Esports World Cup 2025 CrossFire semifinal picks – August 23

The Esports World Cup 2025 in Riyadh has reached the business end, with four teams left standing in the CrossFire bracket. Saturday’s semifinals promise high-stakes action and sharp betting angles, as underdog stories collide with proven championship pedigrees.

Team Stallions continue their Cinderella run after stunning NAVI and Al Qadsiah to book a shock semifinal spot, but they now face BaiSha Gaming – one of China’s most decorated rosters and heavy favorites to lift the trophy. In the second semifinal, Evolution Power Gaming bring momentum and firepower into their clash with AG.AL, a team that has looked flawless in Riyadh and enters as the bookmaker’s pick.

With two blockbuster best-of-three series on the slate, bettors have plenty of value to target in map handicaps, totals, and outright markets. Here’s our full CrossFire Esports World Cup semifinal betting preview and predictions for August 23.

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  The bookies' bookie

Team Stallions vs BaiSha Gaming

Best Odds: Stallions +338 at BetOnline | BaiSha Gaming -625 at SportsBetting
When: August 23, 2025 | 11:00 AST
Watch Live: Twitch

Team Stallions have been the surprise package of the Esports World Cup, pulling off back-to-back upsets to reach the semifinals. After taking down NAVI twice in Group D, the Filipinos shocked AlQadsiah in the quarterfinals with a clinical 2–0 sweep. Ar Jay “Jjhae” Bacus and Kent Lloyd “kLp” Pegarro lead their aggressive entry play, while Jaylord “LOYY” Pasulot and Ken “kLb” Belgida provide consistent follow-up fragging. Riding momentum and team chemistry, Stallions have already overachieved, but this will be their toughest test yet.

BaiSha Gaming, by contrast, look every bit the polished championship contender. Zheng “Xxiao” Qi and Wang “N9” Hao anchor one of the deepest rifle cores in CrossFire, while Chen “577” Jinwei and Ren “YDSS” Hongyu thrive in support and late-round execution. Fresh off a dominant 2–0 win over Qing Jiu Club in the quarterfinals, BaiSha’s international pedigree and tactical depth make them overwhelming betting favorites with the top esports betting sites. With multiple S-Tier trophies under their belt, they’ll expect to control the pace and punish Stallions’ aggressive gambits.

Evolution Power Gaming vs AG.AL

Best Odds: Evolution Power +110 at BetOnline | AG.AL -161.29 at SportsBetting
When: August 23, 2025 | 13:00 AST
Watch Live: Twitch

Evolution Power Gaming enter the semifinals with serious momentum after cruising through Group C and dispatching ROC Esports 2–1 in the quarters. Yan “YZK” Kai and Zhao “mino” Lumin continue to provide the bulk of the fragging power, while Jiang “xqq” Ke’s consistency and Li “ZAY” Zekai’s aggressive timing give them flexibility in both fast and slow setups. Having already taken down BaiSha Gaming earlier in the group stage, EP have proven they can topple Chinese heavyweights on this stage.

AG.AL, meanwhile, have looked almost untouchable in Riyadh, sweeping Virtus.pro, Team Stallions, and most recently KINGZERO with clinical 2–0 performances. Zhang “ZQ” Qian and Yang “Jwei” Jiawei lead a stacked rifle core, with Meng “Doo” Kun and Qiu “1222” Ruijia adding the consistency that has defined AG’s dominance across multiple CrossFire Pro League campaigns. With their deep international pedigree and flawless map control, AG.AL will start as deserved favorites, but their only real test so far has yet to stretch them into a decider.