Natus Vincere and G2 Esports have made it to the final four of IEM Katowice, and our betting analysis predicts which one will advance to the grand finals.
The final distribution of IEM Katowice’s $1 million prize pool is starting to solidify. Both Natus Vincere and G2 Esports have earned at least $80,000 already, but advancing to the grand finals earns a cool $180,000 with a shot at the $400,000 grand prize. Savvy Counter-Strike: Global Offensive bettors have a chance to make a prize pool for themselves with accurate predictions on this semifinals match. Here’s our betting analysis for Natus Vincere and G2 Esports in the IEM Katowice semifinals.
This best-of-three IEM Katowice match will take place on February 26 at 8:30 a.m. CST. CSGO fans interested in pick ‘ems and fantasy should check out PrizePicks.
Despite a stressful state of mind for the five players on Natus Vincere, the top CSGO squad is still in solid shape heading into its semifinals match against G2 Esports. Close matches against ENCE and FaZe earned an express ticket to the final four. Na’Vi doesn’t look entirely unbeatable, but previous match records show that beloved captain Kirill “Boombl4” Mikhailov has G2’s standard gameplan all figured out.
International superstar Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev maintains his reputation as a fierce AWPer with a 1.41 KD ratio and 90 AWP kills in Katowice thus far. He’s a prime choice to go over on kills at PrizePick, but he’s not the only Na’Vi player showing up big. Valerii “b1t” Vakhovskyi’s 60.3% headshot rate makes him one of the most accurate rifles in Poland. Going over on headshots is a good way to finish off any PrizePick fantasy roster.
G2 Esports hasn’t fared particularly well against Na’Vi in recent matchups, but the squad brings a special X factor for this semifinals match. Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov is tearing up everyone at his LAN debut with .73 kills per round and 75.8% round contribution. His aggressive AWPing style also comes in clutch, going 4-1 with a pair of successful one-on-twos. m0NESY’s finesse under pressure at his debut was far from a fluke.
Almost the entire G2 lineup is worth drafting on PrizePick. Nikola “NiKo” Kovač is playing out of his mind with 1.42 KD, the highest of any player at the event. His cousin Nemanja “huNter-” Kovač boasts 82.8 damage per round with seven clutches including a monster one-on-three against Fnatic. G2 is showing up big under pressure, and what could be more clutch than a win over Natus Vincere?
G2 versus Na’Vi is one of the most iconic CSGO matchups of the past few months. From the grand finals at IEM Cologne and PGL Stockholm to the quarters of BLAST Premier: World Final, each match has been a firecracker. Natus Vincere also won all three, but recent performances suggest this match could end the streak. As for maps, the teams share similar core pools of Dust 2, Nuke, and Mirage. G2 will most likely ban Overpass with Na’VI removing Vertigo in response. The settings for this best-of-three are basically up in the air.
While both teams are statistical monsters, the sportsbooks still heavily favor Natus Vincere. With such a tight matchup, it’s best to pick the higher payout with G2 Esports. Both teams should take a map, so a +1.5 handicap on either should be easy money. For more personal predictions, head to PrizePick for an amazing CSGO fantasy experience that rewards intelligent player predictions.
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