Games Clash Masters 2019 Odds & Preview

• Games Clash Masters takes place September 20-22
• Can AVANGAR build on the success they found at the Major?
• Value picks to consider in Poland

Games Clash Masters is set to kickoff September 20 in Poland, and will see eight teams competing to take home the grand prize of $50,000. Heading into the event the odds have AVANGAR as the favorite, coming off of their unlikely run to the finals of the Starladder Berlin Major.

Are the CIS boys the best bet to come out on top following their impressive Major run? Or is there a better option that offers more value further down in the table?

Games Clash Masters Odds

*Odds taken on 09/10/19

Is it Jame Time?

AVANGAR is a team that has been one of the better teams in the CIS region for quite some time, but never achieved the results they hoped for in the bigger tournaments. That was until they made their Cinderella run at the Berlin Major that saw them battle through the Challenger, New Challengers, and Legends stage stealing wins over top teams in Liquid, Vitality, G2, and Renegades.

They ended up falling short to Astralis in the final in Berlin, but regardless they showed that they may be in the best form they have ever been. AVANGAR has managed to win a few smaller tournaments over the past year, and since they seem to be in prime form they very well may run through the competition at Games Clash Masters and taste gold another time this year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmDTEfEnOHg

Another BIG Threat?

The other team to keep an eye on at Games Clash Masters is BIG. The EU mixed squad is fresh off of a roster change that saw their IGL and Counterstrike legend gob b, step down and Smooya return to the active roster from the bench. They certainly will have more fire power after the swap but they also may end up suffering in the tactics department, as gob b was one of, if not the most tactical leader in Counterstrike over the past ten years.

BIG still won’t be in full force at Games Clash Masters, as they will still have Nex on the bench due to health issues and will instead opt to field LEGIJA in his place until he is at full health. Regardless of the new look roster and the fact that they aren’t even fielding their entire team, they still remain a serious threat in Poland just based off of their individual skill of the players on the roster.

SMOOOOOOOOYAAAAAAAAAAAAA! 🇬🇧

He's back lads! @smooyacs returns to the @BIGCLANgg lineup with immediate effect!

We can't wait to see you back on the server! 🔥#GOBIG pic.twitter.com/YTkHycFSNC

— BetwayCS2 (@BetwayCSGO) August 2, 2019

Sleeper Picks in Poland

There are two teams that I believe could make a serious run at Games Clash Masters that offer a significant amount more value than both AVANGAR and BIG. The two teams I would urge you to at least consider would be DreamEaters and Aristocracy.

DreamEaters, though relatively unknown prior to the Berlin Major, were almost singlehandedly responsible for ruining thousands of pick ‘ems after they ended up making it through the New Challengers Stage finding wins over NRG, Vitality, and forZe. Though they faltered in the Challengers Stage they still got experience against some of the top teams in the world, which may prove to be the edge for them to make a serious run in Poland.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7yJPQ_07E8

Aristocracy on the other hand will be playing on their home turf as all five members of the team were born and raised in Poland. They have found some success at smaller events so far in 2019, most notably reaching the semifinals of Dreamhack Open Summer, but maybe the home crowd will be able to elevate them to another level at Games Clash Masters.

Pick: AVANGAR (+150)