Counter-Strike tournament action returns on April 27, with Blast Premier Spring Showdown Europe bringing five days of exciting action.
As usual for Blast events, it’s set to be a competitive one, with much more than just a cash prize on the line. Based on their final placement, teams earn Blast Premier circuit points, which play a crucial role in reaching the World Final event. Additionally, the Sportsbook also earns a spot at the Spring Finals, where the prizes and stakes are significantly higher.
Before we dive into the details of the event, make sure to brush up on your CS with our Counter-Strike betting guide – and let’s dive right in.
Who’s Playing At Blast Premier Spring Showdown Europe?
The Spring Showdown is set to be a smaller-than-usual event, featuring just eight teams in a mix of top-level sides and some up-and-coming squads. The tournament is headlined by favorites Heroic, but also features top sides like Ninjas in Pyjamas, Astralis and ENCE. They’re joined by up-and-comers Movistar Riders, Copenhagen Flames, Bad News Eagles and NKT – all who earned their spot through regional qualifiers.
It’s a great chance for the smaller sides to get some much-needed exposure and practice against the best teams, as well as creating an exciting environment where we could very well see some upsets.
With that being said, the event is unforgiving, starting directly in a single-elimination playoff. This means teams are eliminated after just one series loss and with no group stage, there’s absolutely no room for mistakes. All matches are played in a best-of-three format, so there is some leeway, but just one bad day at the office can spell elimination for the favorites.
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Heroic | +175 |
| Ninjas in Pyjamas | +300 |
| ENCE | +400 |
| Astralis | +400 |
| Copenhagen Flames | +1100 |
| Movistar Riders | +1100 |
| Bad News Eagles | +8000 |
| NKT | +10000 |
Odds as of April 20 at Sportsbook
Heroic Aims To Bounce Back From Early ESL Pro League Exit
Heroic enters as the favorite for Blast Premier Spring Showdown Europe, coming in at +175 at Sportsbook, representing implied odds of 36.36 percent according to our Super Calculator.
It’s not too difficult to justify those odds. Heroic is not only the highest-ranked team at this event, but also one of the most stable and consistent squads. The roster has been together for over a year straight, and despite ups and downs has consistently been challenging the best of the best.
They’ll also be looking to bounce back from a rough ESL Pro League performance, where the Danes were eliminated in the first round of playoffs by Team Liquid. Considering that and the overall level of Heroic, we should see a good run from them at this event, if not a triumph altogether.
Can ENCE Continue Their Impressive Form?
ENCE goes into the event as one of the most in-form teams, having upset the odds with a second-place finish in the ESL Pro League, while also picking up a ton of wins throughout March and April.
Despite a turbulent 2021, the team seems to have finally figured things out, with the addition of Maden in February seeming like the missing piece. The team has gone from strength to strength since his arrival, with their EPL result possibly being one of many successes for the European-mix team.
If things continue going as they have been for ENCE, we may see them improve yet again at the Blast Premier Spring Showdown Europe and if that is the case, it’s difficult to see anyone stopping them. However, it’s hard to predict exactly what we’ll see from the team – they may level up yet again or finally run out of steam.
What Can We Expect From The New Ninjas In Pyjamas Roster?
Ninjas in Pyjamas have been an interesting team for a long time in CS:GO. They haven’t managed to put together a consistent five-man roster for a while but have always managed to stay near the top of the game.
Constant substitutions and new signings see them shuffling things around and we may see yet another new roster from them at Blast Premier Spring Showdown Europe. The team recently signed one of Sweden’s brightest stars, Brollan, who is reportedly set to feature sometime in April.
It’s not yet confirmed exactly what the NiP roster will look like. However, if Brollan does make an appearance, he will certainly provide a boost to the team’s firepower. He may be exactly what the team needs to take them over the edge and become title contenders once again – and this event could very well be the first step.
