Format: BO1.
The IEM Cologne 2021 Play-In kicks off on July 6. Sixteen teams will compete for eight tickets to the tournament's main stage and a chance to win nearly $1 million in prize money. The opening matches will be played in a bo1 format that will certainly spice things up a bit.
One of the opening matches will pit Bad News Bears against mousesports. Will the American team be able to do anything against the favourite, or will the Bears win with confidence?
Bad News Bears: It’s going to be tough
Bad News Bears is an American team that sits at number 58 in the HLTV ranking. It is unlikely that anyone in the general public knows the names of the members of the line-up. The band performs exclusively in their region. Bad News Bears have a couple of victories over Team One and paiN, but that’s about it. I am sure that it will be challenging to win at least one match on the international stage, especially in a bo1 game.
Bad News Bears have two apparent weaknesses, Ancient and Vertigo; the team is constantly trying to eliminate both of these maps as early as possible. Since mousesports are always picking different maps, it won’t be easy to prepare for them. But one of the most likely outcomes in draft teams is Dust2. It more or less suits both teams, and the chance that this particular map remains at the end is extremely high. As for Dust2, Bad News Bears have played this card twice in the last month, both winning, but of course, the opponents were not the most serious. Perhaps a win over GODSENT is worth mentioning, with felps and TACO now playing. These guys have not been at the level to be feared for a long time.
Mousesports: They must win
Mousesports have played infrequently since winning Flashpoint 3. They haven’t played any official matches at all. Not want to consider a charity tournament for any official tournament, in which mousesports lost to ENCE and BIG. It is clear that the team didn’t give their all and saved their energy for more important tournaments. I already wrote that Dust2 looks like a good option for both teams, a little less believe in Mirage, but in general, everything depends more on the mood of the teams, as I’m sure that the mouses are ready to play and Dust2 and Mirage. Mousesports themselves would love to take on some Inferno, but it’s unlikely to get done in a bo1 meeting. Mousesports in bo1 will play on a friendly map and have a significant advantage in skill, leading to a confident victory for the mouses. The team from North America has not played European teams; it will be tough for them.
Expert Betting Tips
Mousesports should have no problem winning the upcoming match. They are superior to their opponent in class, in bo1 it will not happen that the mouses will play on an inconvenient for their map, and the time for preparation they had enough. In addition, the team's motivation will be off the charts.
The bookmakers are offering odds of 1.91 on mousesports to win with a handicap (-5.5), which looks like a good option.
Other predictions
