Update: In a move that validated many expectations, FaZe Clan swept through the PGL Major Antwerp event, securing the $500k grand prize. In second place sat Natus Vincere with a $150k prize, and again, it was a position that was completely expected by both the fans and the bookmakers. Before the tournament kicked off, FaZe Clan stood at the number one CSGO team in the world, at least according to rankings. While Natus Vincere showed a stronger perofmrnace in the Legends Stage, FaZe Clan proved to be a dominant force in the Champions Stage.
Ultimately, once the dust had settled, FaZe Clan had pushed through the Champions Stage almost effortlessly, dropping just one point against Ninjas in Pyjamas. However, there was almost a huge upset handed across by Team Spirit, which entered the tournament with outsider odds of 76.00 to win. By the end of the tournament, Team Spirit would be sitting in third place, having been knocked out of the tournament in the penultimate series by FaZe Clan. That would have been something to remember…
As any avid bettor knows, the PGL Major Antwerp is one of the biggest esports betting events of the year. For those looking to get in on the action, our PGL Major Antwerp betting guide will help you get to know this esports tournament. This guide will give you all the information you need to know including where to bet, what to bet on, and how to make the most of your bets.
Editor’s Pick:
This tournament will be 2022’s first CS:GO Major Championship. It will be held in Antwerp, Belgium, and will run from 9 to 22 May. A prize pool of USD 1 million is at stake for the 24 teams that qualified to participate through the Regional Major Ranking (RMR) tournaments. With so much on the line, the matches are sure to be intense and exciting.
PGL Major Antwerp 2022 Outright Winner Odds
The PGL Major Antwerp odds are obviously immediately favorable to teams that are participating in the Legends stage because they won’t have to go through an additional round of qualifying. With 885 points, FaZe Clan are the top-ranked team in the world followed by Natus Vincere – who won the PGL Major Stockholm 2021 and will look to defend the title – and the newly-acquired Cloud9 team.
It is, therefore, no surprise that these three teams are leading the PGL Major Antwerp betting odds for this tournament. Heroic are fourth in the CS:GO world rankings and also own the fourth position in the PGL Major Antwerp odds board for this competition with CSGO odds of 8.00. See below fort the full set of outright winner odds:
Outright Winner Odds provided by Bet365 on 2 May 2022:
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| FaZe Clan | 2.62 |
| Natus Vincere | 3.00 |
| Cloud9 | 6.00 |
| Heroic | 8.00 |
| Ninjas in Pyjamas | 10.00 |
| G2 Esports | 11.00 |
| FURIA | 15.00 |
| ENCE | 17.00 |
| Copenhagen Flames | 19.00 |
| Astralis | 19.00 |
| Outsiders | 21.00 |
| BIG | 21.00 |
| Team Vitality | 21.00 |
| Imperial | 26.00 |
| Team Liquid | 34.00 |
| forZe | 67.00 |
| Team Spirit | 76.00 |
| Eternal Fire | 76.00 |
| Complexity | 101.00 |
| MIBR | 101.00 |
| Bad News Eagles | 101.00 |
| 9z | 151.00 |
| Renegades | 501.00 |
| IHC Esports | 1001.00 |
Format: How is the Event Structured?
This esports tournament is divided into three stages: the Challengers Stage, the Legends Stage and the Champions Stage.
The Challengers Stage (9-12 May)
- This will be held in the first four days of the tournament, between May 9 and 12, 2022. Sixteen teams will participate in this stage in a Swiss System Format. The elimination and qualifying matches will be best of three while the rest of the matches will be best of one.
- The top eight teams from the Challengers Stage will qualify for the Legends Stage while the bottom eight teams will be eliminated from the competition.
The Legends Stage (14-17 May)
- This stage of the tournament will be held between May 14 and 17, 2022. This will also involve 16 teams in a Swiss System format. Like the Challengers Stage, the elimination and advancement matches will be best of three while the other matches will be best of one.
- The top eight teams from the Legends Stage will qualify for the Champions Stage while the bottom eight teams will be eliminated from the competition.
The Champions Stage (19-22 May)
- This will be held between May 19 and 22, 2022 and will be hosted live from the Sportpaleis, in Antwerp, which can seat 18,000 spectators.
- This stage a single elimination bracket, with the seedings decided via the rankings from the Legends Stage. All matches in this stage will be best of three.
Teams: Which Esports Organisations are Competing?
- This major Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament features some of the best teams in the world competing for a share of the $1 million prize pool. The prize for winning the event is $500,000.
- Participating teams in the Challengers Stage: ENCE, G2 Esports, Forze, Astralis, Team Vitality, MIBR, Imperial Esports, Bad News Eagles, Eternal Fire, Team Spirit, Outsiders, Complexity Gaming, IHC Esports, Renegades, Team Liquid, 9z.
- Participating Teams in the Legends Stage: Heroic, Copenhagen Flames, BIG, Cloud9, Furia Esports, Faze Clan, Ninjas in Pyjamas, Natus Vincere.
PGL Major Antwerp Betting Guide: Our Recommended Betting Sites
If you’re going to be doing some CSGO gambling, it is crucial to pick the better betting operators to ensure you can derive maximum value from your betting picks.
Here are our top recommended PGL Major Antwerp bookies:
As any avid esports bettor knows, bookmakers often offer promos and bonuses during tournaments to encourage bettors to get in on the action. This event is certainly no different and a number of PGL Major Antwerp promo codes and bonuses are up for grabs.
One fantastic promotion is being offered by GG.bet esports:
PGL Major Antwerp Betting Options: Types of Markets Available
CS:GO has exploded in recent years, with several betting operators offering hundreds of markets to bet on. This ranges from the outright winner odds (betting on a team to win a match) to which player will get the most kills in a particular map, for instance.
Here are a few PGL Major Antwerp betting markets to consider:
- Pistol Round Winner: Each CS:GO map has two pistol rounds: the first being the very first round of the map and the second being the 16th round. Betting operators will offer you odds for the team to win both the pistol rounds. This market is a bit of a punt because since neither team have found their feet in a map, the pistol round winner is determined more by luck than skill as compared to subsequent rounds, where the quality of weapons and the maintenance of in-game economy comes into play.
- Overtime: Betting operators will offer bettors the chance to bet on the high-risk, high-reward of whether a map will need overtime. In CS:GO, a map goes into overtime only at the score of 15-15, where additional rounds will be required. As a result of the lower probability of this outcome, the odds are much higher than almost any other market.
- Total rounds: Bettors can also bet on how many rounds a map will have. This includes significantly lower risk because betting sites set a handicap and bettors need to make only one decision: whether the total maps will be over or under that handicap. In almost all maps, that handicap is set as 26.5 rounds but it can vary if there is a significant mismatch, where the total rounds are expected to be lower.
- Player to Score an Ace: In CS:GO, an ace occurs when a single player registers five kills in a round. It is similar to a pentakill in League of Legends but for an individual player. Due to the low probability of an ace, betting sites will often only offer bettors the opportunity to bet on yes, which brings with it high odds.
Interesting Fact: First Kosovar Team to Qualify for CS:GO Major
Bad News Eagles, who will participate in the Challengers Stage of this tournament, became the first Kosovar team to qualify for a CS:GO Major. They came out of the PGL Major Antwerp Europe RMR B after a sterling final day in the qualifier in Romania.
“It’s a dream that we’ve been following for many years and the way we went through to the Major makes it an even more beautiful a story,” juanflatroo said. “Even back in Kosovo, the newspapers, the televisions, they’re talking about us, so you can tell how important that is for us.
“We’re a new country and we’re the ones that should make it more visible in the eyes of the international community and the whole world because we have a lot of potential. We need a lot more experience and showing ourselves, so it’s something really big for us. It’s a huge milestone for us to reach the Major and we’re really happy about it.”