The Global StarCraft II League, organized by AfreecaTV and ESL, has been going since August 22nd and will come to a close on October 13th. There’s a lot on line, $123,000 to be precise, for the Sportsbook of the Global StarCraft II League.
This is great news for those betting on Global StarCraft II League title odds, which at the moment has two clear favorites in Maru (+137) and herO (+150), but with some other contenders like Cure (+1000), Bunny (+1400) and ByuN (+1400) ready to pounce if the two favorites fail.
The format starts with five groups of four players. The top two in each group then qualify to leave us with 10 remaining contenders. The 10 players are then divided into two groups. The players who finish first will qualify for the playoff semifinals.
The players who finished second and third will advance to a round of six, and the players who finish in the bottom two of these groups will be eliminated. This clearly suggests that how high a team finishes in the groups will have an effect on their odds. To make sure the best team wins, the finals is a best-of-seven encounter and the semi-finals will be a best-of-five. Prior to that, matches will be best-of-three.
The competition includes the best players that StarCraft II esports has to offer from around the world, and things have already gotten off to a great start.
Be sure to refresh yourself on how to bet on Starcraft 2, and let's look at the event in more detail.
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Maru | +137 |
| her0 | +150 |
| Cure | +1000 |
| Bunny | +1400 |
| ByuN | +1400 |
Odds as of September 14 at Sportsbook
Favorites To Win In The Global StarCraft II League Title Odds
Maru (+137)
Leading the Global StarCraft II League title odds table is Maru, who was the runner-up last time around and will be determined to change that this season. A player from Onsyde Gaming, Maru has won the GSL four times in the past. He has also won the G5L trophy before.
He’s already a legend in this tournament, and experience is priceless in competitions like this. Some fans might be concerned that he’s a bit rusty, but it’s hard to see him not put on his sharpest displays in a competition like this. He has the know-how, has seen it all before, and has rightfully got the most favorable odds.
herO (+150)
There isn’t a lot of distance between Maru and herO but the Global Starcraft II league title odds still has him second. He is the first Protoss player to have won the GSL and hails from Dragon Phoenix Gaming. He recently lost to sOs at IEM Taipei and will want to redeem himself after that debacle. There’s no doubt about his pedigree but that loss in the semifinals to sOs is probably why he’s not at the top of the odds list.
Value Picks To Win In The Global StarCraft II League Outright Odds
Cure (+1000)
Cure put in excellent performance against the likes of Dark and Solar recently and will be hoping to use that momentum on his side to challenge the likes of Maru and herO, but the chances of actually winning it all still remain very slim.
If he is to stand a chance of beating Maru, Terran vs Teran might be his best chance as far as matchups are concerned. Cure’s played in some of the most entertaining matches this time around, but that doesn’t count for much when it comes to winning it all in the end.
Betting Strategy for Sportsbooks of the Global StarCraft II League
There is a very real chance of a final between herO and Maru. Maru has made it a habit of constantly beating some of these players in the past and it’s hard to see that change in this tournament no matter how badly fans might want to see a new star come to the show.
The likes of Cure are certainly capable of causing an upset, but bettors will need a lot of things to go against herO and Maru for that to happen. For it to happen to both of them at the same time feels a bit too unlikely.
For fans who are superstitious, there might be something to the G5L curse that has stopped Maru from winning over the years. That might play on his head as well. There’s no such curse for herO, which is why he might be the best choice. He has also got slightly more valuable odds, which should make him the more tempting choice of the two stalwarts.
