VALORANT Champions 2026 kicks off on Thursday, September 24, with the first pair of matches in Group C, when Team Liquid take on Paper Rex, followed by a meeting between TYLOO and the shaky G2 Esports.
Esportbet brings you free VALORANT betting predictions and expert picks for the two games, along with betting odds, courtesy of the top-rated esports bookmakers.
Paper Rex did not look great in the final half of the season.
They suffered an early elimination from the Esports World Cup and were not much more impressive in VCT Pacific Stage 2, where they finished fifth-sixth.
In Paper Rex’s defence, they did not have to win Stage 2, and after securing their second Masters silver medal in London, they had to attend the Esports World Cup fatigued.
So, as bad as their placements in Stage 2 and EWC may seem, it is entirely likely Paper Rex did not have the drive to give their all.
Ignoring Stage 2, Paper Rex are the best VALORANT team in the world, with two Masters grand final appearances, a gold medal from Stage 1, and a bronze from the Kickoff event.
Team Liquid, on the other side, have made noise only twice this season, with a third-place finish in VCT EMEA Kickoff and a runner-up finish in EMEA Stage 2.
Liquid proved they belong among the elite last month, but placing second in EMEA and beating Paper Rex are two entirely different things.
Paper Rex to win
TYLOO did not look too sharp early in the season, but they have been really hot recently.
The Chinese squad won VCT China Stage 2 without any issues, proving that their aggressive style of play can take them far.
TYLOO do not have many weaknesses. They function well as a unit, and the addition of Pong “SiuFatBB” Ka Hei in June seems to have really elevated their level of play.
G2 Esports hail from a stronger region, but their recent performances have not been that inspiring.
G2 have been very volatile this season, with some good showings and some bad.
With a fourth-place finish in VCT Americas Stage 2, it is hard to know what shape G2 are in.
This lack of consistency and apparent issues with trying to find their identity make G2 a very hard sell at the offered numbers and TYLOO an inviting underdog to back.
Priced at +170 on the best VALORANT bookmakers, TYLOO are a solid pick to defeat G2 Esports, who have been all over the place with their performances.
TYLOO to win
Mark Prezelj
Esports Betting Analyst
Mark Prezelj is a Slovenian esports betting analyst with over 3,500 articles at EsportBet and the founder of Lines64.com — someone who has been reading odds longer than most readers have been watching esports.
