LDLC vs. Gambit Youngsters Preview & Prediction - Free CS:GO Betting Picks 8/5

Gambit Youngsters and LDLC are set to square away in this semifinal battle of the Nine to Five Cup #2. The winner of this best-of-three-map series will move on to the Grand Final and face either Syman or Winstrike for their share of the $50,000 USD prize pool that is split between the two finalists. Gambit Youngsters has won all three of the previous series between these teams, winning two of those with a 2-0 score.

Gambit Youngsters is a Russian team that continues to rise through the world rankings. They have fallen as far as 50th in the HLTV world rankings this year, but have since risen to 27th, only two spots back from their peak ranking of 25th back in November of 2019. They have one of the best CS:GO players in the world on their roster in sh1ro. What makes their team so good though is the fact that any of their five players can carry the team on any given day. Nuke is the only map that Gambit Youngsters will struggle with, and they normally ban Nuke away from play.

The French eSports powerhouse LDLC is new to the CS:GO scene, but they have quickly made a name for themselves. They first debuted in the world rankings late in January of 2020 and have been ranked as low as 189th, but they are riding a five series win streak and have risen all the way to 50th in the world rankings. The majority of LDLC's success has come from behind the play of bodyy and hAdji, and they typically receive consistent play from SIXER as well. Inferno is the team's favorite map, and they are less than stellar on Mirage, Overpass and Vertigo.

Pick: Gambit Youngsters Spread -1.5 Maps (-150 @ Bovada)

A little juice is required here, but it is with a good cause. LDLC may be riding a five series win streak, but this is miniscule compared to Gambit Youngsters's 17 match win streak. During this 17 game streak, all but two have been best-of-three-map series, and they've swept every series expect for one. These two teams played three series against each other in July, and Gambit Youngsters swept two of those three. LDLC has something to build with in their core three, but the Youngsters have a talented team up and down and I love them to sweep in this series.