Thunderpick World Championship tips & predictions – Day 1 preview

Thunderpick World Championship 2025 opens its doors on Wednesday, October 15, with the first four group fixtures.

The action in Malta begins with FURIA facing off against OG and 9z Team clashing with The MongolZ in Group A, followed by two interesting Group B fixtures: Natus Vincere vs Imperial Esports and Aurora Gaming vs Team Venom.

The GSL format leaves little room for error, making the first day of play that much more exciting. Counter-Strike 2 betting enthusiasts can find a few interesting wagering opportunities in our in-depth preview for Day 1.

FURIA vs OG

Best Odds: FURIA -625 at BetOnline | OG +350 at SportsBetting
When: October 11, 2025 | 10:30 CEST
Watch Live: Twitch

The top Counter-Strike 2 betting sites have FURIA priced as the second-favorites on the outright markets at +200, while OG are +3300 outsiders to win their first A-Tier tournament since 2021.

The Brazilians travel to Malta after a quarterfinal appearance at ESL Pro League Season 22, where they were reverse-swept by the eventual champions, Team Vitality. Before that, Kaike “KSCERATO” Cerato and his crew won FISSURE Playground #2 and made the semifinals of BLAST Open Fall, so form is not an issue.

Even though OG are 7-3 over their last 10 outings, they have not faced any top-tier teams over that stretch. FURIA will be too steep a step-up in competition for Christoffer “Chr1zN” Storgaard and his crew.

THE MONGOLZ vs 9Z TEAM

Best Odds: MongolZ -1250 at SportsBetting | 9z +600 at BetOnline
When: October 11, 2025 | 13:30 CEST
Watch Live: Twitch

The second match of Group A is considered the most one-sided of the day, as The MongolZ are the outright favorites to win Thunderpick World Championship 2025.

They come in with a point to prove, however, fresh off a humiliating early elimination from ESL Pro League Season 22. But that does not take away from MongolZ’s four S-Tier grand final appearances since the BLAST.tv Austin Major.

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  Fast Payouts

9z Team have found some success in lesser regional events this season, but they haven’t accomplished anything to write home about. Their early eliminations from the recent FERJEE Rush and Frag Blocktober events do not inspire much confidence either.

The MongolZ are a clear cut above 9z, and it should show.

NATUS VINCERE vs IMPERIAL ESPORTS

Best Odds: NAVI -625 at BetOnline | Imperial +350 at BetOnline
When: October 11, 2025 | 16:30 CEST
Watch Live: Twitch

Even though Natus Vincere have not looked perfect of late, they found traction in late September with a StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2025 trophy. To that, they added a quarterfinal run in the ESL Pro League earlier this month.

Imperial Esports did not travel to Sweden and have not faced European teams since their early elimination from the BLAST Open Fall closed qualifiers. While they are 8-2 since then, they have only faced regional opponents in that stretch.

Imperial can be potent underdogs, but they lack the individual talent and their map pool gives them no strategic advantage. Natus Vincere should sweep.

AURORA GAMING vs TEAM VENOM

Best Odds: Aurora -2000 at SportsBetting | Venom +750 at BetOnline
When: October 11, 2025 | 19:30 CEST
Watch Live: Twitch

Aurora Gaming are massive favorites to take down Team Venom (formerly Rebels Gaming), which is not surprising.

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  The bookies' bookie

The Turkish squad could only manage ninth-11th place in the ESL Pro League, but they have other notable results to their name this season — namely a grand final appearance at the Esports World Cup.

Having spent the entire season competing against elite teams, Aurora should have no issues against a second-tier squad. Anything less than a comfortable 2-0 sweep would be a major disappointment.