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So the action will start at 10 AM ET, and will be broadcast on Twitch. The group stages will run from January 22nd all the way through the twenty fifth. After a short break, the playoffs will take place on the weekend between January 27 and January 29. This Atlanta major looks to be super exciting and I bet you all are pumped! We have new teams, tons of roster shake ups, and some surprising additions as well as the noticeable lack of a fan favorite. Let’s start by reviewing all crews in a ranking. The ranking is based off my observation in the past six months, and results prior to that will not be taken into consideration. There are sixteen participants in the tournament, and after the group stages the event will have quarter finals, then semi finals, then the finals!
The sixteenth ranked crew is Flipsid3. This team secured a spot in this CS:GO major by placing in the top eight in the last competition. How did they do that? They beat NiP. In one of the most surprising upsets in history, they took down NiP on Dust II. Unfortunately, since then they have shown nothing special and have produced mediocre results. While I personally I like the team’s potential, I do not see them making a splash in this tournament. Speaking on upsets involving NiP, they could not qualify for this major because they lost to a no name crew called Vega Squadron in the qualifiers. And they didn’t barely lose either. They couldn’t muster more than five rounds in an absolute thrashing. Maybe this is the end of the dominant NiP era?
The fifteenth ranked free would have to be Gambit Gaming. While they made a good run in the last CS:GO Atlanta major, this squad just does not have any cohesion and looks like a tier three team at best. They have not been invited to or qualified to any big tourneys recently, and cannot produce good results in the few contest they do participate in them.
Another team that has taken has nose dive since the last major. The fourteenth crew, in my opinion, would have to be Hell Raisers. While they have had decent showings recently, they do not have a deep run in any tourney with top competitors yet and have yet to make a big statement. While I like them to eventually replace some of the older squads at the top of the CS:GO pro scene, I currently don’t think they have the firepower to do so.
Thirteenth on our list is Liquid. With an apology to their wide fan base, they are too inconsistent to make a deep run. They have the firepower and star power, but they can go from a 0-13 start to a win as seen in the recent IEM tourney. This kind of inconsistency will not enable them to make any sort of inroads in this CS:GO ELEAGUE Major filled with the best of the best. However, I wouldn’t discount Liquid as they have been surprise playoff crashers in the past two tournaments.
Twelfth on our list is Mouse Sports. They are a good group of guys with some main star power in Niko. However, what will they do when he has an off game and ChrisJ cannot carry? This group needs a bit more depth before it can be a serious force. However if Niko and ChrisJ are firing throughout the whole tourney, watch out as they are arguably the best rifle/AWP combo when they are firing on all cylinders.
My eleventh best crew is Fnatic. Once the best of the best, the split up with Godsent being formed has not really gone well for either side. Olofmeister has been mortal again, and the crew just doesn’t look unbeatable anymore. However, you never know when Olof will decide to go ham again.
Coming in at tenth is my personal favorite crew, Godsent. This squad is filled with fire power and while they have had disappointing results, I believe they can make a run if JW can reach his hack like godmode on a consistent basis. With a good supporting cast, these guys have plenty of firepower, and like Fnatic can make a run if they are on point.
Coming in at ninth is Optic Gaming. While they have had impressive results lately, it was a combination of the whole team from Tarik to Mixwell firing on all cylinders. What happens in a pressure situation when one of them chokes? Optic is my pick to underperform unfairly high expectations due to their recent form.
My eighth ranked squad is EnVyUs. I love this French crew, but if Apex and KennyS cannot carry, these guys are in trouble. Similar to the other mid-top tier teams, this roster has the star power, but not the depth of the best of the best.
The other French squad, G2, is the seventh best crew in this ELEAGUE 2017 Major in my opinion. Again, what happens if Shox and Scream cannot carry? Smithzzz is a huge drag on the team even though his analytic mind his useful. Best known for his “they know me for my one taps” ad, Scream can change a game at any time, so G2 is still a threat. What is really intriguing is the French super roster in the works that is about to be formed. Many reliable sources are saying that is neither French squad has huge success a formation of a French super team is imminent. In the interest of CS, I would love to see a combination of Shox, Scream, Apex, and KennyS. It might just be the most legendary line-up is CS history!
Just outside my top five is North. It might be an unfamiliar name for some, but due to recent sporting giants buying eSports squad, Dignitas changed its name to North. North has quality players throughout the lineup, with Konfig and Magicksboy looking to make a huge impact in this CS:GO major. North might be the dark horse to win it all, especially after their recent EPICENTER win in Russia. Be on the lookout for this squad!
My fifth ranked participant is FaZe Clan. This multi national european team always had the firepower, but after a string of unimpressive results even with the top players in the world, management bought in an in-game leader in Karrigan. Since then, FaZe has produced consistently good results and looks to be the main threat. With their moto Faze up, they might just be able to upset this tournament with their combination of firepower and now the tactical mind of Karrigan, look for them to make a deep run in this Atlanta CS:GO Major!
Coming in at fourth is Virtus.Pro. This squad filled with smart and experienced players. The same roster of five has been together for over ten years now, through Counter Strike:Source to CS:GO. With consistent players like Pasha and star players like Snax, they are the first team to have five rifles. They can all pick up an AWP if needed, but they are best known for their five-rifle set up. This consistent and experienced squad is always a threat in any match.
Coming in at third place is SK Gaming. While some might be surprised to see the dominant squad so low, this team has stiff competition in the top two groups. While SK is probably going to be the consensus favorite to win the tournament, I think there are some crews more complete than them. What happens when Fallen cannot make magic with his AWP? Astralis exposed their weaknesses on one of their best maps in ELEAGUE Season two, and I have a sneaking suspicion that might happen again. SK is still the two time reigning major champion, but I think this might not be their day.
Almost there but not quite is NAVI, which is short for Natus Vincere, Born to Win in latin. This team is indeed born to win with a dominant combo in S1mple, the undeniable best player Counter-Strike has ever seen, and Guardian, a more than competent AWPer. They have good tools and great depth and are a real threat to make a deep run in this tournament.
The number one group of guys in my ranking is actually a surprise pick. I think Astralis is going to win this event. They have been on fire lately, and have all the pieces needed to win. With their star player Device leading the way, they can make huge splashes at this competition. Look out for Astralis to do some serious damage!
Atlanta ELEAGUE Major 2017 CS:GO Betting Predictions
Now that I have ranked all the teams, let’s get into betting predictions. I’ll predict the first eight matches and who I think will win the tournament overall and is the best value pick for the odds available.
First let’s discuss Gambit versus North. As you can see by my rankings, North is a much better crew than Gambit and is a huge favorite in this matchup. However because the odds will be extremely lopsided, I recommend a small wager on the underdog Gambit. There is a high return with relatively low risk because of the small bet.
The next matchup to be discussed is G2 vs Fnatic. I like G2 to take this one away because they can out gun Fnatic and are just an overall better team. Because the odds will be relatively similar, I recommend a decent sized bet on G2.
The third match schedules is SK vs Hellraisers. I am going to recommend a money line bet on Hellraisers. Similar to the North vs Gambit matchup, there is a relatively low risk with a huge payoff if successful. SK has been known to have off games before, and if they do, Hellraisers will capitalize fully.
Next up is Virtus.Pro vs Optic Gaming. Place a huge money line wager on Virtus.Pro with confidence. They are a quality and experienced line up that is the complete foil to Optics young one. I think in a tightly fought battle experience will win out and lead VP to an amazing win.
NaVi vs Mousesports will be the fifth battle fought. I recommend a huge bet on NaVi. The odds will probably be something like 1.5 for NaVi, but I actually think they are more like ninety percent likely to win. They have better players than Mousesports, and they have S1mple, who could lead an army of bots and still win a few rounds against pro teams.
The sixth matchup is Liquid vs EnVyUs. Another instance where I think you should place a huge wager on nV. This is simply because they are a better team that Liquid and have completely dominated them in recent matchups. And because of all the Liquid supporters, you might actually get decent odds as well! Bet on EnVyUs with confidence.
Nearing the end of the first round is the seventh fight between Astralis and Godsent. You should consider wagering on the over in this fight. These teams are both quality, and Godsent usually play close matches. Betting on the over is a relatively safe bet in my opinion and a lot better than the odds say the wager is.
The eighth and final match of round one will be Flipsid3 vs FaZe. Bet on the under here. Either FaZe is going to play up to recent form and absolutely crush Flipsid3, or they are going to wilt under the pressure and be crushed by Flipsid3. This is the most likely outcome in this matchup.
Now that we have gone over the round one matchups, let’s finish by picking the winner of the CS:GO Major 2017. Please note I am picking the squad that has the best odds relative to their chance of winning. Astralis is the best bet to win the ELEAGUE 2017 Atlanta Major. They are currently at 4.5 to win it all, and that is excellent value considering their recent form. They have beaten SK on Overpass, and rekt basically anyone on Train. I think that Astralis has a very good chance of winning it all, and I certainly will be betting on them to win this competition. You should too for some easy profit!
Thank you for reading this guide on the upcoming major. I hope you enjoyed my rankings as well as my predictions.
Hopefully, I’ll catch you next time. Bye for now and good luck!
