VALORANT Champions 2026 continues on September 25 with Nongshim RedForce vs NRG and Karmine Corp vs XLG Esports.
Karmine Corp will face XLG Esports, and Nongshim RedForce will clash with NRG on Friday, September 25, in the first round of VALORANT Champions 2026 Group D.
At Esportbet, you can find free VALORANT betting predictions and expert picks for the two fixtures, with esports odds courtesy of the best bookmakers for VALORANT wagering.
Nongshim RedForce and NRG last met during VALORANT Masters Santiago in March, when RedForce won 2-0 after a huge comeback on Abyss.
The rematch is not expected to end the same way, with the top-rated VALORANT bookmakers listing NRG as -158.73 favourites.
Whether NRG deserve the tag of favourites is up for debate; however, they have been the most consistent team of the year, having reached the podium in all but one event this season.
Moreover, NRG field three former VALORANT Champions winners, including Ethan “Ethan” Arnold, who has won the tournament twice.
While NRG are a more experienced team on the big stage, Nongshim RedForce have the quality to keep up, and their performance in Stage 2 should inspire confidence that they can challenge anyone.
The big question here is how well the two teams have prepared for each other.
However, since there is no knowing that, and there is little to no difference in quality, it is fair to say this is a coin-flip game.
As such, Nongshim RedForce are an easy bet at plus money.
Nongshim RedForce to win
Karmine Corp are listed as -333.33 favourites to defeat XLG Esports on Friday, which does not sound wrong.
While Karmine Corp have been very volatile this season, they have found their rhythm in the final stretch of the season and won VCT EMEA Stage 2.
XLG Esports have been highly competitive regionally, with two VCT China runner-up finishes.
But their two appearances in international events have not been as fruitful, with an 11th-12th place finish at Masters Santiago, fifth-sixth at Masters London, and 13th-16th at the Esports World Cup.
While a potent team, XLG Esports have not shown the same level of play as Karmine Corp in Stage 2.
And since they hail from a weaker region, XLG are a very hard sell at the offered odds.
Karmine Corp -1.5 maps
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.
