UPDATE: Before the Spring Groups 2023, we emphasized on NAVI, FAZE, G2, and Heroic and hinted at Team Vitality and Astralis. All of these 6 teams have now qualified for the Spring Finals in Washington, D.C. in June.
FAZE and G2 stomped everyone in their groups, with FAZE losing only 1 map and G2 winning everything (despite facing NAVI twice). Since there could only be three winners in the Group Stage, NAVI and Heroic (who lost to Team Vitality 1-2) had to turn up in the Play-In stage, where they beat Complexity and BIG, respectively. As for Astralis, our most speculative pick, the team managed to qualify by pushing through 2 imposing opponents: NIP and OG. We’re already seeing bookies putting more trust in the team as a result.
Meanwhile, Team Liquid lost to the underdog BIG and missed their chance to fight Heroic in the Play-In stage. The team must now compete in the American Spring Showdown in April to make their way back to the Spring Finals.
The BLAST Premier: Spring Groups effectively mark CSGO’s 2023 esports calendar kick-off period. From here on out, the world’s best CSGO teams will embark on an all-important journey to (hopefully) victory and stardom. There’s a huge amount of money riding on this tournament, and between the 19th and 29th of January, we’ll get a taste of what teams are bringing in 2023. Before that point arrives, let’s go through the BLAST Premier: Spring Groups predictions and see what the upcoming event looks like.
If you’re eager to get involved with CSGO betting, you don’t have long to wait. Few competitions are more exhilarating than the BLAST Premier, and with the right strategy, you could make a tidy profit.
Recommended bookmakers for your Spring Groups bets
BLAST Premier: Spring Groups – How it works
Fortunately, if you’re totally new to the world of CSGO, you’ll be happy to know that this is an easy-to-understand tournament. On the other hand, if you’re a tried and tested CSGO veteran, you’ll feel right at home CSGO betting on the BLAST Premier: Spring Groups stage. It’s one of the most beginner-friendly CSGO tournaments out there, and it offers unrivaled excitement for viewers and bettors alike.
Image credit: BLAST Premier via Twitter
Firstly, there’s the Group Stage, which sees three double-elimination format groups go head-to-head. These fixtures are already locked in and determined ahead of time, and right now, you can already place your bets. For instance, the likes of Betway Esports have taken the trouble to throw out some outright winner markets, and other top CSGO betting sites are following suit.
| Group A Winner | Outright Odds |
| Heroic | 2.30 / +130 |
| Vitality | 2.95 / +195 |
| Astralis | 3.35 / +235 |
| Evil Geniuses | 15.00 / +1400 |
| Group B Winner | |
| FaZe | 1.90 / -111 |
| Liquid | 3.20 / +220 |
| OG | 4.75 / +375 |
| Complexity | 15.00 / +1400 |
| Group C Winner | |
| G2: | 2.30 / +130 |
| Natus Vincere | 2.40 / +140 |
| Ninjas in Pyjamas | 5.75 / +475 |
| BIG | 8.00 / +700 |
Outright odds provided by Betway, Jan. 15th, 2023.
In the Group Stage, the groups play their best-of-three fixtures, with all the 3 winning teams qualifying directly to the Spring Final. During the Play-In Stage, three single-elimination gauntlets are played out with a best-of-three format. When the dust has settled, the winner of each gauntlet pushes into the Spring Final as well, while the rest of the losing teams proceed to the Spring Showdown.
Ultimately, there’s a prize pool of $177,500 up for grabs, as well as 8,000 BLAST Premier Points.
BLAST Premier: Spring Groups Predictions
Let’s get into the all-important portion of this guide – the predictions themselves. Before we highlight who has the best chance of winning this competition, let’s take a look at the entire team roster for the BLAST Premier: Spring Groups stage:
Image credit: BLAST Premier via Twitter
As always, there are frontrunners in the competition, and there are underdogs. The likes of NAVI, FaZe, and G2 are currently sitting in the top spots as favorites where the esports bookmakers are concerned. They’re the teams most likely to storm the competition, while the likes of BIG, Complexity, and Evil Geniuses aren’t expected to perform quite as well. For the remainder of the teams on that list, it’s about making up the middle ground and taking advantage of the easier teams in the competition.
A year ago, the safe bet would easily be NAVI, and although they’re still a pretty solid pick this time around, the equation is just way more complicated now. For one, NAVI failed to maintain consistency at the end of 2022, leaving early in the Rio Major and the BLAST Premier: World Final.
Meanwhile, G2 and Heroic — though volatile teams for sure — could deliver an outstanding performance as they did in the final months of 2022. After months of hiatus starting from early May, G2 won the World Final in December. Heroic, on the other hand, placed 2nd in the Rio Major and 1st in the Fall Finals in November after staying under the radar.
Image credit: BLAST Premier via Twitter
And, of course, FaZe is still a top consideration. Granted, their last notable accomplishment was winning IEM Cologne 17 in July, but don’t forget the earlier success that came before that, which included winning the PGL Major Antwerp, ESL Pro League S15, and IEM 16 Katowice. Faze might own the first half of the year yet again.
With Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz back with Astralis, Team Vitality sticking with their synergized roster (for now), and Team Liquid getting to the grand final of the 2022 BLAST Premier: World Final, everything needs to be considered.
How to Watch the Spring Groups Live
If you want to tune in and see the world’s best CSGO teams go head-to-head, you don’t have to work too hard. From the 19th to the 29th of January, you can watch the BLAST Premier live on Twitch or YouTube, depending on the language you’re viewing in or where you’re located. To get involved with betting on the BLAST Premier: Spring Groups, you’ll ideally want to be watching at least some of the gameplay on a live basis.
Ultimately, remember to stay focused and lock in that CSGO betting strategy. If you’re new to CSGO betting, start small and work your way up incrementally. And finally, take advantage of multiple esports betting sites, soaking up those bonuses and offers across the board. Good luck with your BLAST Premier bets!
