BLAST Premier: Spring Groups is the first S-Tier Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) esports event of 2024, and we‘re excited to share our betting predictions for the tournament! It takes place on LAN at the BLAST Studio in Copenhagen, Denmark, and features 16 teams competing for spots in the Spring Final.
Join us as we discuss the event’s schedule and format, the teams competing, and our predictions for who may take the top spot.
Check out the latest CS2 betting odds or head over to our CS2 betting guide to get tips on how best to make your picks.
BLAST Premier: Spring Groups 2024 Schedule & Format
The BLAST Premier: Spring Groups 2024 tournament runs from Jan. 22 to Jan. 28, during which 16 teams will compete for their share of the $190,000 prize pool. However, the biggest prize for most of the teams is earning one of the six spots at the BLAST Premier: Spring Final 2024.
The tournament features four double-elimination GSL-style groups, with four teams as the format for BLAST Premier: Spring Groups. All matches are best-of-three (BO3), and the winners of each group earn a spot in the Spring Final. The second-place teams will get another shot in the Play-In Stage.
Fans will then witness four teams squaring off in the single-elimination Play-In Stage bracket, where all matches are BO3. The two teams who win their Play-In Stage matches earn a spot in the Spring Final.
Group A and C matches start on Jan. 22, while Group B and D matches start on Jan. 24. The final match of each group takes place on Jan. 27, and the Play-In Stage finishes up BLAST Premier: Spring Groups on Jan. 28. You can expect each day’s matches to begin at 12 p.m CET | 3 a.m. PST.
Teams Competing In BLAST Premier: Spring Groups 2024
The 16 teams competing in BLAST Premier: Spring Groups 2024 are brimming with talent. Most teams sit firmly in HLTV’s top 30 rankings list, including four of the five best squads in the world.
Group A Teams:
Group B Teams:
- GamerLegion
- FaZe Clan
- Team Liquid
- Team Spirit
Group C Teams:
- G2 Esports
- Ninjas in Pyjamas (NIP)
- Natus Vincere (Na’VI)
- Complexity Gaming
Group D Teams:
- Heroic
- Cloud9
- Virtus.pro
- BIG
Important note: Team Spirit’s Boris “magixx” Vorobiev and Danil “donk” Kryshkovets won’t attend the event due to VISA issues.
Our Predictions For BLAST Premier: Spring Groups 2024
With dozens of high-impact CS2 player transfers during the off-season, the BLAST Premier: Spring Groups 2024 results are challenging to predict. These roster changes will no doubt affect the outcome of this year’s first big CS2 event.
However, we’ve grabbed our crystal ball to make our predictions and also explain why our picks may win their respective groups—and who may make it through the Play-In Stage.
Please note: Our predictions are based on stats, team rankings, historical trends, and the author’s expert opinion. These predictions should not be interpreted as betting advice to act upon. Always gamble responsibly.
Group A Winner: Team Vitality
As the BLAST Premier World Final 2023 winner and the no.1 ranked team in the world, Team Vitality is considered the most potent team at this year’s Spring Groups. If the team and the illustrious Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut (the best CS2 player in 2023) continue their form, no one can stop ‘em. Plus, the odds for Vitality’s opening match against OG indicate they’re the dominating favorite.
Team Vitality roster:
- Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut
- Lotan “Spinx” Giladi
- Shahar “flameZ” Shushan
- William “mezii” Merriman
- Dan “apEX” Madesclaire (IGL)
Group B Winner: FaZe Clan
There’s little reason to doubt this squad when you consider they’re led by Finn “karrigan” Andersen and also have the best lurker in the game, Robin “ropz” Kool. FaZe Clan is one of the most consistent teams in the world, and the odds for their opening match at BLAST Premier: Spring Groups 2024 against GamerLegion show little chance of FaZe losing.
The team only underwent one roster change in 2023, adding burgeoning Slovakian star David “frozen” Čerňanský to cement their roster. Team Liquid is the only squad with a notable chance of stopping FaZe Clan from winning Group B.
FaZe Clan roster:
- Robin “ropz” Kool
- Håvard “rain” Nygaard
- Helvijs “broky” Saukants
- David “frozen” Čerňanský
- Finn “karrigan” Andersen (IGL)
Group C Winner: G2 Esports
Group C is the most challenging group to predict due to all the roster changes for Na’Vi and Complexity making full use of the fantastic Jonathan “EliGE” Jablonowski. Our pick is G2 Esports to potentially win Group C despite being lower ranked than Na’Vi. If Nikola “NiKo” Kovač and Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov are in form, they’ll barrel through this stacked group. In their opening match against NIP, G2 is a clear favorite with 1.20 odds.
G2 Esports roster:
- Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov
- Nikola “NiKo” Kovač
- Nemanja “huNter-” Kovač
- Nemanja “nexa” Isaković
- Rasmus “HooXi” Nielsen (IGL)
Group D Winner: Cloud9
Many CS2 esports fans may not agree with our pick for the winner of Group D as Cloud9, but we have our reasons. We’ve already seen what the latest addition to the roster, Kirill “Boombl4” Mikhaylov, can do in combination with Perfecto and electroNic during the golden age of Na’Vi.
Cloud9 faces Heroic in the opener, and the odds indicate we may be in for a highly competitive match. However, Heroic lost Casper “cadiaN” Møller to Team Liquid in December 2023, who was a driving force behind the squad’s success. If Cloud9 can make it past Heroic, they may be able to beat the winner of VP and BIG to secure a spot at the BLAST Premier: Spring Final.
Cloud9 roster:
- Sergey “Ax1Le” Rykhtorov
- Abay “HObbit” Khassenov
- Ilya “Perfecto” Zalutskiy
- Denis “electroNic” Sharipov
- Kirill “Boombl4” Mikhaylov (IGL)
Play-In Winners: Heroic & Liquid
If our predictions for the four groups are accurate, we’ll see an exciting Play-In Stage to finish the BLAST Premier: Spring Groups event. Based on the current team form, rankings, roster changes, and stats, our tentative predictions for the Play-In winners are Team Liquid and Heroic.
Heroic roster:
- Rasmus “sjuush” Beck
- René “TeSeS” Madsen
- Guy “NertZ” Iluz
- Nico “nicoodoz” Tamjidi
- Damjan “kyxsan” Stoilkovski (IGL)
Team Liquid roster:
- Mareks “YEKINDAR” Gaļinskis
- Keith “NAF” Markovic
- Felipe “skullz” Medeiros
- Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken
- Casper “cadiaN” Møller (IGL)
Our Play-In predictions depend on how teams are matched in the single-elimination bracket. Alternative predictions for the two Play-In winners include Na’Vi, Complexity Gaming, Virtus.Pro, and Astralis.
Betting On BLAST Premier: Spring Groups 2024
As the first S-Tier event for CS2 esports, the hype is real for BLAST Premier: Spring Groups 2024. We’re ready for the games to begin and can’t wait to see how it all plays out. Will our predictions come true? Or could these betting favorites crash and burn earlier than expected? Join us right here at Thunderpick to find out, because you can stream and place live bets on the action as it happens!
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