by ESB’s free betting predictions for Thursday, September 1, include a pair of VALORANT Champions 2022 Group B bouts. Here are our selections for ZETA DIVISION vs LOUD and OpTic Gaming vs BOOM Esports.
ZETA DIVISION vs LOUD VALORANT BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
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| Best Odds: | ZETA +450 at BetOnline | LOUD -833.33 at BetOnline |
| When: | September 1, 2022 | 15:00 TRT |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/VALORANT) |
This is one of the most anticipated matches, as two titan teams from Japan and Brazil clash for the first time ever. And while both are strong squads, ZETA DIVISION enter this bout as heavy underdogs, mainly due to the last-minute roster change, which sees Yuto “Xdll” Mizomori take over for Tenta “TENNN” Asai, who is out with an eye disease.
Without TENNN, it’s tough to expect much from ZETA DIVISION, but his absence alone might not be a good reason to doubt this squad. LOUD have achieved a lot this season – they won both regional Valorant Champions Tour Challengers stages and made the finals of VCT Masters Reykjavik – which explains why they’re one of the favourites to hoist the trophy.
However, the Brazilian squad struggled in Copenhagen, where they crashed out in 11th-12th with defeats against KRU Esports (1-2) and OpTic (1-2). They have since not played a single official match, so it’s tough to say whether LOUD have fixed their issues and whether they’re as good as the latest Valorant betting odds suggest.
LOUD look stronger on paper, but this fixture could be much closer than expected due to the ring rust. We like ZETA with a map handicap at +137, but you could look for round handicap bets on both maps.
ZETA DIVISION +1.5 maps
OPTIC GAMING vs BOOM ESPORTS VALORANT BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
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| Best Odds: | OpTic -10000 at BetOnline | BOOM +600 at BetOnline |
| When: | September 1, 2022 | 18:00 TRT |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/VALORANT) |
OpTic Gaming had a disappointing exit from VCT Masters Copenhagen at the end of July. They placed third, which isn’t terrible, but OpTic did not impress with their performances and did not look like a cohesive unit throughout the tournament.
BOOM Esports are one of the weakest teams at VALORANT Champions and the favourites to finish bottom of Group B. They have had some solid results this season, namely winning VCT 2022 Indonesia Stage 1 Challengers and finishing third in the second Challengers, but even that success isn’t comparable to OpTic’s achievements.
Sometimes, facing teams from lesser regions is tricky because it’s tough to properly prepare for a team you don’t know much bout, but nothing about BOOM would suggest they have the upset potential. If OpTic Gaming find their old tournament-winning form, this should be a very one-sided match. Take OpTic to cover the 5.5-round handicap on both maps.
