Counter-Strike Stake Ranked Episode 2 betting tips – Thursday, May 28

Stake Ranked Episode 2 continues on Thursday, May 28, 2026, with four Counter-Strike BO3 matches on the card as 3DMAX face Alliance, 9z Team meet Heroic, Magic take on FaZe and Sharks Esports battle Ninjas in Pyjamas.

Below are our betting tips for the next round of matches in Barcelona. For more CS2 markets and futures, check out our Counter-Strike betting hub, plus our guides for Dota 2, VALORANT, League of Legends, Rocket League and the best esports betting sites.

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  Fast Payouts

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3DMAX vs Alliance

Best Odds	3DMAX -161.29 at BetOnline | Alliance +120 at SportsBetting
When	May 28, 2026 | 12:00 CEST
Watch Live	Official broadcast, Twitch

3DMAX to win at -161.29 is the bet, with the French side looking better suited to rebound in a BO3 than Alliance are to turn this into a long lower-bracket run.

3DMAX were caught out by Magic in their opener, but a full three-map format gives them more room to lean on their deeper map pool and clean up the weaker stages of that series. Alliance also arrive under pressure after a straight-series loss to FaZe, and they will need more than one strong CT side to justify the underdog price.

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  Fast Payouts

Alliance at +120 is not without appeal if 3DMAX start slowly again, but -161.29 is playable for the side with the more reliable series profile.

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9z Team vs Heroic

Best Odds	9z Team -133.33 at SportsBetting | Heroic +100 at BetOnline
When	May 28, 2026 | 14:30 CEST
Watch Live	Official broadcast, Twitch

9z Team to win at -133.33 is the lean, with the South American side coming off a tight three-map loss to Sharks rather than a flat opening defeat.

Heroic were swept by Ninjas in Pyjamas in their first series, so this is a fast test of their resilience in the lower bracket. 9z at least pushed their opener deep and should have enough firepower to punish Heroic if the Danes again struggle to find early round control.

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  The bookies' bookie

The +100 on Heroic is fair for a team with plenty of BO3 experience, but 9z at -133.33 looks the better side of a near-even market.

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Magic vs FaZe

Best Odds	Magic +115 at BetOnline | FaZe -153.85 at BetOnline
When	May 28, 2026 | 17:00 CEST
Watch Live	Official broadcast, Twitch

FaZe to win at -153.85 is the pick, even with Magic carrying real upset momentum after beating 3DMAX in their opening BO3.

Magic deserve respect at +115 because they have already shown they can handle the offline setting and close a series against a favoured opponent. FaZe, though, were sharp in their sweep of Alliance and should have the map-veto edge if this turns into a more tactical series.

This is not a spot to dismiss Magic, but FaZe at -153.85 is still the stronger betting play because their experience and late-round quality should travel better across three maps.

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Sharks Esports vs Ninjas in Pyjamas

Best Odds	Sharks Esports +140 at BetOnline | Ninjas in Pyjamas -192.31 at SportsBetting
When	May 28, 2026 | 19:30 CEST
Watch Live	Official broadcast, Twitch

Ninjas in Pyjamas to win at -192.31 is the selection, with their opening sweep of Heroic giving them the cleaner profile for this upper-bracket meeting.

Sharks earned this spot the hard way with a three-map win over 9z, and that makes +140 a live underdog number rather than a throwaway price. NiP still have the stronger case because they looked more controlled in their first series and should be fresher after avoiding a drawn-out opener.

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  Fast Payouts

Sharks can make this competitive if their riflers carry over the confidence from the 9z win, but NiP at -192.31 is the better bet for a BO3 where structure and map depth should matter.