Two down and two to go. We have already seen CIS and Europe Minor winners, and now we are going to see who is going to be the best in both Asia and Americas Minor. This tournament will take place on January 22nd, while the last match is going to be played on January 26th.
Once again we will have 8 teams fighting for two Major Main Qualifier tickets and their share of $50,000 purse. However, this event is going to be way more interesting once compared to Asia Minor, since we have some really strong teams in this one.
Where can you place your CSGO bets?
From what we were able to find out, Betway provides the best odds for Americas Minor, and they are well above their competition when it comes to this event.
Americas Minor – IEM Katowice winner odds:
- NRG – 1.55 @ Betway
- eUnited – 7.50 @ Betway
- Intz – 9.50 @ Betway
- Furia – 10.00 @ Betway
- Bravado – 13.00 @ Betway
- Envy – 13.00 @ Betway
- TeamOne – 17.00 @ Betway
- Imperial – 31.00 @ Betway
There is no denying it, NRG is a huge favourite in this one. They have the best roster in Americas Minor and it is going to be a big surprise if they do not win this event. However, CSGO betting odds on them winning Asia Minor are very slim, and they are really not worth betting on, given the fact that there are some teams that could cause an upset.
Teams like eUnited, Bravado or even Envy(know that they have karrigan) could surprise NRG, especially if they decide to underestimate others and they approach this game with the wrong mindset.
Bravado is definitely coming to this one with an extra motive around it. Gabriel “Fallen” Toledo stepped up big time when he saw that such talented team had no money to prepare for this Minor. Fallen then decided to set up a charity stream that was immediately backed by other CS:GO professionals. Slowly but surely, they raised enough funds so Bravado can compete. Given the fact that Bravado sits at 13.00 to win Americas Minor, this is a must bet for me.
Groups and format
Just like other IEM Katowice Minors, Americas Minor is no different. Standard double-elimination(GSL) format has been put in place. Furthermore, 8 teams we mentioned above will be placed in two groups of 4. Only the top two teams from each group will advance through to the playoffs.
Opening matches will be played in a best-of-1 format, while every other game is going to be played in the best-of-3 series.
Group A:
- Bravado
- Imperial
- Intz
- NRG
At first, this might seem like an easy group for NRG, but do not be fooled by that. They will have to work hard to come out on that number 1 spot, and if they drop their guard for a second, they might find themselves in a whole world of problems, since these teams like Intz and Bravado are not a joke.
If NRG is at their best, there is no way anyone can parry them, but we will definitely see a brawl for that second place. Both Bravado and Intz are so individually skilled and prepared, and it is going to be interesting to see who will advance through to the playoffs in group A.
Lastly, Imperial is definitely the worst team in this group. They barely have any success and it surprised me that they were able to qualify for Americas Minor. I do not fancy them at all in this event, and betting against them could earn you some money.
Group B:
- Envy
- eUnited
- FURIA
- TeamOne
This group is open for taking. Literally, every team here can beat each other. Even though eUnited is heavily favoured to top this group, this could be misleading. Furia is a very competitive CS:GO roster as of late, and they could be darkhorse in this group.
God knows what is happening to Envy now that they have karrigan on their roster. This guy is all brains, and he can outsmart any team, especially lowered tiered teams who are playing right here. So, do not be surprised if you see Envy grab a win against TeamOne in their opener.
Bravado is another team in this group who will try their best to beat everyone. As I mentioned above, they were in a bad situation, and legends of this game basically saved them. They will be forever grateful, and most definitely they will be at their best.
Lastly, TeamOne could cause an upset here in group B, but I still do not think they can do a lot to get through this group. All three teams are much more individually skilled than them, and it would be a surprise if they are able to get a win in this event.
Opening match-ups and betting predictions
- Bravado – Intz
- NRG – Imperial
- FURIA – eUnited
- Envy – TeamOne
Envy – TeamOne
Both of these team are in a pretty good form as of late. Envy won 4 out of their 5 last matches, while TeamOne won 3 out of their last 5.
Addition of karrigan definitely helped Envy to find their footing, and it seems like they are finally playing a more structured and strategic game of CS:GO. On the other hand, TeamOne was always driven by individual skill and duels, never by any executes or fakes, or anything similar that is related to certain strategies.
However, now that you have to face off against one of the best in-game leaders on the scene, you will probably find yourself in a lot of troubles, and that is what I think will happen in this match. Karrigan will be all over them, and in my personal opinion, TeamOne will not win this match.
Betting prediction: Envy to win
Odds: 1.55
Bookmaker: Betway
Date: 22nd of January, 17:15
