ESL Pro League Season 15’s Group B is kicking off with March 16’s matches featuring several interesting matches. Vitality vs. Sprout and FaZe vs. ENCE are both pegged as stomps by bookmakers, but Outsiders vs. Furia Esports actually offers some interesting odds.
But who is this Outsiders team? Why are bookmakers picking them to beat a staple squad in Furia? Here’s what you need to know about this ESL Pro League matchup.
Outsiders is a team made up of Virtus.pro’s Counter-Strike: Global Offensive roster. This is the same Virtus.pro roster that fans have seen compete over recent months, including a top-six finish in IEM Katowice 2022 and placing top-eight at the PGL Stockholm Major. Virtus.pro’s roster is not competing under the organization’s banner for this event due to issues involving the team’s alleged ownership.
From a competitive perspective, Outsiders shouldn’t be looked at any differently than Virtus.pro. This is a strong roster of players that has proven to be capable in past competitive outings. But the team does face a stiff challenge here in Furia Esports.
A quick look at Furia Esports’ recent results might set off some alarms, but the team has been solid overall. Since placing in the top eight at the PGL Stockholm Major, the team has a 4-4 record.Â
Though many of those wins come over lower-tier competition, a win over Astralis at IEM Katowice 2022 shows that the Brazilian squad can still hang with top teams. Furia’s ticket out of Katowice was punched early, but it’s hard to fault them for losing to Natus Vincere and G2 Esports.
Furia’s record against competition from the eastern hemisphere is shaky over the last few months, but it’s hard to dismiss this team’s chances of victory given their clear potential.
Winners.bet has Furia at odds of 2.87 compared to Virtus.pro’s 1.36, suggesting that Outsiders is actually a significant favorite to win this match. Though a case can be made that Furia has a better chance than these odds suggest, the two did play against each other recently. On February 13, the teams faced off in ESL Challenger 48. Virtus.pro won in dominant 2-0 fashion, with map victories of 16-5 and 16-7 on Inferno and Overpass, respectively.Â
It’s hard to feel especially confident in Furia’s chances, but there is action to be had here on the side markets. Whether it’s looking at Furia pulling off the upset or picking Virtus.pro to dominate Furia, there are some juicy lines depending on how you’re feeling about this matchup.
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