Team Liquid and FaZe Clan both have a lot to prove at IEM Katowice, but our betting analysis puts one team squarely ahead of the other.
FaZe Clan and Team Liquid’s Counter-Strike: Global Offensive rosters are both undergoing a period of change. For FaZe Clan, the recent acquisition of Robin “ropz” Kool has fans feeling cautiously optimistic. Liquid’s is obvious, as a recent team rebuild leaves the North American roster struggling to maintain top-tier status. IEM Katowice is a chance for both teams to solidify themselves as contenders. The early showdown in the group stage is the perfect time to start. It’s also a great opportunity for CSGO bettors to pad their purses for more exciting matchups later in the $1 million LAN.
This best-of-three IEM Katowice match will take place on February 17 at 12:30 CST. CSGO fans interested in pick ‘ems and fantasy should check out PrizePicks.
Team Liquid IEM Katowice betting analysis
The loss of two star players clearly had an impact on Team Liquid’s performance at BLAST Premier: Fall Groups. A disappointing 10th-place run didn’t bode well for returning captain Nicholas “nitr0” Cannella. .46 kills per round is low even for an in-game leader. Sniper Joshua “oSee” Ohm showed promise with 11.4 average AWP kills. Hopefully, oSee’s new Liquid jersey has gotten more comfortable after those debut matches.
While the newer additions aren’t performing too well, Liquid’s brand boy Jonathan “EliGE” Jablonowski is tearing it up. The rifler put up 85 damage per round with 33 multikill rounds across five matches. Eight Desert Eagle kills made the handcannon his third-most successful weapon below the rifles. Precision is the name of his game, so consider EliGE headshots for your PrizePick CSGO fantasy squad.
FaZe Clan IEM Katowice betting analysis
FaZe’s own roster change has already paid off. Estonian rifleman ropz showed up big at BLAST Spring Groups, pulling off a 1.46 KD. He even went pound-for-pound against Vitality MVP Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut in FaZe’s victory on Overpass. He’s backed by HÃ¥vard “rain” Nygaard and Helvijs “broky” Saukants, who traded explosiveness for consistency in FaZe’s clean run to the main event.
While usually a driving force, Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken played notably below-par at BLAST Spring. He put up a mediocre .62 KPR, well below his career average. This is mostly a result of his new role as a more aggressive entry fragger, which led to a .70 entry kill ratio. PrizePick might overrate him, so look to go under on Twistzz kills for FaZe Clan vs Team Liquid at IEM Katowice.
FaZe Clan vs Team Liquid IEM Katowice betting pick
Luckily for bettors, FaZe Clan and Team Liquid’s new rosters have already met once before IEM Katowice. At BLAST Premier: Spring Groups, FaZe narrowly won out on Inferno in overtime. The Spanish villa is both teams’ best map which could complicate the draft phase. The most likely lineup will be FaZe’s Nuke, Liquid’s Ancient, and Inferno as the decider. No matter how it goes, FaZe Clan will most likely have the initiative.
Considering recent performance and map advantage, FaZe Clan will most likely beat Team Liquid at IEM Katowice. FaZe has a significant firepower advantage and can put more faith in its most recent acquisition. The real question is how much FaZe could win by. Winners.bet rate FaZe 2-0 at 2.50 odds, but a safer $20 straight match bet on FaZe still earns $30.80. The clear spread of talent also makes this a great opportunity for player predictions at PrizePick.
