PGL Antwerp Major Challengers betting tips – May 9, 2022

Kicking off on May 9, the PGL Major Antwerp 2022 Challengers Stage sees 16 teams play each other in a typical CS:GO Swiss Round system to decide which eight teams will go through to the Legends Stage at the Main Event. Here are our best bets for Monday’s matches, with odds from BetOnline.


The first best-of-one series for the Challengers Stage will have the no.11 ranked team in the world, Team Vitality, taking on the no.22 team in the world, Complexity.

Team Vitality have been underperforming throughout the start of 2022 after they added two new players to their roster in Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen and Emil “Magisk” Reif. Many people thought that this Vitality roster would send them up the world rankings and win them a lot more events. However, the roster has only been able to manage a 9th-12th at IEM Katowice and a 13th-16th at ESL Pro League 15 in their two S-Tier events they have participated in so far.

Complexity have also made roster changes since the turn of the year, where they changed their whole roster with five new players joining them back in February of this year. The results over the year so far have been mixed but when it comes to best-of-one series Complexity have shown they can be quite dangerous. The team has won their last five best-of-one series since February.

We are looking at the total rounds line of 26.5, where the over at -120.48 looks the play.


Bad News Eagles and Eternal Fire recently met in November of 2021 where Eternal Fire won 2-1 in a best-of-three series. This series is the battle of the new up-and-coming rosters in European CS:GO esports scene.

Bad News Eagles begin the PGL Major winning seven of their last 10 series over the last two months, winning three of their last five best-of-one series. Bad News eagles did win the TWR Eastern European Masters (BLAST Premier Qualifier), they then went on to push Ninjas in Pyjamas to a 2-1 loss in the European Spring Showdown two weeks ago.

Eternal Fire have had a mixed run of results throughout 2022 where they were unable to qualify for the IEM Dallas 2022 through the second open qualifier but they did manage to beat Fnatic and OG to qualify for the Challengers Stage of this event. With some close losses to Vitality and Copenhagen Flames on their resume, it is easy to see why there are such high hopes for this team going forward.

This will be a very tight series, and the odds suggest that also with only 10c separating the two teams in the match betting. We are taking Bad News Eagles at the head-to-head price, purely based on the form they have brought into this event.


The match between G2 Esports and Team Liquid will be the highest ranked teams to battle it out in the Challengers Stage after they both could only manage to finish 5th place in their respective RMRs.

G2 Esports have only played four series since their dismal 17th-20th place finish at ESL Pro League 15 back in the middle of March. Considering they only beat 71st ranked Sangal and 28th ranked Bad News Eagles as their two wins in the Swiss round two and three games, it doesn’t show that they have hit a whole lot of form. G2 will be one of the biggest watches for many in this PGL Major as they could be on the verge of a roster shake-up if they fail to impress here.

Team Liquid have made some steady progress and climbed up the rankings since February of this year when they added the three new players to their roster, Richard “shox” Papillon, Josh “oSee” Ohm and Nick “nitr0” Cannella. Team Liquid have climbed from 59th in February to now sit as the 13th ranked team in the world rankings. If Team Liquid continue their good run of form into the PGL Major they may surprise a lot of people and go very deep in Antwerp.

We will be taking the outsiders at the win betting market in this one to cause a bit of an early boil over. Team Liquid at +137 with BetOnline is a good bet at a very enticing price.


Imperial and Team Spirit will provide one of the toughest matches we may see in round one, with both teams coming into the Challengers Stage on decent win streaks with three matches for Imperial and five matches for Team Spirit.

Imperial finished third in their PGL Major RMR and they won their IEM Dallas 2022 Closed Qualifier meaning that they have won six of their last eight series throughout those two qualifiers. Imperial have won four of their last five best-of-one series showing that they are a dangerous team in a best-of-one series against anyone. Imperial would have to be a big smokey to go deep into this PGL Major.

Team Spirit snuck through to the PGL Major Antwerp finishing in 8th position to make it to the PGL Major in Antwerp. Team Spirit have 50/50 record over their last six best-of-one series over the last two months so best-of-one series may not be there strong suit.

We will be taking Imperial in this one to win. The betting sites may have this one wrong here, so we are happy to take Imperial at the -120.48 head-to-head price.


More esports betting tips