The Team Pick'em Challenge is a side challenge that is added to CS:GO when a major tournament is on. You buy in-game stickers for teams you think will win their matches at the major (where 50% of the proceeds go to the professional teams / players). You then place those team stickers on the Pick'em Challenge to gain points, the more the points, the better the prize you receive at the end. The prize is a 'MLG Columbus 2016 Pick'em Challenge Badge' which is used and seen on your in-game CS:GO profile. The Pick'em Challenge Coin has three different versions which are decided upon the amount of points you gain throughout the Pick'em Challenge:

0 to 24 points = No Badge
25 to 49 points = Bronze Badge
50 to 74 points = Silver Badge
75 + points = Gold Badge


In this guide i will be going into deep detail and explanation about the best option on what team to pick and which team will give you the best chance to receive you the most points in the Team Pick'em Challenge. I will be looking at each team's recent matches over the last few days, weeks and months to determine which team has the best chance of winning their games, which then gives you points towards your Team Pick'em Challenge Badge. I personally have a lot of experience within Counter Strike with 1700+ hours on the game alone. I am also a huge fan of the Counter Strike pro scene, watching almost every match i can and keeping up on top of all the match scores. You could sometimes say i'm analyzing the matches. I have participated in all the Pick'em Challenges so far with the end results being:

ESL One Cologne 2014 - Gold Badge | 78 points
DreamHack Winter 2014 - Silver Badge | 61 points
ESL One Katowice 2015 - Gold Bade | 82 points
ESL One Cologne 2015 - Gold Badge | 90 points
DreamHack Cluj Napoca Team Pick'em - Silver Badge | 61 points
DreamHack Cluj Napoca Fantasy Pick'em - Gold Badge | 1864 points (4% Global Rating)

As you can see in the DreamHack Winter 2014 & DreamHack Cluj Napoca Pick'em, i didn't do too well. This was due to the extremely hard choices and close matches meaning some of the games came down to a 50/50 choice. I am now prepared for this major knowing more then i have before. If you would just like to donate to me and help me out, please do so here. Every donation will be appreciated and thanked on this guide and on my profile. I will constantly be updating this guide with the newest information, odd's and prediction's for each match throughout the MLG Columbus 2016 event and Pick'em Challenge. I will have each matches information, odd's and prediction posted at least 5 hours before the match is played

For Day 1 - Group Stage, there are 8 games being played. They are all best of 1 map games where the winning team goes to the upper bracket and losing team goes to the lower bracket for the next day. For the Team Pick'em Challenge it self on day 1, each match that you pick the correct winning team, you will be granted 1 point. If you end up getting a few picks wrong on day 1, it won't affect you to much in the final results towards getting you the Gold Pick'em Badge but every point counts. day 1 for me is the day to look at all the teams to gain info about them for future days and picks in the tournament. Also, just for placing your picks / stickers on all the matches for day 1, you will receive an extra 1 point.



Overview: Ninjas In Pyjamas are looking pretty good at the moment, winning against Astralis and Luminosity Gaming as well as taking a map off of Fnatic and Natus Vincere. They've also had clean wins against teams such as FaZe Clan and Virtus.Pro with very little screw ups. Ninjas In Pyjamas recently announced that their new player, pyth, will 100% not be playing this first game against Flipsid3 Tactics as his visa is in-valid to come overseas. This means that Ninjas In Pyjamas are going to use their coach for this game. Even though the coach may not be as skilled as pyth, the coach still knows all the strats and tactical part of the team so it shouldn't make a huge difference. Flipsid3 Tactics are also looking quite good at the moment, coming super close in rounds against Fnatic, taking a map off Natus Vincere and winning against Mousesports. Both teams in my opinion are playing the best they have in over 6 months but I think Ninjas In Pyjamas will just barley slip away with the best of 1 win due to being the slightly better team overall. This still could be an upset though as Ninjas In Pyjamas are known for choking in the group stage and will be playing with their coach instead of a player.

Ninjas In Pyjama's Recent Noteworthy Results:
Ninjas In Pyjamas 16 - 4 Astralis
Ninjas In Pyjamas 16 - 8 Astralis
Ninjas In Pyjamas 10 - 16 Fnatic
Ninjas In Pyjamas 16 - 6 Fnatic

Flipsid3 Tactics' Recent Noteworthy Results:
Flipsid3 Tactics 14 - 16 Fnatic
Flipsid3 Tactics 13 - 16 Fnatic
Flipsid3 Tactics 16 - 13 Mousesports
Flipsid3 Tactics 16 - 12 Mousesports

Recent Results Against Each Other:
Haven't played each other in over 5 months.

My Odds: Ninjas In Pyjamas 50% - 50% Flipsid3 Tactics
My Choice: Ninjas In Pyjamas



Overview: Back at IEM Katowice 2016, Luminosity Gaming were really on form winning games against Fnatic and Natus Vincere and making it to the grand final. In these last few weeks though, Luminosity Gaming haven't been at their best, losing maps to North American teams such as Winterfox, Cloud9, Selfless and TeamSolo Mid. Mousesports in my opinion are at the best they've been in the last few months but still super inconsistent, losing maps to Dignitas, Flipsid3 Tactics and SK Gaming. With their improvement recently, they have been able to take maps off of teams such as FaZe Clan, G2 Esports, Fnatic and Ninjas In Pyjamas. At IEM Katowice 2016, both teams went up against each other on Cobblestone with Luminosity Gaming only just taking the win 16 - 14. That means this best of 1 will be very close between the two teams. I think it's safe to say that Luminosity Gaming will most likely win this as they have been amazing these last few months as well as being in the top 5 teams in the world at the moment. Even though Luminosity Gaming have been a little shakey lately, I still think they will take this against the inconsistent Mousesports.

Luminosity Gaming's Recent Noteworthy Results:
Luminosity Gaming 16 - 12 Counter Logic Gaming
Luminosity Gaming 16 - 9 Counter Logic Gaming
Luminosity Gaming 16 - 7 Cloud9
Luminosity Gaming 13 - 16 Cloud9

Mousesports' Recent Noteworthy Results:
Mousesports 13 - 16 Flipsid3 Tactics
Mousesports 12 - 16 Flipsid3 Tactics
Mousesports 16 - 13 FaZe Clan
Mousesports 16 - 14 FaZe Clan

Recent Results Against Each Other:
Luminosity Gaming 16 - 14 Mousesports

My Odds: Luminosity Gaming 60% - 40% Mousesports
My Choice: Luminosity Gaming



Overview: Both teams are really inconsistent at the moment, losing games to teams they shouldn't be losing to. FaZe Clan have been losing maps and coming close in rounds to teams such as SK Gaming, G2 Esports, Virtus.pro, Tempo Storm and Mousesports which are teams FaZe Clan normally win against even though their strong teams. Team Liquid on the other hand have been loosing maps and games to teams they should be winning against such as Winterfox, Renegades and Optic Gaming. At the major, Team Liquid won't be playing with one of their main players named Koosta, as they qualified for the major using the line up with adren instead. This could make a difference in team chemistry but adren has been playing for Team Liquid for a while so it won't make to much of a difference. I personally think that FaZe Clan will pick up their game before the major as they have been bootcamping in a gaming house all together which the team said they needed to get better as a team and get further in the major. As well as FaZe Clan are built up off of a majority of aimers so if both teams don't show their full form, FaZe Clan will most likely take this game off of aim.

FaZe Clan's Recent Noteworthy Results:
FaZe Clan 13 - 16 Mousesports
FaZe Clan 14 - 16 Mousesports
FaZe Clan 10 - 16 G2 Esports
FaZe Clan 13 - 16 G2 Esports

Team Liquid's Recent Noteworthy Results:
Team Liquid 5 - 16 Cloud9
Team Liquid 7 - 16 Cloud9
Team Liquid 19 - 17 Cloud9
Team Liquid 22 - 19 Counter Logic Gaming

Recent Results Against Each Other:
Haven't played each other in over before.

My Odds: FaZe Clan 50% - 50% Team Liquid
My Choice: FaZe Clan



Overview: These last few weeks Fnatic haven't been at their best, loosing a map to Ninjas In Pyjamas and Mousesports. As well as that, they has a close game in rounds against Flipsid3 Tactics. Splyce on the other hand, haven't showed themselves at all. Losing maps and games to teams that aren't even at the major such as Renegades, Selfless, Complexity and AGG. Other than the Major Qualifier to qualify for this event, they barley have ever shown themselves. In my opinion, this is the weakest team in the major going up against the best team. With that being said, this should be an easy win for Fnatic considering they are one of the favourites for the event and shouldn't lose to a low tier team such as Splyce. Anything could happen though as it is a best of 1.

Fnatic's Recent Noteworthy Results:
Fnatic 16 - 14 Flipsid3 Tactics
Fnatic 16 - 13 Flipsid3 Tactics
Fnatic 16 - 10 Ninjas In Pyjamas
Fnatic 6 - 16 Ninjas In Pyjamas

Splyce's Recent Noteworthy Results:
Splyce 6 - 16 Renegades
Splyce 4 - 16 Renegades
Splyce 8 - 16 Luminosity Gaming
Splyce 11 - 16 Luminosity Gaming

Recent Results Against Each Other:
Haven't played each other before.

My Odds: Fnatic 95% - 5% Splyce
My Choice: Fnatic

Overview: Team EnVyUs are majorly off form at the moment. Recently dropping kioShiMa and picking up DEVIL has made a huge difference to the team in a bad way. In these last few weeks they have lost games to NRG, G2 Esports, Efrag.net, Tempo Storm, FaZe Clan and Virtus.pro. The teams that Team EnVyuS are now losing to are teams that they use to be able to easily beat. Counter Logic Gaming are also inconsistent at the moment loosing maps and games to Team Liquid, Tempo Storm, NRG, VeXed and Splyce. They haven't had that many good wins to be able to show that they can beat Team EnVyUs as well as getting demolished by Team EnVyUs on 2 of the maps in a best of 3. Because of both teams being off form, i personally think that Team EnVyUs will take this one as they are more experienced and will most likely be prepared and improve with the new line up before the major.

Team EnVyUs' Recent Noteworthy Results:
Team EnVyUs 7 - 16 Natus Vincere
Team EnVyUs 11 - 16 Natus Vincere
Team EnVyUs 16 - 7 Astralis
Team EnVyUs 10 - 16 Astralis

Counter Logic Gaming's Recent Noteworthy Results:
Counter Logic Gaming 19 - 22 Team Liquid
Counter Logic Gaming 5 - 16 Team Liquid
Counter Logic Gaming 12 - 16 Luminosity Gaming
Counter Logic Gaming 9 - 16 Luminosity Gaming

Recent Results Against Each Other:
Team EnVyUs 16 - 4 Counter Logic Gaming
Team EnVyUs 16 - 4 Counter Logic Gaming
Team EnVyUs 11 - 16 Counter Logic Gaming

My Odds: Team EnVyUs 65% - 35% Counter Logic Gaming.
My Choice: Team EnVyUs



Overview: Astralis have been looking quite shakey these last few weeks, loosing games to Ninjas In Pyjamas, Natus Vincere and Fnatic as well as losing a map to Team EnVyUs. That is quite common for Astralis as they are known for losing and having very close matches to teams equal in their skill level but dominating all the teams lower in skill such as Torpedo, NRG, SK Gaming and Mousesports. For Gambit Gaming though, they haven't really shown enough to be able to beat Astralis. Having a close game against Penta as well as losing maps to Fm-eSports, VeXed and CSGO Lounge. One game recently that was a shock was Gambit Gaming losing to Hellraisers twice by 10 rounds. I personally think that Astralis will be able to beat Gambit Gaming like they usually beat teams lower in their skill level.

Astralis' Recent Noteworthy Results:
Astralis 16 - 12 Natus Vincere
Astralis 9 - 16 Natus Vincere
Astralis 7 - 16 Team EnVyUs
Astralis 16 - 10 Team EnVyUs

Gambit Gaming's Recent Noteworthy Results:
Gambit Gaming 22 - 20 Penta
Gambit Gaming 16 - 9 Penta
Gambit Gaming 5 - 16 Hellraisers
Gambit Gaming 5 - 16 Hellraisers

Recent Results Against Each Other:
Haven't played each other in over before.

My Odds: Astralis 65% - 35% Gambit Gaming
My Choice: Astralis



Overview: Natus Vincere are looking amazing right now, getting top 4 in almost every tournament so far this year. Recently they have been beating a lot of good teams such as Team EnVyUs, Astralis, Virtus.pro, Flipsid3, Dignitas and many more. They have lost a few maps against those teams but overall won the best of 1 or 3 series with pretty good scorelines. Cloud9 have also been performing quite well but only to North American teams. Winning against team such as Winterfox, NRG, Team Liquid, Selfless and Optic Gaming. As well as taking a map off of Luminosity Gaming. I personally think Cloud9 will preform quite well against some other teams in this tournament but because it is Natus Vincere, i think Cloud9 will struggle in the game meaning that Natus Vincere will take the win.

Natus Vincere's Recent Noteworthy Results:
Natus Vincere 16 - 7 Team EnVyUs
Natus Vincere 16 - 11 Team EnVyUs
Natus Vincere 16 - 5 Astralis
Natus Vincere 12 - 16 Astralis

Cloud9's Recent Noteworthy Results:
Cloud9 16 - 5 Team Liquid
Cloud9 16 - 7 Team Liquid
Cloud9 17 - 19 Team Liquid
Cloud9 7 - 16 Luminosity Gaming

Recent Results Against Each Other:
Haven't played each other in over 5 months.

My Odds: Natus Vincere 75% - 25% Cloud9
My Choice: Natus Vincere



Overview: Virtus.pro these last few months have been super inconsistent, losing games and maps to teams such as Natus Vincere, Ninjas In Pyjamas, Tempo Storm, Astralis and Dignitas. Not that those teams are bad, but the ammount of times and rounds they have lost to those teams are getting worse. This is similar with G2 Esports, losing maps and games to teams such as Copenhagen Wolves, Dignitas and Mousesports. G2 Esports have won some maps against average teams though, such as FaZe Clan, Dignitas, SK Gaming and Flipsid3. I feel that in this match up G2 Esports will be the better team as they recently beat Virtus.pro twice but you never know as both teams are super inconsistent

Virtus.pro's Recent Noteworthy Results:
Virtus.pro 12 - 16 Natus Vincere
Virtus.pro 14 - 16 Natus Vincere
Virtus.pro 11 - 16 Ninjas In Pyjamas
Virtus.pro 2 - 16 Ninjas In Pyjamas

G2 Esports' Recent Noteworthy Results:
G2 Esports 16 - 10 FaZe Clan
G2 Esports 16 - 13 FaZe Clan
G2 Esports 13 - 16 Mousesports
G2 Esports 14 - 16 Mousesports

Recent Results Against Each Other:
Virtus.pro 6 - 16 G2 Esports
Virtus.pro 14 - 16 G2 Esports

My Odds: Virtus.pro 50% - 50% G2 Esports
My Choice: G2 Esports

For Day 2 - Group Stage, there are 8 games being played. There is a upper bracket for all the winning teams from day 1, the winning teams from the upper bracket proceed through to the quarter finals on day 4 and the losing teams play the next day on day 3 in an elimination match. The losing teams from day 1 are put into a lower bracket where the losing teams of that lower bracket are then eliminated from the tournament and the winning teams play the next day on day 3 in an elimination match. All games on day 2 are best of 1 map. For the Team Pick'em Challenge it self on day 2, each match that you pick the correct winning team, you will be granted 2 points. Also, just for placing your picks / stickers on all the matches for day 2, you will receive an extra 1 point.



Overview: Flipsid3 Tactics had an amazing match yesterday against Ninjas In Pyjamas despite losing. They played amazingly with a few rages along the way taking Ninjas In Pyjamas to overtime. I personally think Flipsid3 Tactics can shake up this tournament with their current form. Mousesports on the other hand played average against Luminosity Gaming. They ended up having a decent scoreline against them despite losing by 3 rounds but it did take them a while to fire up. They won both pistol rounds but then lost a series of 2-3 rounds before gaining another round back on Luminosity Gaming. In my opinion this match is a dead 50/50 as both teams are looking pretty good at the moment and anything could happen depending on the map and the situation. I personally am going to go with Flipsid3 Tactics as i was satisfied with their performance against Ninjas In Pyjamas, i think they will be able to take it over Mousesports as they recently beat them on 2 maps. Also if Flipsid3 Tactics discuss the mistakes they made in yesterdays game and work on them slightly before the match, they should be able to shut down Mousesports and win the game.

Flipsid3 Tactics' Recent Noteworthy Results:
Flipsid3 Tactics 17 - 19 Ninjas In Pyjamas
Flipsid3 Tactics 14 - 16 Fnatic
Flipsid3 Tactics 13 - 16 Fnatic
Flipsid3 Tactics 6 - 16 Natus Vincere
Flipsid3 Tactics 16 - 9 Natus Vincere

Mousesports' Recent Noteworthy Results:
Mousesports 13 - 16 Luminosity Gaming
Mousesports 16 - 13 FaZe Clan
Mousesports 16 - 14 FaZe Clan
Mousesports 16 - 13 G2 Esports
Mousesports 16 - 14 G2 Esports

Recent Results Against Each Other:
Flipsid3 Tactics 16 - 13 Mousesports
Flipsid3 Tactics 16 - 12 Mousesports

My Odds: Flipsid3 Tactics 50% - 50% Mousesports
My Choice: Flipsid3 Tactics



Overview: FaZe Clan started off very bad against Team Liquid yesterday on Cache. Not being able to out frag or hold a site against them. Once FaZe Clan got onto terrorist side, they started a comeback, being able to open up the sites and hold them pretty well. Splyce had the tough opponent of playing against Fnatic, getting absolutely demolished by 11 rounds. Yes they were playing against one of the best teams in the tournament but they really didn't show much. Other than a few individual plays from a few players, they didn't show much teamwork in holding or retaking the sites. I personally think that FaZe Clan should be able to win this game pretty easily despite being off form. If they FaZe Clan play like they did yesterday on terrorist side against Team Liquid, then they should easily be able to beat Splyce. This could be an upset match though, if Splyce have their individual players showing up in clutches and rounds when they need, this game could come close.

FaZe Clan's Recent Noteworthy Results:
FaZe Clan 11 - 16 Team Liquid
FaZe Clan 13 - 16 Mousesports
FaZe Clan 14 - 16 Mousesports
FaZe Clan 10 - 16 G2 Esports
FaZe Clan 13 - 16 G2 Esports

Splyce's Recent Noteworthy Results:
Splyce 5 - 16 Fnatic
Splyce 6 - 16 Renegades
Splyce 4 - 16 Renegades
Splyce 8 - 16 Luminosity Gaming
Splyce 11 - 16 Luminosity Gaming

Recent Results Against Each Other:
Haven't played each other before.

My Odds: FaZe Clan 65% - 35% Splyce
My Choice: FaZe Clan



Overview: Team EnVyUs yet again losing another match to a much lower skilled team then them. Losing by 8 rounds to Counter Logic Gaming on Cobblestone was a big shock to everyone. There must be something wrong within Team EnVyUs' line up, considering they have lost to a lot of low tier and inconsistent teams recently such as NRG, G2 Esports, Efrag.net, Tempo Storm, FaZe Clan and Virtus.pro. Gambit Gaming on the other hand really showed themselves against Astralis yesterday, losing by 6 rounds but really showing themselves in clutches, retaking sites and holding sites. The game was super close up until Astralis broke away with their economy. Gambit Gaming really have potential in this tournament to do well and beat teams who are equal in skill level to them or even inconsistent at the moment. This is going to be another very close match with me thinking this is going to be a 50/50 depending on the map and who shows up during the game. Because of Team EnVyUs being so inconsistent lately, i am going to choose Gambit Gaming to take this best of 1 win and knock Team EnVyUs out of the tournament. Just looking at how distort Team EnVyUs were after they lost yesterday makes me feel they have no hope or confidence in themselves any more.

Team EnVyUs' Recent Noteworthy Results:
Team EnVyUs 8 - 16 Counter Logic Gaming
Team EnVyUs 7 - 16 Natus Vincere
Team EnVyUs 11 - 16 Natus Vincere
Team EnVyUs 16 - 7 Astralis
Team EnVyUs 10 - 16 Astralis

Gambit Gaming's Recent Noteworthy Results:
Gambit Gaming 10 - 16 Astralis
Gambit Gaming 22 - 20 Penta
Gambit Gaming 16 - 9 Penta
Gambit Gaming 5 - 16 Hellraisers
Gambit Gaming 5 - 16 Hellraisers

Recent Results Against Each Other:
Haven't played each other in over before.

My Odds: Team EnVyUs 50% - 50% Gambit Gaming
My Choice: Gambit Gaming



Overview: Even though the score didn't look like it, Cloud9 played quite well against Natus Vincere yesterday on Train. They had pretty good teamwork on both sides with their individual aim looking decent as well considering they were playing against one of the best teams in the world right now. I feel that if Cloud9 played a inconsistent or lower skilled team yesterday, then they probably would of won. G2 Esports on the other hand looked terrible against Virtus.pro on train, losing the game by 15 rounds, meaning they only were able to win 1 single round. It wasn't that Virtus.pro were amazing, it was that G2 Esports were super off form. Missing easy shots and barely using teamwork to retake a site. It was terrible to watch. If G2 Esports play terrible like they did yesterday, then Cloud9 who were looking pretty good, should be able to beat them. This will still be a close match but it mainly depends on if G2 Esports actually show up.

Cloud9's Recent Noteworthy Results:
Cloud9 9 - 16 Natus Vincere
Cloud9 16 - 5 Team Liquid
Cloud9 16 - 7 Team Liquid
Cloud9 17 - 19 Team Liquid
Cloud9 7 - 16 Luminosity Gaming

G2 Esport's Recent Noteworthy Results:
G2 Esports 1 - 16 Virtus.pro
G2 Esports 16 - 10 FaZe Clan
G2 Esports 16 - 13 FaZe Clan
G2 Esports 13 - 16 Mousesports
G2 Esports 14 - 16 Mousesports

Recent Results Against Each Other:
Cloud9 11 - 16 G2 Esports
Cloud9 3 - 16 G2 Esports

My Odds: Cloud9 60% - 40% G2 Esports
My Choice: Cloud9

Overview: Ninjas In Pyjamas played really good yesterday against Flipsid3 Tactics. Everyone individually stepping up being able to take and hold sites. Some rounds they lost were to silly little mistakes such as nades and timing but other than that they played at the standard they should be playing at. Luminosity Gaming on the other hand played amazingly against Mousesports, easily being able to take sites and hold them for after plant. Every player in the team individually stepped up and got frags and clutches the team needed to win the game. The score line ended up quite close mainly because Luminosity Gaming lost both pistol rounds as well as losing a lot of economy on counter-terrorist side. I think this will be an intense game to watch and personally I think Luminosity Gaming should be able to take the win mainly because their amazing in best of 1 series, all the team is on form and fired up as well as their individual skill should be able to over run Ninjas In Pyjamas. With the coach of Ninjas In Pyjamas filling in, this is a match where it will really matter and they will need that extra player to frag, so without pyth and their coach filling in for Ninjas In Pyjamas, I think Luminosity Gaming will be able to take it.

Ninjas In Pyjamas' Recent Noteworthy Results:
Ninjas In Pyjamas 19 - 17 Flipsid3 Tactics
Ninjas In Pyjamas 16 - 4 Astralis
Ninjas In Pyjamas 16 - 8 Astralis
Ninjas In Pyjamas 10 - 16 Fnatic
Ninjas In Pyjamas 16 - 6 Fnatic

Luminosity Gaming's Recent Noteworthy Results:
Luminosity Gaming 16 - 13 Mousesports
Luminosity Gaming 16 - 12 Counter Logic Gaming
Luminosity Gaming 16 - 9 Counter Logic Gaming
Luminosity Gaming 16 - 7 Cloud9
Luminosity Gaming 13 - 16 Cloud9

Recent Results Against Each Other:
Ninjas In Pyjamas 16 - 13 Luminosity Gaming

My Odds: Ninjas In Pyjamas 45% - 55% Luminosity Gaming
My Choice: Luminosity Gaming



Overview: Team Liquid played amazing yesterday against FaZe Clan. They really showed that they have practised together making strats and working together as a team. Also everyone's individual aim was on point making the game heavily towards Team Liquid. That caused them to have a giant lead in rounds when heading into the 2nd half. Fnatic like usual dominated against Splyce, winning by 11 rounds. Fnatic just played like they usual do using their amazing individual skill and team work to easily win rounds. Other then Fnatic forcing up armor and pistol a few rounds towards the end, they played amazingly and did nothing wrong. Even though Team Liquid are on form at the moment, i don't think they have the power to beat one of the best teams in the world. This game could be close but I'm going to have to go with Fnatic for this one.

Team Liquid's Recent Noteworthy Results:
Team Liquid 16 - 11 FaZe Clan
Team Liquid 5 - 16 Cloud9
Team Liquid 7 - 16 Cloud9
Team Liquid 19 - 17 Cloud9
Team Liquid 22 - 19 Counter Logic Gaming

Fnatic's Recent Noteworthy Results:
Fnatic 16 - 5 Splyce
Fnatic 16 - 14 Flipsid3 Tactics
Fnatic 16 - 13 Flipsid3 Tactics
Fnatic 16 - 10 Ninjas In Pyjamas
Fnatic 6 - 16 Ninjas In Pyjamas

Recent Results Against Each Other:
Haven't played each other in over 3 months.

My Odds: Team Liquid 25% - 75% Fnatic
My Choice: Fnatic



Overview: Counter Logic Gaming played pretty good against Team EnVyUs yesterday, being able to win the game by 8 rounds. Counter Logic Gaming showed that they have been bootcamping quite well together making strats and working as a team more when pushing and holding sites. In my opinion though, the reason why Counter Logic Gaming beat Team EnVyUs, wasn't because Counter Logic Gaming played amazing but more or less because Team EnVyUs played really bad like all their other games recently. Astralis on the other hand had a pretty decent result against Gambit Gaming, winning by 6 rounds. Astralis started of shakey being down by quite a few rounds but in the middle and end of the game they were able to pick up their gaming and close out a victory. I personally think Counter Logic Gaming are pretty good at the moment but i don't think they have the power to be able to beat a high skilled team such as Astralis. Therefore i am going to go with Astralis. It is a best of 1 though so it could come very close in rounds or maybe Counter Logic Gaming could even upset Astralis.

Counter Logic Gaming's Recent Noteworthy Results:
Counter Logic Gaming 16 - 8 Team EnVyUs
Counter Logic Gaming 19 - 22 Team Liquid
Counter Logic Gaming 5 - 16 Team Liquid
Counter Logic Gaming 12 - 16 Luminosity Gaming
Counter Logic Gaming 9 - 16 Luminosity Gaming

Astralis' Recent Noteworthy Results:
Astralis 16 - 10 Gambit Gaming
Astralis 16 - 12 Natus Vincere
Astralis 9 - 16 Natus Vincere
Astralis 7 - 16 Team EnVyUs
Astralis 16 - 10 Team EnVyUs

Recent Results Against Each Other:
Counter Logic Gaming 4 - 16 Astralis
Counter Logic Gaming 3 - 16 Astralis

My Odds: Counter Logic Gaming 35% - 65% Astralis
My Choice: Astralis



Overview: Natus Vincere played amazing yesterday against Cloud9. It was one of the first games i've seen from Natus Vincere in a while where Guardian wasn't top fragging or contributing to rounds as much as he normally does. Not that it is bad Guardian isn't contributing, it is great as it shows the other players in Natus Vincere can step up in the game when needed. Virtus.pro smashed G2 Esports today by 15 rounds. I personally think that the reason Virtus.pro won wasn't because they played amazing but more or less because G2 Esports played really bad. G2 Esports used barely any teamwork and work all individually off form meaning that Virtus.pro could easily get into sites, plant the bomb and hold them to win easy rounds. I think this tournament Virtus.pro are capable of beating some pretty good teams but not Natus Vincere, one of the best teams in the world at the moment who look almost unstoppable. Therefore i am choosing Natus Vincere to win this best of 1 game.

Natus Vincere's Recent Noteworthy Results:
Natus Vincere 16 - 9 Cloud9
Natus Vincere 16 - 7 Team EnVyUs
Natus Vincere 16 - 11 Team EnVyUs
Natus Vincere 16 - 5 Astralis
Natus Vincere 12 - 16 Astralis

Virtus.pro's Recent Noteworthy Results:
Virtus.pro 16 - 1 G2 Esports
Virtus.pro 12 - 16 Natus Vincere
Virtus.pro 14 - 16 Natus Vincere
Virtus.pro 11 - 16 Ninjas In Pyjamas
Virtus.pro 2 - 16 Ninjas In Pyjamas

Recent Results Against Each Other:
Natus Vincere 16 - 12 Virtus.pro
Natus Vincere 16 - 14 Virtus.pro

My Odds: Natus Vincere 65% - 35% Virtus.pro
My Choice: Natus Vincere

For Day 3 - Group Stage, there are 4 games being played. They are all best of 3 map games where the winning team goes to the quarter finals the next day and losing team gets eliminated from the tournament. For the Team Pick'em Challenge it self on day 3, each match that you pick the correct winning team, you will be granted 5 points. Also, just for placing your picks / stickers on all the matches for day 3, you will receive an extra 1 point.



Overview: Mousesports looked amazing yesterday against Flipsid3 Tactics. They started off looking terrible with a very slow start with the first half ending 12 - 3 Flipsid3 Tactics' way. Then in the 2nd half they looked on fire, winning 12 rounds to take the game to overtime. The game ended up going into it's 5th overtime with the final result of Mousesports winning 31 - 28. Everyone in the team picked up their game in the 2nd half, it looked like they could beat almost anyone at that point. Ninjas In Pyjamas on the other hand played against Luminosity Gaming where they ended up getting demolished 16 - 5. A few of the players from Ninjas In Pyjamas just didn't show up and it looked as though they weren't ready for Mirage. This game of Mousesports vs Ninjas In Pyjamas is going to be a very close 50/50 match. I feel that Mousesports will be able to take this best of 3 series if they are able to play like they did yesterday in the 2nd half against Flipsid3 Tactics. Also both Mousesports and Ninjas In Pyjamas played Luminosity Gaming on the same map of Mirage with Mousesports losing by 3 rounds to them and Ninjas In Pyjamas losing by 11, that means Mousesports seems to be the slightly better team as well Ninjas In Pyjamas having a coach playing for them and dragging them down. For those reasons i will be picking Mousesports to win this series.

Mousesports' Recent Noteworthy Results:
Mousesports 31 - 28 Flipsid3 Tactics
Mousesports 13 - 16 Luminosity Gaming
Mousesports 16 - 13 FaZe Clan
Mousesports 16 - 14 FaZe Clan
Mousesports 16 - 13 G2 Esports
Mousesports 16 - 14 G2 Esports

Ninjas In Pyjamas' Recent Noteworthy Results:
Ninjas In Pyjamas 5 - 16 Luminosity Gaming
Ninjas In Pyjamas 19 - 17 Flipsid3 Tactics
Ninjas In Pyjamas 16 - 4 Astralis
Ninjas In Pyjamas 16 - 8 Astralis
Ninjas In Pyjamas 10 - 16 Fnatic
Ninjas In Pyjamas 16 - 6 Fnatic

Recent Results Against Each Other:
Mousesports 16 - 8 Ninjas In Pyjamas
Mousesports 14 - 16 Ninjas In Pyjamas
Mousesports 15 - 19 Ninjas In Pyjamas

My Odds: Mousesports 50% - 50% Ninjas In Pyjamas
My Choice: Mousesports



Overview: FaZe Clan did good yesterday beating Splyce by 13 rounds. It wasn't the fact that FaZe Clan played good but it was more or less because Splyce was one of the weakest teams in the tournament and FaZe Clan should be able to just beat them off of aim duals. FaZe Clan did look better then they did against Team Liquid on day 1 but you couldn't tell that much as they were only playing Splyce. Fnatic on the other hand are / were the number 1 team in the world until today when they played against Team Liquid on Dust 2 where Team Liquid took them to overtime to then win the game. Team Liquid played amazing, probably the best we have ever seen them play. Fnatic were playing really off form and not how they normally do as well as it didn't seem like they had prepared enough for Team Liquid, sort of seemed like they underestimated Team Liquid's power. I still feel that Fnatic should be able to beat off form FaZe Clan as long as they prepare overnight and play like they normally do. For this reason, i feel it is more safe that Fnatic will win this best of 3 series.

FaZe Clan's Recent Noteworthy Results:
FaZe Clan 16 - 3 Splyce
FaZe Clan 11 - 16 Team Liquid
FaZe Clan 13 - 16 Mousesports
FaZe Clan 14 - 16 Mousesports
FaZe Clan 10 - 16 G2 Esports
FaZe Clan 13 - 16 G2 Esports

Fnatic's Recent Noteworthy Results:
Fnatic 19 - 22 Team Liquid
Fnatic 16 - 5 Splyce
Fnatic 16 - 14 Flipsid3 Tactics
Fnatic 16 - 13 Flipsid3 Tactics
Fnatic 16 - 10 Ninjas In Pyjamas
Fnatic 6 - 16 Ninjas In Pyjamas

Recent Results Against Each Other:
Haven't played each other before.

My Odds: FaZe Clan 35% - 65% Fnatic
My Choice: Fnatic

Overview: Gambit Gaming looked amazing yesterday against Team EnVyUs winning the game by 3 rounds. Team EnVyUs in my opinion played slightly better then they did against Counter Logic Gaming hence why the scoreline was closer for Gambit Gaming compared to Counter Logic Gaming, but obviously Team EnVyUs didn't play well enough to beat Gambit Gaming who were looking pretty on form. Yet again Gambit Gaming's whole team performed and all the players stayed consistent. Counter Logic Gaming on the other hand looked a but shaky against Astralis losing by 7 rounds but Astralis are one of the best teams in the world and were favourites to get out of this group with the better seed. Counter Logic Gaming didn't really show much against Astralis. I feel that they played a little worse then they did against Team EnVyUs. This match between Gambit Gaming and Counter Logic Gaming is a legit 50/50 matchup, it really depends on the maps and who shows up on the day. In my opinion i feel that Gambit Gaming really showed themselves against Team EnVyUs yesterday despite the scoreline. I feel that the players were / are more consistent then the Counter Logic Gaming players. So because of the really hard 50/50 decision, i am going to have to go with the player consistency factor from Gambit Gaming.

Gambit Gaming's Recent Noteworthy Results:
Gambit Gaming 16 - 13 Team EnVyUs
Gambit Gaming 10 - 16 Astralis
Gambit Gaming 22 - 20 Penta
Gambit Gaming 16 - 9 Penta
Gambit Gaming 5 - 16 Hellraisers
Gambit Gaming 5 - 16 Hellraisers

Counter Logic Gaming's Recent Noteworthy Results:
Counter Logic Gaming 9 - 16 Astralis
Counter Logic Gaming 16 - 8 Team EnVyUs
Counter Logic Gaming 19 - 22 Team Liquid
Counter Logic Gaming 5 - 16 Team Liquid
Counter Logic Gaming 12 - 16 Luminosity Gaming
Counter Logic Gaming 9 - 16 Luminosity Gaming

Recent Results Against Each Other:
Haven't played each other before.

My Odds: Gambit Gaming 50% - 50% Counter Logic Gaming
My Choice: Gambit Gaming



Overview: G2 Esports looked really good against Cloud 9 today, winning by 13 rounds. They looked much better then they did against Virtus.pro as they actually used teamwork and looked slighty more warmed up. As well as G2 Esports had to play Virtus.pro on train which their not comfortable on where as today they played Cloud9 on Dust 2 and they were winning all the aim duals. I feel the main reason why G2 Esports looked good today was because Cloud9 played terrible, not being able to win any of the aim duals and not being prepared. Virtus.pro on the other hand had to play a tough opponent of Natus Vincere where they lost by 12 rounds. Virtus.pro didn't play terrible, it was more or less because Natus Vincere is one of the best teams in the world at the moment and had the full capability of winning this major. Also Virtus.pro made a stupid decision of playing counter-terrorist side first when they should of known that Natus Vincere are insanely good on terrorist side. Due to them making that stupid decision, they weren't able to get their economy stable to be able to properly by causing them to lose the game by a lot more then they should have. I feel that if Virtus.pro played like they did against G2 Esports on day 1, then Virtus.pro should be able to win this game. This game also depends a lot on the maps being played as you could tell by Virtus.pro smashing G2 Esports on Train. Also Virtus.pro need to be prepared and not make little mistakes like they did when pickign sides against Natus Vincere. So because of how good Virtus.pro played against G2 Esports on day 1, i'm going to be picking Virtus.pro to win this best of 3 but it will most likely be very close.

G2 Esports' Recent Noteworthy Results:
G2 Esports 16 - 3 Cloud9
G2 Esports 1 - 16 Virtus.pro
G2 Esports 16 - 10 FaZe Clan
G2 Esports 16 - 13 FaZe Clan
G2 Esports 13 - 16 Mousesports
G2 Esports 14 - 16 Mousesports

Virtus.pro's Recent Noteworthy Results:
Virtus.pro 4 - 16 Natus Vincere
Virtus.pro 16 - 1 G2 Esports
Virtus.pro 12 - 16 Natus Vincere
Virtus.pro 14 - 16 Natus Vincere
Virtus.pro 11 - 16 Ninjas In Pyjamas
Virtus.pro 2 - 16 Ninjas In Pyjamas

Recent Results Against Each Other:
G2 Esports 1 - 16 Virtus.pro
G2 Esports 16 - 6 Virtus.pro
G2 Esports 14 - 16 Virtus.pro

My Odds: G2 Esports 45% - 55% Virtus.pro
My Choice: Virtus.pro

For Day 4 - Quarter Finals, there are 4 games being played. They are all best of 3 map games where the winning team goes to the semi finals the next day and the losing team gets eliminated from the tournament. For the Team Pick'em Challenge it self on day 4, each match that you pick the correct winning team, you will be granted 6 points. Also, just for placing your picks / stickers on all the matches for day 4, you will receive an extra 1 point.



Overview: Natus Vincere played really good against Virtus.pro on day 2. Natus Vincere were able to easily out frag them and keep Virtus.pro's money to a bare minimum, causing them to eco and get barely any rounds on them. Natus Vincere ended up winning the game by 12 rounds. Ninjas In Pyjamas played amazing against Mousesports. I really expected Mousesports to slightly take away the win but in the end, Ninjas In Pyjamas won 2 - 1 in maps. Ninjas In Pyjamas really showed themselves in using strats and teamwork. Threat, Ninjas In Pyjamas' coach who is filling in for a player who couldn't make the major, really showed himself, being near the top of the leader board. In this match up of Natus Vincere vs Ninjas In Pyjamas, i personally think that Natus Vincere are to strong at the moment, being contenders for the winners of this tournament. All the players from Natus Vincere are individually playing amazing instead of it being like usual where Guadian is the only one showing up. This will be a very close game though as Ninjas In Pyjamas are using a lot of new strats and being super smart in game with their coach playing but I'm going to go with Natus Vincere mainly because they are contenders for winning this tournament and their all super on form.

Natus Vincere's Recent Noteworthy Results:
Natus Vincere 16 - 4 Virtus.pro
Natus Vincere 16 - 9 Cloud9
Natus Vincere 16 - 7 Team EnVyUs
Natus Vincere 16 - 11 Team EnVyUs

Ninjas In Pyjamas' Recent Noteworthy Results:
Ninjas In Pyjamas 16 - 9 Mousesports
Ninjas In Pyjamas 12 - 16 Mousesports
Ninjas In Pyjamas 16 - 5 Mousesports
Ninjas In Pyjamas 5 - 16 Luminosity Gaming
Ninjas In Pyjamas 19 - 17 Flipsid3 Tactics

Recent Results Against Each Other:
Natus Vincere 16 - 13 Ninjas In Pyjamas
Natus Vincere 10 - 16 Ninjas In Pyjamas
Natus Vincere 16 - 13 Ninjas In Pyjamas

My Odds: Natus Vincere 60% - 40% Ninjas In Pyjamas
My Choice: Natus Vincere



Overview: Astralis are playing decent at the moment just beating Gambit Gaming and Counter Logic Gaming at the major. Before the major they struggled against Natus Vincere and Team EnVyUs. Astralis always beat teams they are suspose to beat and lose to teams who are more skilled then them. Fnatic are known as the best team in the world right now even though have a upset loss against Team Liquid. I feel that Astralis aren't prepared or skilled enough to beat any top teams at the moment. They are known for beating teams they are suspose to beat and choking against high tier teams in finals. I feel that Fnatic are good enough and will be prepared enough to just beat Astralis. Therefore i will be picking Fnatic for this match.

Astralis' Recent Noteworthy Results:
Astralis 16 - 9 Counter Logic Gaming
Astralis 16 - 10 Gambit Gaming
Astralis 16 - 12 Natus Vincere
Astralis 9 - 16 Natus Vincere

Fnatic's Recent Noteworthy Results:
Fnatic 16 - 6 FaZe Clan
Fnatic 16 - 10 FaZe Clan
Fnatic 19 - 22 Team Liquid
Fnatic 16 - 5 Splyce

Recent Results Against Each Other:
Astralis 7 - 16 Fnatic
Astralis 16 - 12 Fnatic
Astralis 6 - 16 Fnatic

My Odds: Astralis 50% - 50% Fnatic
My Choice: Fnatic

Overview: Team Liquid look amazing on day 2 against Fnatic, being able to beat them in overtime by 3 rounds. Considering Fnatic is the best team in the world right now, this is an amazing result for Team Liquid. All the players individually played great, all being able to get important frags and clutches. I feel that Team Liquid now have the motivation to get even further in this tournament now. Counter Logic Gaming played super well against Gambit Gaming yesterday, being able to beat them 2 - 1 in maps. All the maps were fairly close but most of Counter Logic Gaming's players were able to pick up their game and get individual frags which pushed them towards winning that game. For this match up of Team Liquid vs Counter Logic Gaming, i feel that Team Liquid has much more of an advantage. Team Liquid were able to beat both FaZe Clan and Fnatic where as Counter Logic Gaming have only beat super inconsitent Team EnVyUs as well as Gambit by a near margin. If Team Liquid play like they did against Fnatic on day 2, then they should be able to beat Counter Logic Gaming within the first 2 maps. Therefore i will be picking Team Liquid for this best of 3 series.

Team Liquid's Recent Noteworthy Results:
Team Liquid 22 - 19 Fnatic
Team Liquid 16 - 11 FaZe Clan
Team Liquid 5 - 16 Cloud9
Team Liquid 7 - 16 Cloud9
Team Liquid 19 - 17 Cloud9

Counter Logic Gaming's Recent Noteworthy Results:
Counter Logic Gaming 16 - 10 Gambit Gaming
Counter Logic Gaming 16 - 11 Gambit Gaming
Counter Logic Gaming 13 - 16 Gambit Gaming
Counter Logic Gaming 9 - 16 Astralis
Counter Logic Gaming 16 - 8 Team EnVyUs

Recent Results Against Each Other:
Team Liquid 22 - 19 Counter Logic Gaming
Team Liquid 16 - 5 Counter Logic Gaming
Team Liquid 16 - 7 Counter Logic Gaming
Team Liquid 17 - 19 Counter Logic Gaming
Team Liquid 16 - 8 Counter Logic Gaming

My Odds: Team Liquid 65% - 35% Counter Logic Gaming
My Choice: Team Liquid



Overview: Luminosity Gaming looked amazing on day 2 against Ninjas In Pyjamas, being able to beat them by 11 rounds. Luminosity Gaming started off a bit shaky losing to a few of Ninjas In Pyjamas' eco rounds but after Luminosity Gaming started to get their money rolling, they began to easily win rounds by out fragging them. Ninjas In Pyjamas are an amazing team even though they are playing with a coach, so this amazing scoreline for Luminosity Gaming really shows that they are contenders for winning this tournament. Virtus.pro on the other hand played against G2 Esports in a best of 3, being able to beat them 2 - 1 in maps with decent score lines on the maps that they won. Virtus.pro have now shown that they've picked up their game in the last few weeks, coming out of that slump that they have been in for months but I really don't think that Virtus.pro will be able to beat one of the best and most consistent teams at moment. I feel that Luminosity Gaming's amazing aim and site takes allow them to win this game. Therefore i am choosing Luminosity Gaming to take this best of 3 series.

Luminosity Gaming's Recent Noteworthy Results:
Luminosity Gaming 16 - 5 Ninjas In Pyjamas
Luminosity Gaming 16 - 13 Mousesports
Luminosity Gaming 16 - 12 Counter Logic Gaming
Luminosity Gaming 16 - 9 Counter Logic Gaming
Luminosity Gaming 16 - 7 Cloud9

Virtus.pro's Recent Noteworthy Results:
Virtus.pro 16 - 7 G2 Esports
Virtus.pro 9 - 16 G2 Esports
Virtus.pro 16 - 9 G2 Esports
Virtus.pro 4 - 16 Natus Vincere
Virtus.pro 16 - 1 G2 Esports
Virtus.pro 12 - 16 Natus Vincere
Virtus.pro 14 - 16 Natus Vincere

Recent Results Against Each Other:
Haven't played each other before.

My Odds: Luminosity Gaming 65% - 35% Virtus.pro
My Choice: Luminosity Gaming

For Day 5 - Semi Finals, there are 2 games being played. They both best of 3 maps where the winning team goes to the grand final the next day and the losing team gets eliminated from the tournament. For the Team Pick'em Challenge it self on day 6, each match that you pick the correct winning team, you will be granted 8 points. Also, just for placing your picks / stickers on all the matches for day 5, you will receive an extra 1 point.



Overview: Natus Vincere looked amazing against Ninjas In Pyjamas yesterday, beating them 2 - 0 in maps with the scorelines being fairly decent. All of Natus Vincere's players played amazing yet again, it wasn't just Guardian doing all the work. All the players were able to individually get frags and clutches as well as work together as a team to take or hold a site. Natus Vincere look very scary at the moment with them being super on form and determined to win their first ever major. Astralis are also looking on fire at the moment, destroying Fnatic 2 - 0 in maps with one of the maps going Astralis' way by 11 rounds. All of Astralis' players playing amazing and were super on form. Also when Astralis needed to take or hold a site, they used amazing teamwork. Astralis also got the upper hand on the economy over Fnatic causing Astralis to win so many rounds. This match up between Natus Vincere and Astralis is the most 50/50 game we have had all tournament. We have had other 50/50 games where you couldn't tell if a team was going to play good or not but in this case, this 50/50 is going to go off what maps a chosen and what plays are made. Both teams are super on form at the moment so the winner of this is going to be determined off of what team shows up, that is more prepared and brings the most to the game. Due to this game being a serious 50/50, I am going to choose Astralis to win this match as this is to hard of a game to pick and Astralis are my favourite team in the whole of Counter Strike. Other then going off of maps, which aren't decided until just before the match starts, there's no other way to decide who is going to win this game, so this pick comes down to who you personally think will play better or win.

Natus Vincere's Recent Noteworthy Results:
Natus Vincere 16 - 10 Ninjas In Pyjamas
Natus Vincere 16 - 9 Ninjas In Pyjamas
Natus Vincere 16 - 4 Virtus.pro
Natus Vincere 16 - 9 Cloud9

Astralis' Recent Noteworthy Results:
Astralis 16 - 5 Fnatic
Astralis 16 - 10 Fnatic
Astralis 16 - 9 Counter Logic Gaming
Astralis 16 - 10 Gambit Gaming

Recent Results Against Each Other:
Natus Vincere 16 - 5 Astralis
Natus Vincere 12 - 16 Astralis
Natus Vincere 16 - 9 Astralis

My Odds: Natus Vincere 50% - 50% Astralis
My Choice: Astralis


My Odds: Team Liquid 45% - 55% Luminosity Gaming
My Choice: Luminosity Gaming