The Shanghai Major group stage is upon us, and WIN.gg has the best pick’ems to secure another free souvenir package.
The play-ins are over, the stage is set, and the main event of the Shanghai Major is about to begin. CS2 players are chomping at the bit to earn their free souvenir packages, and WIN.gg is here to help them upgrade their event coin. With 16 teams left in contention, players need to predict which ones will rise to the top and which will sink to the bottom. With nothing but the very best teams remaining, every pick counts.
Here are our pick’ems for the Shanghai Major group stage following the play-ins.
Our pick’ems predict that Team Vitality and Natus Vincere will go 3-0 in the group stage of the Shanghai Major.
This prediction is ultimately based on the teams’ consistency. Vitality trounced the European RMR event, defeating rival FaZe 2-0 on its way to the event. Vitality also performed quite well at BLAST World Final, defeating multiple teams competing in this very group stage. Natus Vincere is the reigning major champion, and despite a close loss to Mouz at the RMR, we believe the team will run through the group stage thanks to relatively easy matchups.
While G2 Esports could be a solid pick to go 3-0, the bracket lineup gives it a difficult time doing so. The MongolZ have pulled off several surprising upsets this year, and that included a 2-0 win over G2 at ESL Pro League 19. That first-round match could go either way, weakening our confidence that the team to go 3-0.
These are the other teams we predict will advance past the Shanghai Major group stage and reappear in the pick’ems for playoffs.
All of these teams are consistent performers at the top level with the exception of Team Spirit. The young squad has yet to truly establish a chokehold on the competition, and it remains prone to upsets. However, with five potential matches ahead of it, we think the law of averages will bend to the will of Danil “donk” Kryshkovets.
As for the igononimous 0-3 predictions, we’re calling out Wildcard and MiBR. Wildcard barely squeezed past the play-ins with a tight series against Passion UA. Kaitlyn “Amouranth” Siragusa is even beefing with her players, so the mental damage may play a role. As for MiBR, the squad had arguably the easiest path of any team into the main event. Dropping maps to Rare Atom doesn’t inspire much confidence.
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