The decrease of Valorant popularity has been met with divided opinions. Some people expected it; they were never buying those hyped Twitch stats during the beta key drops. Some still can’t believe Valorant is not the next big thing in the esports industry… others now think Valorant esports is doomed to fail… but with such a massive Valorant First Strike betting demand, things actually look good for Riot Games’ promising first-person shooter.
Well, the demand is there, that’s for sure! All major bookmakers offer Valorant First Strike betting opportunities, some even going out of their way to present their users with specials and long-terms too. Viewership shouldn’t lack – this is the first big Valorant event series in quite a while, meaning everyone involved with the Valorant pro scene are at the edge of their seats… fans included!
Valorant First Strike Series features a total of seven separate events:
There’s over $500,000 in total prize money, which gives the impression of a lucrative esports spectacle… and that’s exactly what makes Valorant First Strike betting opportunities so appealing. Korea, Europe, and North American events have the biggest prize pools ($100,000 each), but all seven events feature the same number of teams, eight.
In our Valorant First Strike event preview, we’re going to be focusing on NA and EU events for the most part. We’ll say a few words about the Korean event too, but NA and EU will be our focal point.
As you may have heard by now, Valorant First Strike events start on Thursday, December 3rd, and are set to end on Sunday, December 6th. Four thrilling days of Valorant action are ahead of us. If you’re into esports betting and you love Valorant – this is what you’ve been waiting for!
Where to Bet on First Strike? | Best Valorant Betting Sites
As far as the good old question of where to bet on Valorant goes, our Valorant bookmakers guide should be the first stop on your extensive research. It does exactly what it’s supposed to do – it brings forth all good Valorant betting sites in one location for you to choose. What’s your final decision going to be? I guess that’s all up to you…
Valorant First Strike Betting Preview | Betting Favorites
Betting on Valorant First Strike brings forth a ton of betting opportunities. Heck, we might even feature a couple of picks here and there… but generally speaking, which teams are the betting favorites?
Mind you, we’re not talking about outright winner predictions here. That section can be found right at the end of our preview. For now, let’s see which teams are considered as the favorites coming into this event!
Most Prominent NA Teams
Four teams stand out in the NA event, already dubbed as the toughest of the bunch. Sentinels are the main favorites with Team Envy as a close second. Team SoloMid and 100 Thieves are there as the highest-ranking dark horses. All four of these teams are predicted to reach the semifinals. Once there, all hell will break loose across all competitive Valorant battlegrounds.
Sentinels
Sentinels are the crowned champions of the North American Valorant scene. Their form has dipped a bit, following poor NSG Tournament qualifiers as well as the NSG Tournament itself. They’ve lost two in the last five matches, but that doesn’t mean they’re in a downward spiral.
With players like SicK and sinatraa, this Sentinels roster was always going to be trigger friendly. Their two main fraggers are doing the dirty work, with the legendary ShahZaM ruling over the tactical stick. Sentinels are excellent on Split and Ascent, though much of their overall performance on First Strike NA will depend on their ability to play on Icebox. That map is going to shape the entire event, there’s no doubt about that!
Can Sentinels go all the way? They’re going up against Faze Clan in the first round which will be a real test of readiness. I’d love to see them square off on Icebox right off the bat. That would show us what Sentinels are capable of on that map and would definitely shape the rest of our Valorant First Strike betting endeavors.
Regarding the status of @ShahZaMk. pic.twitter.com/shgyBHL8WF
— Sentinels (@Sentinels) November 30, 2020
Update – ShahZaM will not be participating in First Strike. Our thoughts are with him during these difficult times.
Team Envy
Team Envy are coming into this event following a win on the First Strike NSG qualifiers. They defeated 100 Thieves in the grand finals in what seemed like a swift 3:0 encounter. Considering such a dominant display against a team of 100T’s caliber, is Envy the hidden favorite of this event?
Envy is more than just pure individual quality. All five of their players are doing amazing things; they’re all playing for the fun of it and it really shows. They’re fragging at will no matter who’s on the receiving end, and that’s what makes them such a dangerous opponent to face… especially on Split.
TSM
Team SoloMid means business! If you’re going to be betting on Valorant First Strike NA, you need to know about TSM’s excellent form. They’re five from five; they’ve won UMG Closed Qualifiers by beating Faze Clan in the grand finals, and their top fraggers are in great form!
They’re set to play against Renegades in the first round (AKA quarterfinals). Looking back at their head to head matches, TSM is yet to lose a match. They’ve defeated them four times in the last four months, and I think they will make it five from five here.
Everything points to that result! The experience, the tenacity, the map pool, and the pure fragging power. With drone, Wardell and Subroza setting the tempo, I doubt Renegades will have the right answers. If they reach the semis, TSM will probably go up against Envy in what’s going to be a real cracker of a match. Both teams have a claim on the grand finals. This one is for all you value hunters out there; go on, have a blast!
100 Thieves
This new 100 Thieves lineup had a surprisingly good start. They were a bit unlucky on NSG Tournament qualifiers, losing against TSM in the quarterfinals, but managed to show much better form on the actual main event (AKA closed qualifiers). They reached all the way to the grand finals but ultimately lost against Team Envy.
Those three wins, however, were against top-tier opponents; 100 Thieves managed to take down both Sentinels and TSM on their way to the grand finals. Stats-wise, Dicey and Asuna are making all the right moves out there! They’re proving to be of crucial importance for 100 Thieves. If this dynamic duo manages to transition their form from NSG to the regional finals, I’m sure they’ll sweep past T1 in the opening round.
Most Prominent EU Teams
What about the European scene? Valorant First Strike betting opportunities are plentiful across the Atlantic pond. We might even find good value here. First, though, let’s check out the four best teams; teams that everyone expects to reach the semifinals!
G2 Esports
G2 is still the best of what the European Valorant scene has to offer. PaTiTek and the boys are on a wicked winning spree, having won eighteen consecutive competitive matches. Heck, they’ve only lost two matches since the start of their Valorant careers; one against FunPlus Phoenix during Allied Esports Odyssey, and one against Team Liquid in a non-competitive show-match.
Individually – they’re excellent. Their agent pool is pretty stellar too. Teamwork is on point as well – they’re virtually invincible in certain areas of the game. I can’t wait to see how they perform against the best NA teams… fingers crossed it happens in the first quarter of 2021! As for Valorant First Strike betting (on G2), I reckon it’s best to wait and see how they do against Orgless…
Team Liquid
I’ll dare to point Team Liquid out as the hidden favorites on First Strike EU. Team Heretics are their first-round opponents. I reckon they’ll take care of them without going into the third map and clinch the semifinals. Who’s going to be their opponent there? Well, G2 and Orgless are on the other end of the bracket… and I think we all know which way that one’s going to go.
Are we going to see another classic like the one on Best in the West Showdown match? Remember, Liquid stomped over G2 with 3:0 as the final score. But, it’s too early to draw concrete conclusions for the semifinals. Heck, they haven’t even played the quarterfinals. If this matchup does happen, I’m pretty sure we’ll cover it in more detail via our esports picks section.
FunPlus Phoenix
FunPlus Phoenix are coming into this event with twelve consecutive victories. Truth be told, though, their opposition hasn’t exactly been top-tier teams. Sure, they played against SUMN FC and oxygen, but others were relatively unknown teams.
Well, wins are wins… winning brings forth more winning, and FPX will want to cement that statement against nolpenki in the quarterfinals. The orgless team will be a tough cookie to crack, and I could see this one easily going the extra length of the decider map. If you’re thinking of betting on Valorant First Strike, you might want to skip FPX’s opening match.
SUMN FC
SUMN FC are a proper wildcard here. This up-and-coming EU team dominated their way through the qualifiers, beating eXiLe eSports in the final round to clinch the main event spot. Doma is perhaps the most interesting player on this roster. The 17-year-old Croatian has been leading the charge; he’s been the key factor in SUMN FC’s rise to the top eight in the First Strike qualifiers.
Tune in boys https://t.co/jzcJfsv8jm
— Mistic 🐺 (@misticJK) November 30, 2020
Now that they’re here, what sort of performance can we expect from them? First up, they’ll face Purple Cobras. It’s anyone’s match, really – I wouldn’t bet on this one if I were you. Assuming SUMN FC goes through, they’ll pose as a tough contender for FPX or nolpenki. The door to grand finals seems wide open for doma and the SUMN FC boys… can they rise up to the occasion and make a name for themselves?
What About Korean Teams?
Teams like Vision Strikers, Cloud9 Korea, and T1 Korea are not to be taken for granted. They’re playing proper Valorant out there, and I honestly can’t wait to see them go up against some of EU and NA finest.
The best thing about the Korean Valorant First Strike is the fact that it’s an offline event. We’ll get to see real LAN action, something that’s been missing from Valorant esports since day one. Hopefully, the LAN fever will soon spread to NA and EU as well, bringing forth more class-A Valorant action for everyone!
Outright Betting on Valorant First Strike Event(s)
Even though the number of Valorant First Strike events is admirable, to say the least, most esports bookmakers only feature outright winner betting options for the North American iteration. After all, it’s the biggest event of the series, one that features some of the scene’s toughest teams. NA is also by far the most popular Valorant scene at the moment. Europe and South Korea are developing at a rapid pace though, so we might see some changes in the foreseeable future.
Betting on Valorant First Strike NA | Outright Winner Predictions
Before we go any further, here are the outright winner betting odds, courtesy of BetOnline:
| Sentinels | +200 |
| Team Envy | +240 |
| TSM | +400 |
| 100 Thieves | +450 |
| Faze Clan | +900 |
| T1 | +1000 |
| Renegades | +1600 |
| Immortals | +1600 |
Sentinels are the main favorites according to most esports bookmakers, despite losing against 100T during the NSG Tournament. Team Envy are coming in as the runners-up; they’re coming into this event with excellent form, having won five out of six last month. Talking about form, TSM has to be pointed out too. They have eleven wins in thirteen matches – a wicked run they’ll want to confirm against Renegades in the quarterfinals.
With those words, we’re all done with our Valorant First Strike betting preview! Valorant esports is making a big comeback, announcing better things to come next year. Fingers crossed First Strike exceeds everyone’s expectations!
Until next time,
Donnie out…
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