christopher “dexter” Nong and co. have proven to be highly efficient in running over any regional opponents, and this match should be no exception.

Esports betting tips