One of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s biggest tournaments of the year has finally arrived with the PGL Major Antwerp kicking off its two weeks of action.
The Antwerp major is one of two major events of the year. These are the biggest events on the CS:GO calendar (essentially world championships) and generally decide which teams are the best of the best at the time. It’s every player’s dream to play at – and win – a CS:GO major, which makes every single game at the event incredibly exciting, as well as a great betting opportunity.
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 The PGL Major Antwerp 2022?
A total of 24 teams are battling it out at the Antwerp major, featuring the best of the best from CS:GO’s competitive regions. This means we see favorites like FaZe Clan, Natus Vincere, Heroic and Cloud9, as well as underdogs and lesser-known teams like Bad News Eagles, Renegades, 9z Team and many more.
Each team at the event is a well-proven side, having qualified for the major through regional ranking events. Of course, not all regions are equal. Europe is the dominant region at this event, having been by far the best region historically, with 16 European, six American and two Asia-Pacific teams present in Antwerp.
With the event being a major, we see the usual format. The tournament is split into three stages: the Challengers, Legends, and Champions stages. First is the Challengers stage, where 16 lower-seeded teams face off in a Swiss format. This means teams with the same scores match up until eight teams reach three series wins. Those eight teams advance to the next stage, while the others are eliminated.
Next is the Legends stage, where the top eight ranked teams of the event are joined by the eight that advanced from the Challengers stage. This is another Swiss format, where again the top eight advance.
Last but not least is the Champions stage. This is a single-elimination playoff, where teams are seeded based on Legends stage results and battle it out in best-of-three matches. When a team loses a series, they are eliminated, and the last one standing is the PGL Major Antwerp champion.
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| FaZe Clan | +160 |
| Natus Vincere | +200 |
| Cloud9 | +500 |
| Heroic | +700 |
| Ninjas in Pyjamas | +900 |
| G2 Esports | +1000 |
| Furia | +1400 |
| ENCE | +1600 |
| Copenhagen Flames | +1800 |
| Astralis | +1800 |
| Outsiders | +2000 |
| BIG | +2000 |
| Team Vitality | +2000 |
| Imperial | +2500 |
| Team Liquid | +3300 |
| ForZe | +6600 |
| Team Spirit | +7500 |
| Eternal Fire | +7500 |
| Complexity | +10000 |
| MiBR | +10000 |
| Bad News Eagles | +10000 |
| 9z | +15000 |
| Renegades | +50000 |
| IHC Esports | +100000 |
Odds as of May 8 at Sportsbook
Can Karrigan And FaZe Finally Secure A Major Trophy?
Coming in on a hot run of form, FaZe Clan enters as the favorite for the PGL Major Antwerp. Having won both IEM Katowice and ESL Pro League, FaZe earned the No. 1 spot on the HLTV world ranking and is a definite favorite.
With odds of +160, which signifies implied odds of 38.46 percent according to our Super Calculator, FaZe looks to be a great pick to back. They’ve already won two events this year and feature an amazing mix of experience and young talent.
This event is also incredibly important for the team and their captain Karrigan, with both the organization and the player being on the lookout for a major trophy to really cement both as CS:GO legends. FaZe will no doubt be doing all they can and more to bring home the major trophy, and considering the form they’ve been in, it’s difficult to see anyone stopping them.
Na’Vi Aims To Bounce Back After Rough Start To 2022
Natus Vincere entered the year as the team to beat, having closed out 2021 with a handful of trophies, including the Stockholm major. However, things have been rough for them recently, with the team failing to live up to expectations so far in 2022.
They’ll be looking to regroup and bounce back in Antwerp and the Sportsbooks definitely back them to have a good shot, with Na’Vi coming in at +200 on Sportsbook. The team was by far the best in the world just six months ago and still features all the same players that previously took the world by storm.
We know that they have the potential to take down any team at the major, and the Na’Vi squad will be hungry to not only defend their title but bounce back from a rough patch. They’ll definitely face some challenges, but they should be on everyone’s radar.
Is A New Organization Exactly What The Cloud9 Squad Needed?
The current Cloud9 squad (aka the ex-Gambit roster) was a Counter-Strike revelation, exploding onto the scene in 2021 by taking home multiple big event trophies and even claiming No. 1 in the rankings.
They've since slowed down but remain one of the best in the world and can take down anyone on their day. However, Cloud9 hasn’t quite been able to become that elite side again, but making the switch over from Gambit may just prove to be the boost they needed.
The Russian core now sees backing from one of the biggest esports organizations in the world, which no doubt brings a wave of benefits. Between new contracts, new support staff and a new organizational structure, Cloud9 may just lift this roster back to the top of the world, and just in time for the Antwerp major.
