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CS:GO 2019 ECS Finals Odds & Picks: Astralis Listed as Odds-On Favorite

Zack Bowker

by Zack Bowker in eSports

Updated Apr 16, 2020 · 10:27 AM PDT

Astralis esports
Astralis look to get back to their winning ways in London after falling short at their past few outings. Photo by @betwayesports (Twitter)
  • ECS Season 7 Finals start June 6th
  • Astralis has only played in three events this year since the IEM Katowice Major
  • Will they be able to shake off the rust and add another win to their resume come Sunday?

The ECS Season 7 Finals are set to take place June 6-9 at the SSE Arena in London, and will see eight teams compete for the biggest chunk of the $500,000 prize pool. The event features some of the world’s best teams including Astralis, the number one team in the world who has only played in three events this year since the IEM Katowice Major.

Despite the lack of tournaments played and the fact that in the last two events they attended they actually lost, the Danes still have the best odds coming into the ECS Season 7 Finals. Will the world number ones be able to claim yet another trophy, or will the lack of LAN play in recent months prove to hinder the Danish titans?

Odds to Win ECS Season 7 Finals

Team Odds to Win ECS Season 7 Finals
Astralis -175
MiBR +550
Vitality +550
NRG +1200
Ninjas in Pyjamas +1600
North +2000
Furia +5000
compLexity +6600

*Odds taken 05/31/19

Back to Their Winning Ways?

In 2018 Counterstrike saw a reign from one team that will likely never be replicated again as long as it’s being played professionally, and the kings were Astralis. They won tournament after tournament raking in millions as a team, and it got to the point where if they were in an event it was just assumed they were going to be adding another trophy to the cabinet.

The streak continued into early 2019 with the Danes claiming their third Major title, which was their second in a row, and another first place finish at Blast Pro Series Sao Paulo. After the win in Brazil, Astralis faltered at the next two events they attended, not reaching the finals at BPS Miami and losing to ENCE 2-0 in the finals at BPS Madrid.

YouTube video

Many blamed their performance on the fact that they hadn’t been attending any events other than Blast Pro Series events which are put on by the company that owns Astralis. They have been roasted by the community for the fact that they are only attending their parent company’s events, even being called “Blastralis”.

At their first non BPS event since the Major I think the Danes will be tasting victory once again at the ECS Season 7 Finals. Though some of the other teams in attendance aren’t too far behind in the world rankings, the gap between those teams and Astralis is pretty big.

I think they may end up having some close maps and maybe even lose a few, but when all is said and done expect Astralis to add another event win to their glowing resume.

Pick: Astralis (-175)

Odds to Reach ECS Season 7 Finals

Team Odds to Reach ECS Season 7 Finals
Astralis -1200
MiBR +150
Vitality +150
NRG +350
Ninjas in Pyjamas +550
North +750
Furia +1600
compLexity +2000

Who Will Be Joining the Danes in the Finals?

Besides Astralis, the other teams that will be playing at the ECS Season 7 Finals are pretty evenly matched, so it will be a real battle to see who makes it to the finals come Sunday. Realistically I could see pretty much any of the seven remaining teams being able to challenge for the title if they are at the top of their game throughout the event.

Vitality have been constantly improving since they came together as a roster and are fresh off of winning cs_summit 4.

If I had to pick which are more likely though, I would say MiBR, NRG, and Vitality stand a better chance than the others to reach the finals. MiBR has the veteran presence and so much experience spread over their five players, NRG is the second best North American team and can beat any team on any given day, and Vitality have been constantly improving since they came together as a roster and are fresh off of winning cs_summit 4.

Sleeper Pick to Reach the Finals

There is one team that I would recommend taking a look at as a value pick to reach the finals, as I think they are being seriously underestimated coming into the ECS Season 7 Finals. Furia have proven that they can hang with the best, with recent wins coming over NRG and Fnatic at Dreamhack Dallas, both of which are top 10 teams in the world. At +1600 to make the finals they are worth a serious look, because they are going to challenging for the title of the best Brazilian team in Counterstrike soon.

Pick: Vitality (+150)

Odds to Win Group A at ECS Season 7 Finals

Team ECS Season 7 Finals Group A Odds
Astralis -450
NRG +750
Ninjas in Pyjamas +1000
Furia +1600

Slam Dunk

The winner of group A will be Astralis. It’s that simple. I would be surprised if they don’t go undefeated throughout the group stage of this tournament, and honestly not too surprised if they don’t even drop a map.

Pick: Astralis (-450)

Odds to Win Group B at ECS Season 7 Finals

Team ECS Season 7 Finals Group B Odds
MiBR +125
Vitality +125
North +500
compLexity +2000

The More Competitive Group

This one will be more of a battle to see who is going to come out on top of the group, but I would say that it will be one of either MiBR or Vitality. If I was to give the edge to one team I would say Vitality. They have been playing very well lately, and with the unpredictable nature of MiBR, I would say the French lads are going to get it done.

Pick: Vitality (+125)

ECS Season 7 Finals Winning Group Odds

Group ECS Season 7 Finals Winning Group Odds
Group A -275
Group B +200

A All the Way

This prop is pretty much a lock for Group A. Astralis will more than likely be the ones who come with the W by the end of the tournament, and since they’re in Group A, I would say that is where the money lies.

Pick: Group A (-275)

ECS Season 7 Finals Winning Region Odds

Region ECS Season 7 Finals Winning Region Odds
Europe -450
North America +300

European Dominance

You should expect Astralis to come out on top at the ECS Season 7 Finals, and since they are all Danish, EU is the only logical choice here. It’s definitely possible they end up not winning the tournament, but I would give that a less than 10% chance of happening.

Pick: Europe (-450)

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