Counter-Strike: Global Offensive – Intel Grand Slam Season 3 Odds & Preview

• The Intel Grand Slam Season 3 is Underway
• Are the Danes the best bet to take the million-dollar prize?
• Will any of the three teams that already have a win be able to complete the Slam?

The third edition of the Intel Grand Slam is well underway with three teams currently in contention for the million-dollar prize, each holding one tournament win. Liquid, who won at IEM Chicago, Evil Geniuses who took ESL One New York, and Fnatic who won most recently at Dreamhack Malmo. Now the Intel Grand Slam isn’t just a one-off event, but rather a competition for $1,000,000 that takes place over a series of events that really has no set end date.

There are two ways that a team can win the Intel Grand Slam, with a new set of rules being put in place after Liquid, was able to claim the second so shortly after Astralis claimed the first. The first way a team can claim the Grand Slam is by winning four Intel Grand Slam eligible tournaments put on by ESL or Dreamhack within ten events, as long as one of the trophies came at a Masters level event. The second way a team can claim the extra $1,000,000 is by winning six events within the span of ten consecutive events.

Intel Grand Slam Season 3

*Odds taken on 10/15/19

Are Danes a Good Bet to Claim Second Intel Grand Slam?

They are one of if not the most storied teams in CS:GO history with millions in prize winnings, countless trophies and four Major titles. They are also the favorite to win a second Intel Grand Slam which would without a doubt cement their legacy as not only the best team in Counterstrike history but possibly the most dominant team to ever play in any esport.

Astralis, are a little behind though as there are three other teams that have one tournament win already under their belt in the race for the million-dollar prize. They were in a bit of a slump for a while after they made the decision to attend less tournaments in early 2019. But after they were able to win their third consecutive Major at Starladder Berlin, the Danish hype train looked to be once again gaining some steam.

They stomped AVANGAR, in the final in such a way that people began to wonder if another Danish era of excellence was inevitable. They followed up on their performance in Berlin with a second-place finish at ESL One New York and an exit from Dreamhack Malmo in the semifinal.

They certainly are a team that could win any given tournament, but I’m not fully sold that they are going to reach the heights they did in the previous year. I would say they do have a chance to win the Intel Grand Slam Season 3, but I would say to call them the favorite is a bit of a stretch. They are one tournament behind in the race for the $1,000,000 prize and they haven’t shown enough yet, at least for me to warrant their position at the top of the table.

Are New Look Na’vi Capable of Claiming the Cash?

Na’vi, in their first event fielding their new lineup, looked very good and should for sure be looked at as a serious threat at every tournament they attend going forward. Bringing back in Guardian, to AWP and moving s1mple, to the rifler/secondary AWP seems to be just what the CIS squad needed after a long period of underwhelming performances.

They pretty much relied on the firepower of s1mple and electronic, to get by for the longest time with very spotty performances coming out of the remaining members of the team. With them bringing in a dedicated AWP and giving s1mple, even more freedom to do his thing with a rifle, I could see Na’vi landing in the conversation as a top-3 team in the world very shortly. They are also at the same disadvantage as Astralis though, as they are already one tournament behind Liquid, EG, and Fnatic.

It wasn't a big secret, but it will be great return. Welcome back, @guardiancsgo! ?

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— Doki from Natus Vincere (@natusvincere) September 20, 2019

Up One, But Can They Close it Out?

Out of the three teams that already have a one tournament advantage, I would say the best bet to claim the Intel Grand Slam would be Evil Geniuses, as their team is just so well rounded. Legit every player on their roster has the ability to pop off and carry every game, and that’s a very rare thing for a team to have. As long as  Brehze, Ethan, and CeRq can maintain the level they have been on for the past few months, then EG will be a very scary team moving forward.

Fnatic, fielding a new/old look roster, recently brought back Golden and flusha, and in their first event were able to take home the title and take one step closer to the Intel Grand Slam. They are the biggest question mark out of the three teams that already have a win in my eyes because who knows, maybe the win in Malmo was a fluke, but at +6600 I would also say they offer the best bang for your buck out of the teams on the table and would urge you to at least consider the Swedes here.

A story of two men who return home.

Robin '@flusha' Rönnquist and Maikil '@goldenmajk' Selim star in…

"The Fnatic Story"

READ MORE ? https://t.co/Ywbl4Bk4Zd pic.twitter.com/HtbXFryDnM

— FNATIC (@FNATIC) September 16, 2019

The last team who already have a win towards the Intel Grand Slam Season 3, Liquid, curiously aren’t even listed on the book. I would say should they get added to the table, the North Americans should at least be considered. They may be going through a bit of a rough patch right now, but we have seen the heights they can reach, and if they’re able to get back in the form they were during their Intel Grand Slam Season 2 winning run, they could definitely go back-to-back.

Pick: Evil Geniuses (+1000)