PLG Grand Slam 2018 Predictions and Analysis
Between December 12th – 15th, PLG Grand Slam 2018 is scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi. This is one of the final two CS:GO tournaments of the season and promises to provide a thrilling show for both spectators and bettors alike.
Participants and format
PLG Grand Slam 2018 is an international event in which 16 teams will be competing for the title. In the Group Stage, all teams will be split into 4 groups and they will play in a GSL (double-elimination) format. The top two teams from each group qualify directly to the Playoffs.
All matches in the Playoffs Stage are Bo3 and these are 4 Quarterfinals, 2 Semifinals and 1 Grand Final.
PLG Grand Slam 2018 features 16 teams from all over the world and these are:
- Fnatic
- G2 Esports
- HellRaisers
- TyLoo
- Avangar
- Grayhound Gaming
- INTZ eSports
- Sharks Esports
- ForZe
- 5Power Gaming
- NASR eSports
- Energy Esports
- Chosen5
- B.O.O.T-dream[S]cape
- ShotCallers
- GUCCIGANGxD
Overall, the matches are not very hard to anticipate, as half of the teams are unlikely to win anything in this competition. The first 4 teams listed above, followed by the next 4, have the greatest chances at victory, so it is clear to see why this tournament comes with great betting opportunities.
Prizes
The total prize pool of $100.000 is shared in an uncommon way, totally different than what we’ve gotten used to. It is only the first 3 teams that get part of the prize, while the rest of the competitors only gain experience and exposure.
The PLG Grand Slam 2018 prize pool is split between the top 3 teams as it follows:
- 1st place: $50.000
- 2nd place: $30.000
- 3rd place: $20.000
One element that hasn’t been thought thoroughly in this event is the way in which the 3rd place winner is determined. This is a valid concern, as there is no scheduled match in the Playoffs Stage to help decide that. Of course, there is still time to announce such a match and the organizers will most probably schedule it before the Grand Final.
Team analysis
Even though a total of 16 teams will be competing at PLG Grand Slam 2018, I will only analyze the top 8, as they stand a stronger chance at winning the Grand Final:
Fnatic
Although it may sound surprising, Fnatic is possibly the strongest team taking part at PLG Grand Slam 2018. Overall, the team has had a constant presence at important CS:GO events and even though they did not score great achievements since March this year, the team is still a top 12 in the global rankings. When comparing their recent results, KRIMZ and the rest of his team are more solid than other contenders at this event.
Over the past 5 months, Fnatic has managed to get some honorable achievements at different tournaments, which include: finishing 5th – 6th at Esports Championship Series Season 5 Finals, 5th – 6th at ESL One: Cologne 2018, 5th – 6th at ELEAGUE CS:GO Premier 2018, 9th – 11th at FACEIT Major: London 2018, and 3rd – 4th at Intel Extreme Masters XIII Chicago.
The constant fairly good performance Fnatic had lately proves that they are probably going to win PLG Grand Slam 2018, especially when all the other teams are at least 1 tier below them.
Bet Now
HellRaisers
HellRaisers is a team with a lot of potential and skill, despite the fact that their recent results tell a different story. At SuperNova Malta 2018, the CIS team got a 4th placement overall, after finishing 1st in the Group Stage.
The past few months came with some notable results here and there and these are: getting the 5th – 8th place finish at FACEIT Major: London 2018, 9th – 11th at StarSeries & i-League CS:GO Season 6, 5th – 6th at EPICENTER 2018 and 4th at SuperNova Malta 2018.
The strong roster, together with its experience and skill should be able to bring HellRaisers a top 4 placement at PLG Grand Slam 2018.
Bet Now
TyLoo
Over the past 30 days, TyLoo has achieved some notable results which include the following: 1st place at Asian Development League Season 1, 2nd place at TOYOTA Master CS:GO Bangkok 2018 and 5th – 6th place at SuperNova Malta 2018. Going into PLG Grand Slam 2018, I expect TyLoo to finish 5th – 8th at least, as this result depends a lot on who their opponent will be in the Quarterfinals. However, when taking their recent progress into account, they can finish even higher than that.
Bet Now
Avangar
Another team with quite some potential is Avangar, as it has managed to perform great in tier 2 and tier 3 tournaments lately. The past several months were remarkable in terms of results, as Avangar won both MSI Gaming Arena 2018 and Hellcase Cup #7 and got a 2nd place at ALTEL Cyber Games, 3rd – 4th place at EPICENTER 2018 and had a participation (13th – 16th place) at Intel Extreme Masters XIII Chicago.
At PLG Grand Slam 2018, Avangar has a few opponents that are still too hard to defeat but the rest of the teams should be no real challenge for them. Therefore, I expect this rising team to get a 5th-8th place finish.
Bet Now
Grayhound Gaming
In Oceania, Grayhound Gaming has made a name for itself, being strong enough to even win a qualifier match against Renegades at the Asia Minor Championship Katowice 2019. This is just one of the reasons why Grayhound is a solid contender at PLG Grand Slam 2018 and I see them having a high chance of advancing to the Playoffs.
Bet Now
INTZ eSports
INTZ eSports features some strong players, such as felps, formerly at SK Gaming. The Brazilian roster has not gathered significant results lately, even though their presence at ESL Pro League Season 8 Finals confirmed their potential and ability to compete at tier 1 events. Going into PLG Grand Slam 2018, I expect INTZ eSports to qualify to the Playoffs Stage.
Bet Now
Sharks Esports
One of the greatest advantages Sharks Esports stands when compared with other teams is its players’ wonderful cohesion. They prove great potential when playing together as a unit, as three of the players have been part of the team for about a year and a half now. For a tier 2 team as this Brazilian roster, finishing 9th-12th at the most recent ESL Pro League Season 8 Finals is no small thing.
Bet Now
G2 Esports
Over the past 3 months, G2 Esports seems to be off track and has been far from having a great performance at various events. Some of the notable results this team managed to get are: the 9th – 11th place at FACEIT Major: London 2018, 5th – 6th place at ESL One: New York 2018, 7th – 8th place at cs_summit 3 and 5th – 6th place at DreamHack Open Winter 2018.
What is still a bit concerning regarding G2 Esports lately is that the team faced challenges in defeating even the weakest opponents at tier 2 events, such as DreamHack Open Winter 2018. Although they are doing their best to win, something seems to be going wrong most of the times. Going into PLG Grand Slam 2018, I expect the team to finish no higher than 5th – 8th.
Leave a Reply