Vitality vs FaZe Starladder Budapest Major finals: Best odds, picks

Steven Rondina Published 13/12/2025

FaZe Clan has once again exceeded expectations on the big stage, but can it pull off a big upset over Team Vitality and win the Budapest Major?

Finn “karrigan” Andersen has proven many times over that he can lead a solid team to the pinnacle of Counter-Strike esports. He’s shown that a few times over in the last couple of years, as FaZe’s roster has effectively become amorphous. Though it was easy to be bearish about the team heading into the Budapest Major, it now finds itself in the grand finals.

Team Vitality vs FaZe Clan match overview

• Tournament: Budapest Major
• Stage: Grand Finals
• Game: Counter-Strike 2
• Format: Best-of-five

CS2 betting tip: FaZe Clan is a big underdog here, and that’s for good reason.

My Team Vitality vs FaZe Clan pick: Vitality wins 3-1

Team Vitality vs FaZe Clan match analysis

FaZe Clan entered the StarLadder Budapest Major as something of an afterthought. While the return of Russell “Twistzz” Van Dunken was a splashy signing for the team, the early impression on the revised roster wasn’t positive. Though it notched a respectable fourth-place finish in ESL Pro League Season 22, underwhelming showings in the CS Asia Championships and IEM Chengdu hinted that Twistzz’s return was either a lateral move for the team or an actual step back.

That has changed as the Budapest Major has unfolded. Despite fielding a roster of superstars, the team has posted a workmanlike showing throughout the tournament. That bodes well for FaZe Clan’s future and its chances of returning to Counter-Strike’s elite ranks. But it doesn’t mean that much for their chances of winning the Starladder Budapest Major tournament trophy.

While there was much hand-wringing over Vitality taking a step back after the BLAST Austin Major, and the squad did post some concerning results along the way, the team remains roundly excellent. Throughout an active schedule in the second half of 2025, Vitality has posted no lower than the top-four finish in any event it has competed in. Though it isn’t completely shutting down all comers and winning every possible trophy anymore, it’s still the most consistently excellent team in the game right now.

More relevant is that while FaZe has been impressive in putting together a surprise run to this Major final, it must also be said that the team has gotten by the thinnest of margins at times. There’s something to be said for performing under pressure and exhibiting the important clutch factor along the way, but those tight results also speak to a side that is very much beatable. This is in stark contrast to Vitality, whose dominant run looks like a return to form for the world’s top CS2 team.

FaZe magic is real, but they’ll need to pull too many rabbits out of their hat to upset a Vitality side that looks destined to win in the Starladder Budapest Major final.

Key stats

Stats include all matches played in 2025.

Team Vitality vs FaZe Clan betting odds snapshot

Odds pulled at 7 pm MT on December 13, 2025.

Team Vitality vs FaZe Clan betting picks and predictions

FaZe Clan is good and has performed well enough that it would’ve been worth considering them if not for the head-to-head map win rates. The firepower is there, and the veteran savvy is there, but there are no real weaknesses to exploit when facing Vitality in this Major final.

Vitality’s solid ban in 2025 has been Ancient, while FaZe Clan’s has been Train. Across all the other maps, Vitality has a stronger win-rate, and it has been achieved against generally tougher competition that what FaZe has faced.

Things could be competitive on Inferno, Nuke, and Overpass, but there’s a big gap between these two teams on Mirage and Dust 2. Even if those first three maps were regarded as a coin flip, and that would be generous to FaZe Clan, it still makes the upset a long shot. The best lines across most esports betting sites at present would be something like Vitality winning 3-1 or 3-0, which sit at 3.36 and 3.5, respectively.

Team Vitality vs FaZe Clan Prediction

Our pick: Vitality as the match winner at 3-1 at 3.36 odds at GG.BET.

Steven Rondina

About Steven Rondina

Steven Rondina is a true lifelong gamer. His earliest memories are of playing video games, and he has continued playing them throughout his life with no plans to stop any time soon. Steven’s favorite franchises in gaming include Pokemon, Dark Souls, and Counter-Strike. He has previously published with Bleacher Report and other gaming outlets.

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