VCT 2026 Americas Stage 1 Playoffs predictions – Thursday, May 14

The VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 Americas Stage 1 playoffs kick off on Thursday, May 14, with the two upper bracket round 1 fixtures, as FURIA clash with Leviatan before G2 Esports meet 100 Thieves.

At Esportbet, you can find free VALORANT betting previews and expert picks for the two games, accompanied by odds from the top-rated esports bookmakers.

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  Fast Payouts

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FURIA vs LEVIATAN

Best Odds	FURIA -138.89 at BetOnline | LEV +100 at SportsBetting
When	May 14, 2026 | 14:00 PDT
Watch Live	Twitch

After winning VCT Americas Kickoff in February, FURIA slowed down and managed an underwhelming seventh-eighth place finish at Masters Santiago. They were not much more convincing during Stage 1 either, ending the regular season with a 3-2 record.

That run included two close victories over Evil Geniuses and Sentinels, as well as a 1-2 loss to 100 Thieves in the final week. FURIA still have a strong ceiling, but they have not looked like the same dominant side we saw earlier in the season.

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  The bookies' bookie

Leviatan were not as successful at the start of the year, but they showed clear signs of life early in Stage 1 with wins over Cloud9, G2 Esports, and ENVY. Their form dipped late, however, with defeats against MIBR and LOUD across the final two weeks.

The loss to LOUD puts a real question mark over Leviatan’s playoff chances, but FURIA have not been perfect either. Leviatan still have a fairly deep map pool and enough firepower to make this uncomfortable if they show up sharp.

FURIA are the better overall team and deserve to be slight favourites, but this matchup has all the ingredients for a long series. Over 2.5 maps is the best betting angle.

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G2 ESPORTS vs 100 THIEVES

Best Odds	G2 -250 at BetOnline | 100T +175 at SportsBetting
When	May 14, 2026 | 17:00 PDT
Watch Live	Twitch

G2 Esports and 100 Thieves will clash in the first round of the VCT Americas Stage 1 Playoffs, in what the market expects to be a fairly straightforward game for G2.

The top VALORANT bookmakers have G2 priced as -250 favourites, which is not too surprising given how solid they looked across the final three weeks of the regular season.

G2 closed the group stage with wins over LOUD, ENVY, and Cloud9. That form is encouraging, but it also needs some context, as all three victories came against weaker teams. It was a good run, but not one that completely proves G2 are ready to roll through the playoffs.

100 Thieves did not produce many standout results during the stage, but their final-week upset over FURIA showed they still have enough quality to challenge strong opponents. That one result does not suddenly make them a title favourite, but it does make them dangerous at the right price.

An outright upset would not be shocking, but G2 are still a difficult team to fade. With both sides showing enough to take a map, this looks more likely to turn into a competitive series than a clean sweep.