NAVI vs Aurora: ESL Pro League Season 23 Predictions and Odds

Owen Harsono Published 15/03/2026

NAVI take on Aurora in the grand final of ESL Pro League Season 23. Both teams are looking to bag their first trophy of the 2026 season. Here are our ESL Pro League S23 NAVI vs Aurora predictions.

Natus Vincere vs Aurora Match Preview

• Tournament: ESL Pro League Season 23
• Stage: Grand Final
• Game: Counter-Strike 2
• Format: Best of 5

Betting tip: Of the four most recent head-to-head meetings between these two teams, NAVI have won all four.

Our Natus Vincere vs Aurora pick: Natus Vincere Match Winner @ 1.60

Natus Vincere vs Aurora Match Analysis

We have one of the most unlikely grand final matchups anyone could have predicted for this event, but here we are, with NAVI taking on Aurora in a Best of 5 series.

NAVI had to battle through tough opposition in the form of The MongolZ and FUT Esports. In the semifinal match against FUT, NAVI looked extremely convincing. Other than letting their map pick of Ancient slip from an 8-3 lead, the entire series was total dominance from the international squad. They have looked stellar in the ESL Pro League S23 playoffs so far.

Aurora looked great in the online stage, but since entering the arena for the playoffs, they’ve been on a rocky ride. They won against Legacy and Astralis, two teams who aren’t necessarily labeled as strong opponents. Yet, they managed to scrape by with 2-1 victories in both matches. With what we’ve seen so far, we aren’t too convinced with how they’ve been playing.

Things get even more bleak for the Turkish side, as NAVI have had Aurora’s number for a long time in head-to-head matchups. The history between these two teams shows NAVI winning 19 maps, while Aurora sit on only seven.

However, things are slightly different now, with Anubis making it into the map pool again. Aurora are arguably the best Anubis team in the world, and with NAVI setting Overpass as their perma-ban, we are almost guaranteed to see Anubis being played in this Best of 5 series. We see that as Aurora’s best opportunity to secure themselves a map.

Aurora should win Anubis in this series. (Image via Helena Kristiansson for ESL FACEIT Group)

Natus Vincere vs Aurora Betting Odds Snapshot

Counter-Strike 2 betting odds via GG.BET.

Natus Vincere vs Aurora Betting Picks and Predictions

In terms of recent form, backed by historical data, we are favoring NAVI to take the series, even though the best esports betting sites offer them at just 1.60 odds. We believe Aleksib and the crew have an excellent chance of winning the series, especially when we’re in Best of 5 territory.

NAVI are in great shape. (Image via Helena Kristiansson for ESL FACEIT Group)

For our second bet, we’re leaning towards Aurora taking their first map pick, which will likely be Anubis. NAVI have only played two maps of Anubis in the past three months, while Aurora have an impressive 83% win rate on the map.

Natus Vincere vs Aurora Predictions

• Natus Vincere Match Winner @ 1.60
• Aurora to win their map pick of Anubis

Odds via GG.Bet. More on this esports betting site in our GG.Bet review.

Owen Harsono

About Owen Harsono

Owen lives for competition, spending most of his gaming hours on Dota 2, CS2, and Valorant. A regular on the SEA Dota 2 leaderboards, he combines his first-hand experience with a deep passion for esports journalism, following the professional scenes of all three esports betting titles religiously.

View full profile

Read Also

Kick

ESL FACEIT Group announces Kick partnership, here’s what we know Khizar Mundia ESL FACEIT Group and Kick have signed a partnership that will allow the platform to distribute and broadcast select official CS2 and Dota 2 tournaments. Esports broadcasting rights are an important element for major streaming platforms, as popular tournaments draw millions of viewers. The esports broadcasting network is substantially fragmented as no one platform holds exclusive rights for major tournaments. Kick has been trying to get into the esports scene ...

Counter-Strike

CS2 pro karrigan reportedly set to leave FaZe for Falcons Hannan Mundia Finn “karrigan” Andersen has been a cornerstone of FaZe’s CS2 team since 2021, but that may be set to change with his reported departure for Falcons. The competitive CS2 scene has a handful of reliable teams that consist of strong players. FaZe used to be part of that list, but the team’s futile attempt to qualify for the IEM Cologne Major left much to be desired. It seems that the ...

Counter-Strike

IEM Rio 2026: Teams, Format, Schedule and Prize Pool Owen Harsono Counter-Strike returns to the passionate grounds of Brazil, with IEM Rio 2026. We’ll get to witness some of the top CS2 teams competing for a prize pool of $1,000,000. Here is everything you need to know about IEM Rio 2026. IEM Rio 2026 will be one of the shorter Tier 1 events of the year, only running for seven days in total. The event will be played in front of ...

Counter-Strike

Best CS2 Streamers in 2026 Owen Harsono Many Counter-Strike 2 fans can agree that watching the game is often better than playing it. Instead of raging at your teammates in-game, it’s more fun to watch other people crash out in your stead. Below, we take a look at the top 5 CS2 streamers in 2026 who will keep you entertained. Dima is a streamer who’s been on the rise over the past couple of years. He’s a ...

Counter-Strike

Full List of IEM Cologne 2026 Major Invited Teams Owen Harsono On April 6, Valve confirmed the VRS ranking updates, which determined the 32 teams that will compete in the upcoming IEM Cologne 2026 Major. The Major spots really came down to the wire, with some teams making their first Major while titans fell. Here is everything you need to know about the IEM Cologne Major teams. After half a year of VRS ranking progression, Valve locked in the invitations for ...

Twitch

Who is YourRage, the streamer taking Twitch by storm? Fariha Bhatti In 2026, the top of Twitch categories are crowded with IRL and variety streamers, but YourRage has carved out a spot near the top on the back of pure gaming content. Here's everything you need to know about him. YourRage is one of the few creators on Twitch to hit 1 million followers without ever showing his face. The streamer was known purely for his gaming content around Fortnite, Call ...

Counter-Strike

End of an Era: FaZe Clan Miss First CS2 Major in Org’s History Owen Harsono April 5th felt like a fever dream for FaZe Clan fans, as the team failed to qualify for the upcoming IEM Cologne Major in June after a tough, all-or-nothing loss against BIG Clan. After 11 years since entering Counter-Strike, FaZe Clan has missed their first Major tournament. FaZe Clan had been on the chopping block for over a week, as the team didn’t have enough VRS points to punch a ...