PuLse Gaming (4/1, Bet365) vs Giants Gaming (1/5, Ladbrokes)
Well, if this isn’t a bargain, we’re not quite sure what is. Facing off at 6PM CUT, dead last place PuLse Gaming will be taking on the Spanish squad of Giants Gaming in the second last match of Stage 1. It’s obvious to any keen eye that these odds are somewhat ambitious for PuLse, but there’s a little more to it than that.
If you take a quick look at the EU CWL standings, you’ll find Giants in a worrying 8th place. If they don’t manage to move up to 6th this week, the team will miss out on Stage 1 Finals and instead be fighting to avoid relegation. Sitting 2 places above Giants Gaming in the safe 6th place spot is Vitality, who only hold a 1 map advantage at this moment in time. Vitality also have 2 tough matches this week, against exceL eSports and current leaders, Infused. In short, Giants have a lot to play for this week and will be firing on all cylinders to take the “easy” win over PuLse and move into Wednesday with Finals qualification in sight.
Taking a brief look at PuLse’s record this season is as much as you need to know about the team’s fortunes in Stage 1. With 16 losses and yet to win a match, PuLse are rock-bottom of the standings. With just 2 matches left, they also have no chance of avoiding the relegation tournament. PuLse are purely playing for pride this week, and there is very little chance that will be enough to see them through.
We can’t see PuLse Gaming putting up much of a fight against Giant’s squad full of Spanish passion, making this an easy call.
Recommended Bet: Giants Gaming (1/5, Ladbrokes)
ExceL eSports (3/5, Ladbrokes) vs Vitality (5/4, Bet365)
The matchup between Excel and Vitality is probably about as close as it’ll get this week in Europe, especially considering Wednesday is almost entirely mismatches. The big question with this match is, will Vitality’s struggle to avoid relegation be enough to topple the arguably more skilled side of exceL?
Many would argue so. In the past 6 matches, Vitality have toppled PuLse, LDLC, Giants and, believe it or not, Millenium. They also have a huge motivation behind them, a top 6 placement for Stage 1 Finals qualification. The French squad will be panicking about Wednesday’s match versus Infused and will be looking to find (relative) safety with a win on Tuesday.
It’s easy to be critical of Vitality’s recent performance however. With the exception of Millenium, all of the team’s recent wins have been against the bottom 3 teams in the league. Worse, previous to these victories, Vitality rode out a 6 game losing streak. ExceL have also been on fairly good form recently, taking out Vitality 3-0 just 2 weeks ago.
It’s safe to say that Vitality have a fighting chance going into this match, but with the odds on offer, we’d say ExceL eSports are a smarter bet.
Recommended Bet: ExceL eSports (3/5, Ladbrokes)
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