VCT 2026 EMEA Stage 1 Playoffs betting predictions – Thursday, May 7

VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 EMEA Stage 1 Playoffs kick off on Thursday, May 7, with upper bracket round 1 clashes, as Eternal Fire meet Team Heretics before Team Liquid take on Team Vitality.

Here you can find free VALORANT betting predictions and picks for the two games, with odds courtesy of the best esports bookmakers.

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  Fast Payouts

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ETERNAL FIRE vs TEAM HERETICS

Best Odds	EF +125 at BetOnline | TH -175.44 at SportsBetting
When	May 7, 2026 | 17:00 CEST
Watch Live	Twitch

Eternal Fire turned plenty of heads during the regular season, finishing second in Group Omega with just one defeat, which came in a close series against Fnatic in the opening week.

Team Heretics were not quite as consistent over the full stage, managing three wins, but they head into the playoffs in excellent shape after closing the group stage on a three-match winning streak.

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  The bookies' bookie

That late surge matters. Heretics have looked much sharper recently, crushing Gentle Mates and becoming the only team in the league to defeat FUT Esports. Those results make it very hard to treat them as the same inconsistent side from earlier in the stage.

Eternal Fire deserve respect for what they produced across the regular season, but Heretics are peaking at the right time. Their current form gives them the edge, and at -175.44, they are the right side to back.

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TEAM LIQUID vs TEAM VITALITY

Best Odds	TL -151.52 at BetOnline | VIT +110 at SportsBetting
When	May 7, 2026 | 19:00 CEST
Watch Live	Twitch

Team Liquid enter the playoffs as -151.52 favourites on the best VALORANT bookmakers, which makes sense after a very strong run through the group stage.

Liquid finished second in Group Alpha with a 4-1 record, with their only loss coming against the high-flying FUT Esports. Outside of that defeat, they have been one of the cleanest and most reliable teams in EMEA.

Team Vitality have shown flashes, but their overall stage was much less convincing. Their only two wins came against GIANTX and PCIFIC Esports, and neither result does enough to prove they can consistently challenge the stronger teams in the region.

The Bees have good players and cannot be completely written off, but they have lacked the clinical edge that Team Liquid have shown throughout the stage. Unless Vitality suddenly find another level, Liquid should have too much structure and confidence in this matchup.