ESL Pro League S22 Stage 1 betting picks, odds & tips – September 27

ESL Pro League Season 22 kicks off on Sunday, September 28, with the first seven fixtures of Stage 1, when 14 Counter-Strike 2 teams will begin their quest for a spot in Stage 2.

ESL Pro League is known for early upsets, and Sunday’s slate promises to leave no fan indifferent, while offering esports
punters plenty of betting to look over and find their favorite picks.

HEROIC vs LYNN VISION GAMING

Best Odds: HEROIC $1.80 at GG.Bet | LVG $1.90 at GG.Bet
When: September 28, 2025 | 10:30 CEST
Watch Live: Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/ESLCS)

Ranked No.12 in the Valve Regional Standings (VRS), HEROIC are billed a slight favorites to kick off their ESL Pro League
Season 22 campaign by beating Lynn Vision Gaming. However, that will be easier said than done.

The Chinese outfit are in solid shape, having recently won the first Asian ESL Challenger League Season 50 Cup, and they
placed third at Perfect World CS Challenge Series #1. While Lynn Vision’s run at FISSURE Playground #2 was cut short early, they deserve some slack as they had to face G2 Esports, The MongolZ, and Virtus.pro.

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  The bookies' bookie

HEROIC were equally as unsuccessful in Belgrade, and even though they placed top-eight at the Esports World Cup, their only notable accomplishment was an upset victory against Team Spirit. This is shaping up to be a close game.

3DMAX vs INNER CIRCLE ESPORTS

Best Odds: 3DMAX $1.40 at GG.Bet | IC Esports $1.72 at GG.Bet
When: September 28, 2025 | 13:00 CEST
Watch Live: Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/ESLCS)

3DMAX are $1.40 favorites on the best Counter-Strike 2 betting sites to defeat Inner Circle Esports (ex-TNL), which is a fair
number.

For former TEAM NEXT LEVEL roster have not accomplished anything noteworthy over the last few months outside of winning a couple of C-Tier online events. 3DMAX have not been great either, with just one gold medal; however, that came at the end of August at Perfect World CS Challenge Series #1.

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  Fast Payouts

3DMAX will field Nabil “Nivera” Benrlitom as a stand-in for Bryan “Maka” Canda, which is not ideal. However, the French outfit should not struggle to beat one of the lower-rated teams of the event.

ASTRALIS vs FLUXO

Best Odds: AST $1.16 at GG.Bet | Fluxo $4.50 at GG.Bet
When: September 28, 2025 | 13:00 CEST
Watch Live: Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/ESLCS)

Astralis have been anything but consistent this season, but they have made some noise recently, with a top-eight finish at
FISSURE Playground, shortly after welcoming back Emil “Magisk” Reif.

Fluxo have not featured in a significant event since BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025, where they crashed out in last place. Since
then, the Brazilian squad have won CCT Season 3 South American Series #3, adding to their title from Season 2 Series #8.

Both teams have been showing signs of life, albeit Astralis have managed to do so at a much higher level of play. While the
Danes have not been consistent, $1.80 on a sweep is a fair offer.

M80 vs VIRTUS.PRO

Best Odds: M80 $1.80 at GG.Bet | VP $1.90 at GG.Bet
When: September 28, 2025 | 15:30 CEST
Watch Live: Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/ESLCS)

M80 have done well with their recent tournament placements. After finishing in the top four in seven straight events in the
summer and reaching the LAN stage of BLAST Open Fall, M80 exited the Thunderpick World Championship 2025 qualifiers in the first round, with a loss to OG.

Virtus.pro have produced far more mixed results in their last four endeavors – BLAST Bounty Fall (5th-8th), Esports World Cup (9th-16th), BLAST Open Fall (13th-16th), and FISSURE Playground #2 (9th-11th). In their defense, VP have attended higher-rated tournaments.

The Russian squad should be favored, but they have been very inconsistent this season. On the other side, M80 have proven they can hold their own against higher-rated opponents, and they bested VP 2-1 at the end of August.

FURIA vs HOTU

Best Odds: FURIA $1.05 at GG.Bet | HOTU $8.50 at GG.Bet
When: September 28, 2025 | 18:00 CEST
Watch Live: Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/ESLCS)

As the offered betting odds suggest, it will take a massive upset for this to end in anything less than a 2-0 sweep for FURIA. The Brazilians have recently established themselves as one of the strongest Counter-Strike 2 teams in the world, and their title run at FISSURE Playground #2 has put them in a firm position as contenders for the ESL Pro League title.

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  Fast Payouts

HOTU, on the other hand, are ranked No.73 on the VRS, with just one tournament title from MIRAI x Leandare Cup.
Anything less than a one-sided sweep will be a major disappointment.

GAMERLEGION vs NRG

Best Odds: GL $1.25 at GG.Bet | NRG $3.75 at GG.Bet
When: September 28, 2025 | 18:00 CEST
Watch Live: Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/ESLCS)

The final match of the day promises to be a one-sided affair, with GamerLegion given an 80% implied probability to come out ahead and a 50% chance that they will walk away with a sweep.

Their recent results, along with a 2-5 record over the last seven, would suggest otherwise. Moreover, NRG are in great shape, with just one loss from their last 12 outings, making an upset a real possibility.

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  The bookies' bookie

Even though NRG have faced mainly lower-rated regional opponents over that stretch, they have gained momentum, and the recent signing of Aran “Sonic” Groesbeek makes them a scary team to face.