2020 CS:GO Blast Premier Odds, Picks, and Preview – Astralis favored in Group C over surging FURIA

Odds taken Oct. 24

Inconsistencies of Na’Vi

The most fascinating part of this tournament is the renewed rivalry between NA and EU.

International competition has basically been void since the start of the pandemic and we’ll finally get to see where each region stands at the BLAST Premier. In Group A, Natus Vincere versus Evil Geniuses will be the match to keep an eye on. EG has been a force in North America ever since the BLAST Premier Spring American Finals. EG won three consecutive regional events before finishing third at ESL Pro League Season 12: NA.

Their only recent regional losses were to 100 Thieves, who are now out of CS:GO, and FURIA, who are in Group C.

As for Natus Vincere, they’ve been wildly inconsistent and that will likely remain the same as they could be without ‘Perfecto’ due to an illness. At their best, Na’Vi can challenge Astralis as seen in the Grand Finals of the ESL Pro League. On the other side of the spectrum, Na’Vi is also capable of dropping back-to-back matches to Virtus Pro. Na’Vi could emerge as the winners of Group A, but I’d rather go with EG and their impressive regional record.

Pick: Evil Geniuses (+250)

Group B Contenders

Group B might be the toughest of the three to predict. Team Vitality is currently the highest ranked team in the group according to the HLTV rankings, and they’ve backed it up during DreamHack Open Fall. Team Vitality racked up wins over NIP, BIG and Astralis to earn a spot in the grand final.

As dominant as Vitality has looked, FaZe is coming off a win at IEM New York Online: Europe where they were able to take down Vitality 2-0.

Complexity could surprise as an underdog but ‘jks’ just joined the team this week so I wouldn’t expect any miracles from them in their first tournament together.

Pick: Vitality (+120)

Astralis vs. FURIA

Group C is the most fascinating of the three and it’s all because of Astralis vs. FURIA.

Astralis is the top ranked team in the World and won the European ESL Pro League. FURIA is the third ranked team and won the North American ESL Pro League. Their match in group C will give us an early indicator as to the current strength of each region. Whoever wins the head-to-head will almost certainly take the group. Even though Astralis has had a rocky year for their standards, each and every player on their roster is capable of taking over a game.

FURIA’s rise to the top of CS:GO has been amazing to watch and they’ve excelled during the time of online events. By no fault of their own, they’ve yet to prove the ability to beat European teams. Without a proven track record, we’ll stick with Astralis to win Group C.

Just don’t be surprised if FURIA comes out of the gate firing.

MIBR was less than half a team until they signed three players to their active roster on October 23rd. Don’t even think about betting on MIBR to win Group C.

Pick: Astralis (-125)