The main tournament of the season is about to start, and we’ll see 32 top teams from around the world in action. We won’t talk about favorites just yet, but today the CS.MONEY Blog covers a fan-favorite esports topic — Pick’Ems. Who should you pick in the first stage? Let’s find out.
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Pick’Em Rules
With the additional stage, the Pick’Em rules haven’t changed much — you just need to make one more correct prediction. In the Swiss stage, Valve asks you to guess two teams that will go 3-0, six teams that will just advance to the next round, and two teams that will be eliminated with a 0-3 scoreline.
Traditionally, for 3-0 picks, you either choose clear favorites who are head and shoulders above the rest, or a dark horse who might go 3-0 or crash out miserably. That’s because if you pick, say, DRILLAS to go 3-0 and they make it through at 3-1, you won’t get a point for that prediction. Spoiler: today we’re going with the first idea.
Austin Major Stage 1 Pick’Em: Our Predictions
Since we’re starting with 3-0, let’s cover that category first. Complexity and Heroic are both in good form right now, and they got incredibly lucky with their first-round opponents. These should be confident wins that will boost the teams heading into the main stage.
Who else is likely to advance to Stage 2? BB Team got a solid boost with Boombl4 and should make it through without too much trouble. TyLoo, B8, and Wildcard also shouldn’t face major obstacles. FlyQuest is traditionally underrated, though the Aussies always perform well at Majors, and they should cruise through the first stage. Lastly, we believe another team to advance will be a Brazilian lineup — we want to believe in the surprise factor of Legacy. Usually, players aim to make the most of such opportunities.
As for the underdog picks, we have little faith in Chinggis Warriors. The Mongolians made it through an easy bracket and don’t seem ready to compete at this level. Our second pick is Metizport — their recent form doesn’t inspire much confidence. As an alternative, you could go with OG, as there are many questions around this roster and organization.
Pick’Ems for Stage 1 of the Austin Major are available until the start of the first matchday. The tournament begins on June 3.
