Some of the top CS:GO teams in the world are taking a break next week, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a lot going on. The Starseries I-League Season 5 tournament will take place in Kyiv and pit 16 of the top teams in the world against each other. There is a $300,000 prize pool up for grabs and with that kind of dough, we are going to see some good CS:GO. Natus Vincere and SK Gaming are the two favorites coming into the event, but there are many who think that Team Liquid and Mousesports have a good chance too.
At BookMaker Sportsbook, our team of writers breaks down every betting matchup on the wagering board. eSports are exploding in popularity and we at BookMaker have you covered for all of your betting needs. From League of Legends to CS:GO, BookMaker has all of the eSports betting lines you can hope for. Open an account and get in on the action today!
CS:GO Starseries I-League Betting Odds
Natus Vincere +330
SK Gaming +355
Team Liquid +400
Mousesports +560
Ninjas in Pyjamas +1350
HellRaisers +1950
TyLoo +2000
NRG +2200
North +2200
GODSENT +2200
Virtus Pro +2500
AVANGAR +2700
Gambit +2800
Renegades +3000
AGO +3100
VG.Flash +9000
The two top teams in the world will not be participating in Kyiv. Astralis and FaZe Clan have both decided to sit this one out in order to get some well-deserved rest and relaxation. That opens the door to other squads though.
Natus Vincere is the favorite after a good showing at the last major. Na’Vi made it to the semifinals before they were ousted by Team Liquid. Edward and s1mple have been playing very good recently, and that has helped this team on its recent run of good play. They have defeated FaZe Clan, Fnatic, G2, and mousesports in the last month. Na’Vi opens up against TyLoo on Monday.
Although they have not performed well lately, SK Gaming will eventually turn it around. They have the weakest team at the tournament in their first match in VG. Flash, and that will help them in their efforts to regain their form. Stewie2K is starting to blend in a bit with the rest of the team, and communication is becoming less of an issue. This team is very talented. As soon as the communication problem is solved, they will again be one of the best teams.
It’s perhaps a bit surprising that Liquid are not the favorites at this event. They played a very close final match against Astralis in the ESL Pro League Finals and their addition of Taco has really started to pay dividends. He has been a big boon since coming over from SK Gaming and helped them beat mousesports and Natus Vincere in the last big event.
Ninjas in Pyjamas were considered one of the better teams heading into the ESL Pro League Season 7 Finals, but their quick exit meant that the odds on them have dropped considerably heading into this event. However, they took SK Gaming to overtime and lost a tough series to a good OpTic Gaming team in the loser’s bracket. There is a lot of value in this team, even though there first match is against a good HellRaisers squad. They are my favorite bet of this event.
Finally, if you’re looking for a longshot, take a look at Virtus Pro. They have not been in good form lately, but this is a team with a long established track record of pulling off wins when no one expected them to. This is the most veteran team in the world with four players that have competed together for over four years. Virtus Pro will have a lot of crowd support too, and that helps in a tournament like this.
At BookMaker Sportsbook, our team of writers breaks down every betting matchup on the wagering board. eSports are exploding in popularity and we at BookMaker have you covered for all of your betting needs. From League of Legends to CS:GO, BookMaker has all of the eSports betting lines you can hope for. Open an account and get in on the action today!
