TP Series and Elisa Invitational Picks, Predictions, Odds January 27

• World No. 9 Entropiq expected to cruise past Enterprise in the Elisa Invitational
• Ecstatic, Savage also heavily favored to win their round 2 matches (1-0 win records)
• Nemiga looking to Idisbalance for continued dominance in the TP Bitcoin Series

Entropiq vs Enterprise Pick

Pick: Entropiq (moneyline)

This is a Swiss Round 2 match, with teams that have a 0-1 record facing each other. Entropiq will not be pleased to be in this round after they were beaten by AGF last week in straight maps: 16-13 in Vertigo and 16-12 in Ancient. Still, they are heavy favorites for this match considering they are the world No. 9 team.

Enterprise are not close to the level of this Entropiq team, which will show as this match progresses. Enterprise are currently at 41 in the world, and have plenty of work to do to make themselves a relevant outfit in the pro circuit.

This should be dominated by Entropiq from the outset. Enterprise will play two matches on Thursday: this Elisa Invitational match and another one in the TP Bitcoin Series. More on that later. But for now, this should be a comfortable 2-0 win for Entropiq.

To Watch Out For: El1an, Forester From Entropiq

These are two of the best players in the Entropiq team on several fronts. Most importantly, Entropiq will rely on these two players from an offensive standpoint. El1an has averaged a stunning 0.72 kills with just 0.60 deaths per round, which gives him a tenable and handy K/D ratio. He also has an average damage per round of 77.1, which is solid as an individual stat.

Forester has also provided some offensive impetus, with 0.71 kills and 0.63 deaths per round in the last three months of CS:GO action. He has also managed an average damage per round of over 77, currently at 77.2, only slightly higher than El1an.

Against AGF in the previous match, Forester struggled with just 27 kills and 39 deaths at a K-D of -12. El1an, however, was typically prolific, producing 53 kills and 36 deaths at a stunning K-D of +17. If one misses, the other usually gets you. That is their method.

The Head To Head Matchup

Enterprise may just have an upset in store but they need to be at their absolute best in order to create a chance. They have played each other at the V4 Future Festival last year. In that match, Enterprise laid down a challenge and even took Entropiq to a third map.

However, recent form has not been Enterprise’s friend. They have lost five of their last six matches and seven of their previous nine matches, which does not bode well for the team when it comes to confidence and momentum.

These are not irrelevant metrics because a team can usually go on the offensive when they are heavy underdogs, like Enterprise are in this match. But without the requisite confidence, that become hard to execute because even fractional delays results in heavy round losses.

Blink vs Savage Pick

Savage (-500)

Blink vs Savage Predictions

This is also a Swiss round 2 match, but teams with a 1-0 record will be facing each other, which basically means both these teams won their opening matches. Blink are underdogs in this match but there is plenty to like about this team.

Blink have even risen up to No. 30 in the world rankings. While there is plenty of work still to be done to make themselves a relevant outfit in the second tier of pro CS:GO, they could stand a chance in this if they can pick up a few early rounds.

Savage are 38 in the world but they have moved up and down the rankings after their rebranding from Galaxy Racer. Savage will be the best bet but a good prudent strategy would be to fade the maps market because Blink could just go ahead and win one.

Gxx The Most Prolific Weapon for Blink

There is not a lot of data around this Blink team but one thing is for certain: they will be relying heavily on Gxx for some offensive proficiency. He has been the team’s best player, producing 0.71 kills with just 0.60 deaths per round. Can he keep that up?

He will need some help from some of his peers in this match. Of that, there is no doubt. With this new core team, Blink have played only three matches. They have won one, a 2-1 win against Sprout in their previous match, but lost the two matches preceding that.

Sinnopsyy has averaged 0.67 kills and 0.71 deaths per round in the same analysis period as Gxx, which is the last three months of CS:GO action. While that is not bad, it is also not excellent because his defense needs a lot of work in the next few weeks.

Draken Has The Best Numbers For Savage

Draken has the most efficient all-round numbers, which basically means that he has a solid offensive record but his defensive compactness makes him one to watch out for. In the last three months, he has averaged 0.73 kills with just 0.60 deaths per round.

He has been aided by Plessen, who has been slightly better offensively, with 0.75 kills but he has a much higher death rate as well, producing 0.69 deaths per round. He also has a higher average damage per round of 86, using the grenades and other weapons well to inflict damage on his opponents. That is where his value lies for this team.

Savage are coming into this match on the back of successive defeats, including a loss against Sprout. There will be some desperation for sure down the stretches to ensure that this losing streak does not balloon up to three matches.

Ecstatic vs AGF Pick

 Ecstatic (moneyline)

Ecstatic vs AGF Predictions

Like the previous match, this is a Swiss round 2 with teams with winning records facing each other. Ecstatic are not only one of the better teams in this tournament, they are one of the better teams in the world, currently with a No. 17 ranking in the world.

AGF are a relatively unknown quantity. They are unranked still, and will need to put in some solid performances to make quick progress up the CS:GO rankings in the next few years. But there is plenty of quality and form in that roster, which are reliable traits for bettors.

Ecstatic will start this match as heavy favorites and rightfully so because they have been more consistent and have a lot more experience through their roster, a little unlike their opponents, which is where this match could be won or lost.

Fashr With The Best Offense, Wolfy With The Best Defense

All teams need a reliable mix of offense and defense in order to make progress in CS:GO. That is because while offense gets you kills, going in too quickly could result in a lack of method to the madness. That is where this Ecstatic team has done well.

They have relied on Fashr for some offensive depth. And he has delivered with 0.74 kills. However, his death rate is very high, which is presently at 0.70 per round. This is in the last three months of CS:GO action.

On the other end, Wolfy has provided able defense. In the same analysis period, he has produced returns of 0.68 kills with just 0.59 deaths per round. While these are not great offensive numbers, he can often protect his in game economy for his team.

AGF In Fantastic Recent Form

AGF will take away plenty of confidence from their recent run on the pro circuit. Their recent form includes a 2-0 win against Entropiq, a top 10 team in the world. They stayed solid and steady in that match despite Entropiq’s higher status, and came away with a win in straight maps: 16-13 in Vertigo and 16-12 in Ancient.

This team, which comprises an all Danish roster, will rely on Cajunb for some offensive strength. He has averaged 0.69 kills with just 0.66 deaths per round at an average damage per round of 76.4. These are solid offensive numbers by any measure of comparison.

Inferno, Nuke and Vertigo will be the three maps that AGF may look at. They have solid recent records in each of these three maps. In Inferno, they have won 67 percent of their last nine maps. In Nuke, they have won 70 percent of their last 10 maps. And in Vertigo, they have won 80 percent of their last 5 attempts.

HEET vs Nemiga (TP Bitcoin Series)

Nemiga (moneyline)

HEET vs Nemiga Predictions

Let us now move to the Thunder Pick Bitcoin Series, another tournament that will help us find some of the best mid-tier teams in the world right now. HEET will face an up and down Nemiga team to open the action from Thursday’s schedule of games.

HEET, an all French roster, will look to improve on their recent form. They are now up to No. 26 in the world, which makes them a reliable choice to stay competitive and even win a map in this best of three contest.

However, Nemiga will not be pushed over, despite their lower ranking. In fact, Nemiga are No. 46 in the world. But they have shored up their roster in the last few weeks, which will make them a team to watch for as they climb up in the CS:GO rankings.

HEET Will Look To Recency Bias

There are some sportsbooks that are considering Nemiga favorites because of their deeper roster, and superior advantage in terms of personnel. But HEET will claim that they should have a chance based on their recent form, which has been stellar, albeit against teams that are not at the same level as they are, which is understandable.

HEET have won eight of their last nine matches, which will certainly give them some fluency and confidence in these maps. From an offensive perspective, they will be looking at Afro, who has averaged 0.73 kills per round at an average damage per round of 73.5 in the last three months of CS:GO action.

Don’t Look Past Idisbalance

Idisbalance will definitely be one to watch out for from this Nemiga team. He has moved around the pro circuit across teams, but he has almost always provided value to those teams. And Nemiga will be no different in the coming few months.

In the last three months, he has produced a stunning 0.77 kills and just 0.63 deaths per round. He is definitely the one to watch for when it comes to long range proficiency, including rifling or even the AWP.

Nemiga have indeed picked up some decent recent form, which includes three wins in their last four matches. That will hold the team in good stead going forward but they will need to ensure that there is holistic production because they will be up against a well drilled outfit in HEET in this Swiss round in the TP Bitcoin Series.

Enterprise vs Finest Pick

Enterprise (moneyline)

Enterprise vs Finest Predictions

Finest are only slightly above Enterprise in the world rankings but there seems to be a massive mismatch in the odds for this one. Finest will start as heavy favorites. Let us try and break down why that is the case in this contest.

Recent form will surely be a factor because Enterprise have not been at the top of their game in the last few weeks. And also, Enterprise will play this match after a tough match against Entropiq in the Elisa Invitational. That will also be a vital reason. Finest have been quite steady in the last few weeks, and have moved up No. 36 in the world. You can understand why Finest are considered as strong contenders to win, but I would not bet on them to win in straight maps. The money line market is the better choice.

Matys Needs To Step Up

In this Enterprise roster, there is only one player that has averaged over 0.70 kills per round. And that is Matys, who has averaged 0.74 kills per round in the last three months. He will need to find his footing quickly if Enterprise are to spring an upset, which is not implausible. The Elive has been decent, with 0.69 kills per round. But he needs to find his range quickly because this Finest team also has other advantages across roles and positions.

These two teams have played each other three times, with Enterprise winning one map and Finest winning two. That was a best of three match, played earlier this year, at the Pinnacle Winter Series. Finest lost the first map in Inferno but came storming back to win the next two maps: 16-11 in Vertigo and 16-10 in Overpass.

Shokz And Anarkez Are Strong Offensive Options

This is a unique roster for Finest. Several of their players have a positive K/D ratio, which is perfect to analyze where a team picks up their kills from. In this one, Shokz and Anarkez have dominated the offensive production.

Shokz has produced quite an impressive 0.70 kills with 0.64 deaths per round at an average damage per round of 76.7. Anarkez has managed identical returns in the last three months (0.70 kills and 0.64 deaths) but he has a lower average damage per round.

Finest will take confidence from that win against Enterprise last week, which will ensure they don’t lack rhythm. Also, the manner of that result will please them a lot, especially after they were blown away in the opening map but the team managed to stay solid and come storming back to push Enterprise to the brink in the remaining maps.

How to Watch TP Series and Elisa Invitational