FURIA and Chaos Preview and Prediction- Free Betting Picks 8/18

FURIA and Chaos will face each other in the group stage of the ESL One Cologne 2020: Online North America. The two teams are a part of Group A which also includes 100 Thieves and Gen.G esports. ESL One Cologne 2020: North America has eight teams competing for $135,000. The teams play in a double-elimination GSL format group stage. The top two teams advance to the playoffs which are single-elimination matches.

FURIA Team Preview

HLTV Rank: 8th

FURIA is one of the best North American CS:GO teams. The Brazilian roster has easily eclipsed its local original rival, MIBR, with some excellent performances. The players have a very high skill ceiling, which coupled with their strategic approach to the games gives FURIA a huge advantage against NA opponents.

The team’s in-game leader, arT, is also one of the entry-fraggers in the game. At one point in 2020, the player had a 50% entry-frag ratio which dwarfs that of his peers. With a 1.17 rating, yuurih is the best player on the team currently. However, any player from the roster can step up to help the team secure crucial rounds. Players like KSCERATO, HEN1 and VINI are all experienced and proven players. Mirage, Vertigo and Inferno are the best maps for FURIA.

Chaos Team Preview

HLTV Rank: 32nd

Despite being ranked 32nd in the world, Chaos has been one of the most controversial teams in the past few months. A big reason for the controversy surrounding the team is because some of its players are just too good for their opponents. leaf and Xeppaa have produced some strong performances which initiated cheating allegations against the youngsters (without evidence).

Chaos has a very strong CT side on Nuke, Train and Overpass. The team has a strong CT side on these maps, which gives them an advantage at the end of the half. With one of the best North American in-game leaders, steel, on the roster, Chaos has produced some really strong results. steel is integral to the development of the youngsters on the roster and has helped leaf and Xeppaa rise to the top of the scene. Chaos is on a winning streak recently as it has won four of its last five matches, with the only loss coming against Team Liquid.

Pick: Total over 2.5 (+136 @ Pinnacle)

While FURIA is statistically the better team, Chaos has shown that it can match up to some of the best teams in the world, due to its sheer firepower. I am taking this series to go the distance of over 2.5 maps.