Joonas Salminen

This semi-final is a true toss-up between Falcons' phenomenal group stage momentum and Vitality's proven big-match experience. While Falcons have the raw firepower from m0NESY and are hungry for a big win, ZywOo's clutch factor makes Vitality a slight favorite. Expect a tense, three-map affair where Vitality's depth should just barely see them through. Vitality being the underdog in the odds makes us pick them here. Vitality wins 2-1.

A Brazilian derby always hits different, and this one feels tighter than the odds suggest. FURIA come in with the bigger brand and higher ceiling, but paiN have been okay this tournament. In the tournament opener paiN surprised with a map win, but this should be smooth sailing for FURIA. The odds lean so much on FURIA that we're hitting a few handicaps for paiN.

This is the quarterfinal everyone circled the moment the bracket locked. Spirit come in looking like the most explosive team of the event, while Vitality are banking on experience and structure to drag them through a brutal matchup.

paiN Gaming is the established favorite based on ranking and experience, but PUA's recent form is undeniable. This matchup is a classic "signature map swap" scenario. PaiN will win their strong pick (likely Nuke), and PUA will use their momentum to take a map (likely Train or Dust2). The betting value here is in expecting a full, tense three-map series. PUA wins in the third.

IEM Chengdu Grand Final Re-Match. In their last meeting FURIA pulled the longer straw in 3-0 fashion. The match was close and there is room for team play and individual improvements, especially by ropz and mezii. Win streaks are always difficult to maintain on busy schedules. Vitality have a revenge in mind and pull out victorious this time.

This match features two non-Tier 1 teams, JiJieHao and Nuclear TigeRES currently ranked globally around #98 and #61, respectively. Nuclear TigeRES is the clear favorite based on recent form and historical performance. The teams met 5 days ago, when TigeRES took a clean 2-0 victory H2H.

This matchup feels unfair on paper. Passion UA pulled off a shocking win over The MongolZ, but they’re not tier-1 ready just yet. Hallzerk’s crew showed promise, yet now they face the well-oiled Falcons who punish every mistake. Still, the odds lean too heavily toward Falcons, making Passion UA handicap bets an intriguing value bet for smart CS2 bettors.

JiJieHao looks much stronger coming into this match ups. Nexus seem to be in a bit of a downfall at the moment.

This one looks heavily one-sided on paper. Vitality, one of the most structured and star packed lineups in CS2, face TYLOO, who are still trying to find consistency against top-tier opposition. Expect Vitality to control the tempo from the first round. TYLOO’s wild aggression and kind of home advantage could lead into a few highlight moments if the French side underestimate them.

A true Brazilian derby where both teams know each other inside out. FURIA’s current form has been crazy good. Their raw firepower with molodoy, KSCERATO and yuurih is dangerous. paiN, on the other hand, play more structured CS with slower utility work and team discipline. Momentum will likely decide this one: if FURIA hit early confidence, they can snowball hard. But if paiN control tempo in the start of the maps, they could keep this opening match close. FURIA might still have a little title-hangover.

A real clash of potential vs form.
Spirit have top-tier firepower — donk, sh1ro, tN1R — but haven’t hit their expected level lately. So many additions to their firepower, that the team cohesion is lacking behind. Falcons, on the other hand, bring momentum and crazy mechanics. m0NESY, NiKo, and kyousuke are building synergy fast making them a very dangerous opponent. Still, 2.40 on Spirit feels generous. If they wake up, this could easily swing their way.

This 500 roster looks solid if we were back in 2021, with players like Cerq, Hampus and Rainwaker. On the other hand, K27 is a young Russian + Belarusian mix with massive potential. X5G7V is the most recognizable name, yet the fact that he’s the lowest-rated player on the team with a 1.1 rating tells you that the firepower is spread across multiple players. CS2Bet.io Take: K27’s energy and ambition give them a slight edge, especially in momentum-driven matchups and higher-value bets.

A classic clash between two in-form teams, both capable of high-level play. 1WIN come in hot off Hobbit’s seven-match streak, showing crisp mid-round calls and strong team cohesion. Nemiga, on the other hand, have had solid performances despite roster changes, with Sowalio and the rest putting up numbers that keep them dangerous. Expect a tight, tactical series where small mistakes can swing maps either way. 1WIN’s edge comes from veteran leadership and momentum, while Nemiga will rely on clutch potential and aggressive map control to stay in contention. CS2Bet.io Take: Expect a nail-biting series, but 1WIN’s momentum and Hobbit’s return to form make them our pick. Nemiga can steal maps, but the edge goes to the Russian veterans for the series win.

PICK: Nemiga Moneyline (1.26 odds) Nemiga 1st map (1.42 odds) Nemiga were dominant earlier in the year with zweih leading the charge, but even without him, the team has maintained strong performances — largely thanks to sowalio stepping up with solid numbers. The Belarusian squad still has experience, structure, and map knowledge on their side, making them favorites against a less consistent opposition. JiJieHao are an unpredictable Middle Eastern mix — talented but scattered. While players like BOROS and sinnopsyy bring flashes of Tier 1 experience, the team’s overall cohesion and map control remain weak. They’ve shown slight improvement in recent matches but still sit over 100 in the HLTV rankings, making them the underdogs. Prediction: Nemiga’s structure and experienced roster should carry them to an easy victory.

Dynamo Eclot are slowly finding their rhythm again after a rocky few months. The Czech squad has shown signs of resurgence following recent roster changes, improving both map control and mid-round decision-making. They’re trending in the right direction even though not in the 2023 peak. Nuclear Tigeres, meanwhile, are a volatile young Russian lineup. Talented but inconsistent. Their performances swing wildly from strong showings to complete collapses, often depending on early map momentum. Against a more experienced and structured side like Eclot, that instability could prove costly. Eclot’s experience and stability should outlast the raw but erratic Tigeres squad. Its still going to be close

PICK: 1WIN -1,5 maps at 1.82 1WIN -6.5 match rounds at 1.65 Thunderpick. The 1WIN is back on form, and so is the legend HObbit — the veteran rifler who seems to have rediscovered his groove. Riding a seven-match win streak, 1WIN are entering this matchup with serious momentum, taking down solid Tier 2 opposition with a mix of structure and raw confidence. Nexus have shown flashes of quality, but remain inconsistent. They especially struggle on maps like Inferno and Ancient, where their mid-round calling tends to fall apart under pressure. Their firepower can spike when XELLOW get rolling, but maintaining that level against an in-form 1WIN squad will be a tough task. BTN is on an awful run with 0.80 rating over the last 3 months. HObbit’s return has clearly elevated 1WIN’s tactics and firepower. They are a big favorite here, but 1win should steamroll to victory.

Pick: Shinden to win Another South American, maybe Tier-3 match up. Sharks are the favorites here, but Shinden is a capable team too. In the last h2h Shinden took a clean 2-0 victory little bit over month ago. Theres a possibility that Shinden will upset again. 3.10 odds are too good to get away from.

Pick: Bestia 1st map Bestia 2nd map Bestia comes into this one as a clear favorite — and for good reason. They’ve been a consistent top-tier South American team with solid firepower and a structured style that often overwhelms lower-tier opponents. Luken and deco have been in strong form, and their map pool depth should give them an edge here. LP, on the other hand, has shown some potential but lacks experience against teams at Bestia’s level. Unless LP can bring something unpredictable or catch Bestia off guard early, this looks like a 2–0 for the Argentinians. We will bet on both 1st and 2nd map.

Pick: Bestia 1st map Bestia 2nd map Bestia comes into this one as a clear favorite — and for good reason. They’ve been a consistent top-tier South American team with solid firepower and a structured style that often overwhelms lower-tier opponents. Luken and deco have been in strong form, and their map pool depth should give them an edge here. LP, on the other hand, has shown some potential but lacks experience against teams at Bestia’s level. Unless LP can bring something unpredictable or catch Bestia off guard early, this looks like a 2–0 for the Argentinians. We will bet on both 1st and 2nd map.

MongolZ, ranked #6 in the world, are heavily favored against the unranked Passion UA. MongolZ have won 3 of their last 5, while Passion UA are also in solid recent form but lack top-tier opposition experience. Most analysts and fans expect MongolZ to dominate this best-of-three series.

Test

HAVU managed to scrape through a super close match yesterday, but the overall picture hasn’t changed much — they’re still inconsistent and lacking the firepower to convincingly handle emerging CIS lineups. K23 are one of those dangerous young Russian mixes that seem to improve every series. Riding a five-match win streak and sitting over 70 spots higher in the HLTV rankings, they enter this one as clear favorites. K23 are often aggressive style and better fraggers might overwhelms slower, more methodical teams like HAVU. If the Russians start hot, especially on T-side, this could get out of control quickly. HAVU might keep it close on their preferred maps, but the raw skill and tempo difference should be too much to handle over a best-of-three. K23 are huge favorites here so we have to give a few rounds as handicap, but we remain confident. At least 7 round match win gives us 1.65 odds.

Pick: Fluxo moneyline at 1.80 Thunderpick. Circuit X Retake São Paulo 2025 Grand Final between two of the best teams in Second tier Brazilian CS2. Fluxo has dominated this head to head match up the whole 2025. Mhlzin and Lucaozy are the best Fluxo players clashing against Shark stars koala and doc. Sharks are in 12 match win streak but they haven't met Fluxo after August. Now it all will change and the win streak comes to an end.

Pick: ARCRED - 4,5 match rounds ArcRed come into this matchup as the clearly stronger side, both on paper and in recent form. Their Eastern European mix — featuring sharp Uzbek talents and a disciplined calling core — has been quietly solid in online qualifiers. HAVU, meanwhile, continue to struggle with consistency and firepower, failing to find rhythm despite flashes of promise. Yes, HAVU pulled off a surprise win in their last meeting, but that result felt more like an outlier than a turning point. ArcRed have since stabilized, improving both their T-side entries and mid-round trading. Against HAVU’s slower pace and limited map pool, the matchup leans strongly toward the mix.

Pick: ArcRed Moneyline (1.42 odds at Thunderpick) ArcRed come into this matchup as the clearly stronger side, both on paper and in recent form. Their Eastern European mix — featuring sharp Uzbek talents and a disciplined calling core — has been quietly solid in online qualifiers. HAVU, meanwhile, continue to struggle with consistency and firepower, failing to find rhythm despite flashes of promise. Yes, HAVU pulled off a surprise win in their last meeting, but that result felt more like a mistake than a turning point. ArcRed have since stabilized, improving both their T-side entries and mid-round trading. Against HAVU’s slower pace and limited map pool, the matchup leans strongly toward the mix.

FURIA have certainly impressed again throughout the tournament, showing consistency and firepower. Vitality, on the other hand, haven’t had entirely smooth sailing to reach the final — but they came up clutch against MOUZ when it mattered most. FURIA’s only loss, notably, also came against MOUZ. Yesterday’s performances make this prediction a bit tricky. Every FURIA player posted a 1.00+ rating, and yuurih was just outstanding against arguably the toughest individual team in the event. For Falcons, to be fair, only kyousuke really showed up. Vitality’s CT campaigns have been stellar. As we mentioned before the tournament, counter-terrorist confidence is the key to lifting a trophy. Vitality have a real chance to lock down sites with apEX’s reads and the team’s individual brilliance against the Brazilians’ aggression. Vitality have had FURIA in their pocket in recent meetings — and we expect the French squad to show up once again in the grand final. When was the last time they lost a final, anyway? We’re backing their experience and power to push through this tough matchup Worth a look: -5.5 match handicap at 1.72 odds for a cleaner win

Pick: BIG Moneyline (1.10 odds) BIG enter this matchup still trying to find rhythm with their new lineup, but there are encouraging signs. Prosus and JDC bring firepower and composure that should eventually carry them over the French side. Mousquetaires, on the other hand, rely heavily on experience — but lack the mechanical ceiling to keep up over a full Grand Final BO5. Despite early struggles, BIG’s structure and tactical discipline should stabilize against a looser team like Mousquetaires. Expect a few close rounds early, but BIG’s mid-round calling and individual skill should take over.

What a great final we’re getting to close out IEM Chengdu. FURIA have certainly impressed again throughout the tournament, showing consistency and firepower. Vitality, on the other hand, haven’t had entirely smooth sailing to reach the final — but they came up clutch against MOUZ when it mattered most. FURIA’s only loss, notably, also came against MOUZ. Yesterday’s performances make this prediction a bit tricky. Every FURIA player posted a 1.00+ rating, and yuurih was just outstanding against arguably the toughest individual team in the event. For Falcons, to be fair, only kyousuke really showed up. Vitality’s CT campaigns have been stellar. As we mentioned before the tournament, counter-terrorist confidence is the key to lifting a trophy. Vitality have a real chance to lock down sites with apEX’s reads and the team’s individual brilliance against the Brazilians’ aggression. Vitality have had FURIA in their pocket in recent meetings — and we expect the French squad to show up once again in the grand final. When was the last time they lost a final, anyway? We’re backing their experience and power to push through this tough matchup and lift the trophy again at 1.42 odds. Also worth a look: -5.5 match handicap at 1.72 odds for a cleaner win

Despite being ranked lower (#3 vs FURIA’s #2), Falcons have the edge in raw skill and key player impact. M0NESYis a more experienced and clutch-oriented player compared to Molodoy which could make the difference in tight rounds. It’s actually super crazy that the new guy molodoy might be more decorated player of those two right now. Falcons have put the best numbers in this tournament, and we´re expecting that trend to continue. Expect Falcons to push FURIA hard — a Falcons 2‑1 victory feels realistic if they keep composure in the decider. We are betting Falcons at 1.52 odds at Thunderpick.

Maybe it’s the weird team name why the Ukrainian team BASEMENT BOYS are undervalued here. CPH Wolves are full of a bit unknown players for the big public. Feels like the skill gap is too much for the Danish to overcome. We are picking The Boys In The Basement at 1.62 odds.

s NBK- back with a bang? His team definitely has the pieces in the fragging department to become a solid tier-2 contender. misutaaa, Djoko, and BooXsy have all played in well-known lineups before — and now they’re grinding their way back to relevance. HAVU still carry that trademark Finnish discipline and patience, while GenOne rely more on pace and mechanical confidence. The problem for HAVU is that this roster doesn’t really have a star player anymore, which could make this another rough stretch for the proud Finnish organization. GenOne simply look sharper right now — and at 1.35 on the moneyline and –5.5 handicap at 1.72 were putting them on our bet slips.

s NBK- back with a bang? His team definitely has the pieces in the fragging department to become a solid tier-2 contender. misutaaa, Djoko, and Brooksy have all played in well-known lineups before — and now they’re grinding their way back to relevance. HAVU still carry that trademark Finnish discipline and patience, while GenOne rely more on pace and mechanical confidence. The problem for HAVU is that this roster doesn’t really have a star player anymore, which could make this another rough stretch for the proud Finnish organization. GenOne simply look sharper right now — and at 1.35 on the moneyline and –5.5 handicap at 1.72 were putting them on our bet slips.

Talk about a heritage matchup here. EYEBALLERS vs ENCE is pure Counter-Strike nostalgia with a modern twist. The legendary Swedish tag brings back memories of 1.6 greatness, led now by JW — the last old guard still fragging it out. On the other side of the server, ENCE bring that cold northern discipline, half Finnish again and firing on all cylinders after a strong run of results. EYEBALLERS represent heart, history, and fearless aggression. ENCE, on the other hand, are in full system mode: structured, clinical, and improving with every tournament. This matchup isn’t just another group stage clash — it’s old school CS-swagger versus modern precision. If EYEBALLERS catch fire early, we could see chaos. But on form, ENCE are the smarter CS2 bet. Super calm, super composed, and climbing the rankings fast.

This one seems to be a high octane match. FURIA’s explosive Brazilian aggression versus The Mongolz’s unpredictable, high-tempo site hits. It’s still hard to say if MongolZ are better with controlez over Senzu — we don’t think so yet. Both teams thrive on confidence, momentum, and raw aim duels rather than deep tactical structure, which means whoever settles in first probably takes control. We are getting great odds for probably onesided affair. FURIA at 1.38 feels a bargain and we are bagging it.