VCT 2026 EMEA Stage 1 Week 4 betting tips – Friday, April 24

VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 EMEA Stage 1 Week 4 comes to an end on Friday, April 24, when Gentle Mates face off against Team Heretics, followed by a key Group Omega clash between BBL Esports and Team Vitality.

Esportbet brings you free VALORANT betting predictions for the two games, along with esports odds from the best bookmakers and tips from our team of experts.

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  Fast Payouts

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GENTLE MATES vs TEAM HERETICS

Best Odds	M8 -188.68 at BetOnline | HRT +137 at SportsBetting
When	April 24, 2026 | 17:00 CEST
Watch Live	Twitch

Gentle Mates booked their place in the VCT EMEA Stage 1 knockout stage last Wednesday with a clean sweep of the struggling Natus Vincere. A day later, Team Heretics kept their own playoff hopes alive by taking down Karmine Corp in a result they badly needed.

There is plenty on the line here for both teams. Gentle Mates can strengthen their position near the top of the group, while Heretics still need wins to stay in the race and avoid leaving themselves with too much to do in the final stretch.

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  The bookies' bookie

On the surface, it makes sense that Gentle Mates are favourites. Their work in EMEA Kickoff still carries weight, and they remain one of the more dangerous teams in the league when everything clicks. That said, it would be a mistake to overlook how much better Team Heretics have looked over the last two series.

Heretics handled NAVI with ease and also showed far more life against Team Liquid than the scoreline suggested the day before. They look sharper, more confident, and finally closer to the level many expected from them coming into the stage. Gentle Mates may still be the stronger side overall, but at plus money, the underdog price on Heretics is too tempting to ignore.

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BBL ESPORTS vs TEAM VITALITY

Best Odds	BBL +125 at BetOnline | VIT -175.44 at SportsBetting
When	April 24, 2026 | 20:00 CEST
Watch Live	Twitch

BBL Esports came into Stage 1 with strong expectations after winning VCT EMEA Kickoff and putting together a respectable top-six finish in Santiago. Since the league resumed, though, they have struggled badly to keep that level going.

Three weeks into the stage, BBL have just one win to their name, and that came against PCIFIC Esports in Week 1. Losses to Eternal Fire and GIANTX have taken a lot of the shine off this roster and made it difficult to trust them as the same team that looked so dangerous earlier in the season.

Team Vitality have not been especially convincing either. They beat GIANTX 2-0 in the opening week, then lost a competitive match to Fnatic before falling to an in-form Eternal Fire last Thursday. For a roster with this much talent, the pressure is definitely on to start producing more.

Even so, this still feels closer than the odds suggest. Neither team has looked stable enough to deserve total confidence, and this matchup has all the ingredients of a long, messy series. If forced to take a side, BBL at the underdog price is the value angle, especially in a game that could very easily come down to a few swing rounds.