The BLAST.tv Major is the first Major in the States in seven years. Top teams in the world will compete in Austin, Texas, from June 3 to June 22nd, meaning an entire month of intense play. Abios has examined the competitive map pool, players, and teams to give you statistical insights into the event.
The competitive map pool and how it impacts gameplay
To keep CS2 esports balanced, the active duty pool determines the possible maps that teams will play on. The collection of maps will impact match outcomes and the tournament’s meta, with teams having to adapt their strategies and play to their strengths on each map.
However, teams oftentimes have some maps they thrive on over others. For example, Astralis has the highest win rate on Inferno, utilising their exceptional team play and frag capabilities to dominate opponents. If Astralis face an opponent on Inferno, bettors are quick to bet in the team’s favour based on their past performance on this map, dating back to the CS:GO days.
Bettors can also place Map Winner and First Map bets based on CT and T win rates on each map. Usually, a side has the upper hand in each map, while others are more balanced between the two. While each team gets to play on both sides of a map, the statistics can highlight chances of a comeback on a more favourable side, or help in predicting a more aggressive start.
CS2 Active Duty Pool CT vs T winrates
| Map | Matches Played | CT Wins | T Wins | CT Winrate | T Winrate |
| Ancient | 3795 | 40340 | 41347 | 49.40% | 50.60% |
| Anubis | 3159 | 30164 | 38061 | 44.20% | 55.80% |
| Mirage | 3150 | 34606 | 33234 | 51.00% | 49.00% |
| Nuke | 2678 | 30219 | 27264 | 52.60% | 47.40% |
| Dust2 | 2410 | 24934 | 26504 | 48.50% | 51.50% |
| Inferno | 2261 | 23298 | 25185 | 48.10% | 51.90% |
However, the data we collect can take things even further. We can look at which map has the most AWP kills and AK47 headshots, which gives an idea of the tempo and playstyles on each map. Some maps encourage higher kill rates, meaning it might be wise to adjust the Over/Under Kills bet types to be higher. Others might favour AWPs, meaning sniper players have an advantage. Dust2 inspires the most AWP kills in the current map pool while Mirage and Nuke have the most AK47 headshots.
Teams across the tournament stages
Counter-Strike 2 fans can also make educated bets based on teams’ performance leading up to the Austin Major. While it may seem like a no-brainer to choose the team with the higher win rate, a few other factors can be used to predict the chance of a team winning.
This includes the teams’ KDA and performance on the CT and T sides. For example, NRG Esports has a much higher chance of winning when playing as Terrorists, with a 57% win rate. While this would likely differ across maps, it can indicate that they perform better on T-sided maps such as Anubis.
Stage 1
Going by match win rate alone, the teams to watch for in Stage 1 are likely Heroic, NRG, and Imperial Esports. In Stage 1, there are teams from various regions who might not have as large a presence during the later stages. As such, it can make sense for sportsbooks to look up teams to advertise in their regions. For example, Metizport has a fully Swedish roster, upping its potential popularity among Swedes.
| Team | Matches Played | Matches Won | Match Winrate | K/D | KDA | T Winrate | CT Winrate |
| Complexity Gaming | 658 | 334 | 50.80% | 1 | 1.22 | 49.30% | 51.50% |
| Heroic | 728 | 434 | 59.60% | 1.05 | 1.28 | 49.90% | 56.00% |
| B8 | 724 | 399 | 55.10% | 1.02 | 1.26 | 50.20% | 52.10% |
| BetBoom | 388 | 228 | 58.80% | 1.01 | 1.27 | 52.40% | 51.30% |
| TyLoo | 421 | 245 | 58.20% | 1.08 | 1.31 | 51.50% | 55.30% |
| Lynn Vision Gaming | 501 | 288 | 57.50% | 1.04 | 1.26 | 51.30% | 53.00% |
| Wildcard Gaming | 370 | 217 | 58.60% | 1.04 | 1.31 | 52.60% | 53.60% |
| FlyQuest | 150 | 85 | 56.70% | 1.02 | 1.31 | 52.40% | 52.90% |
| OG Gaming | 674 | 351 | 52.10% | 1 | 1.22 | 49.00% | 52.60% |
| Chinggis Warriors | 150 | 79 | 52.70% | 0.977 | 1.24 | 53.30% | 47.30% |
| Imperial Esports | 643 | 381 | 59.30% | 1.07 | 1.32 | 50.80% | 55.80% |
| Nemiga Gaming | 748 | 393 | 52.50% | 1.01 | 1.24 | 50.70% | 50.90% |
| NRG Esports | 309 | 204 | 66.00% | 1.14 | 1.45 | 57.40% | 55.80% |
| Metizport | 440 | 247 | 56.10% | 1.01 | 1.3 | 51.20% | 52.20% |
| Fluxo | 595 | 367 | 61.70% | 1.08 | 1.33 | 52.10% | 55.70% |
| BESTIA | 530 | 308 | 58.10% | 1.01 | 1.26 | 52.90% | 52.30% |
Stage 2
Stage 2 is bound to be intense, but M80, FaZe Clan, and 3DMAX are the ones to watch based on their win rate at past events. M80 have a pretty even win rate between T and CT side, making them quite the threat. However, FaZe Clan could be taken down if they are on T-side.
Team | Matches Played | Matches Won | Match Winrate | K/D | KDA | T Winrate | CT Winrate |
| Team Falcons | 520 | 256 | 49.20% | 0.997 | 1.22 | 48.50% | 51.30% |
| FaZe Clan | 739 | 436 | 59.00% | 1.04 | 1.25 | 48.90% | 56.40% |
| 3DMAX | 382 | 218 | 57.10% | 1.02 | 1.32 | 52.50% | 50.30% |
| Virtus.Pro | 526 | 287 | 54.60% | 1.04 | 1.27 | 50.80% | 51.70% |
| paiN Gaming | 1105 | 680 | 61.50% | 1.08 | 1.31 | 52.70% | 54.90% |
| FURIA Esports | 701 | 386 | 55.10% | 1.02 | 1.25 | 48.50% | 54.20% |
| Made in Brazil | 877 | 514 | 58.60% | 1.09 | 1.32 | 51.50% | 53.30% |
| M80 | 335 | 211 | 63.00% | 1.09 | 1.39 | 55.30% | 54.20% |
Stage 3
Stage 3 is sure to feature numerous intensely close matchups that will keep bettors on the edge of their seats. Team Vitality, Natus Vincere, and Team Spirit have the highest win rates, but upsets could definitely happen with so many teams right behind them in stats. NAVI will put up quite a fight, however, with even win rates on both T and CT sides. Team Liquid, however, has a very drastic difference between the two — T-side is their weakness and could result in some shocking outcomes.
| Team | Matches Played | Matches Won | Match Winrate | K/D | KDA | T Winrate | CT Winrate |
| Team Vitality | 645 | 418 | 64.80% | 1.07 | 1.3 | 52.20% | 56.20% |
| MOUZ | 554 | 326 | 58.80% | 1.05 | 1.29 | 50.70% | 54.50% |
| Team Spirit | 659 | 406 | 61.60% | 1.09 | 1.32 | 52.20% | 55.50% |
| G2 Esports | 700 | 420 | 60% | 1.05 | 1.26 | 51.10% | 54.90% |
| The Mongolz | 395 | 234 | 59.20% | 1.02 | 1.28 | 53.10% | 52.60% |
| Aurora Gaming | 744 | 420 | 56.50% | 1.03 | 1.27 | 50.80% | 52.40% |
| Natus Vincere | 662 | 424 | 64.00% | 1.07 | 1.3 | 52.40% | 55.20% |
| Team Liquid | 647 | 366 | 56.60% | 1.04 | 1.26 | 49.20% | 54.40% |
Players to watch
Esports fans don’t only keep an eye on entire teams — they also have specific players they follow. These are players that have consistently incredible performances, exciting playstyles, or just a likeable personality. For whatever reason, fans just love to follow their career — and this includes betting on them to get the first kill, most kills, and other player-focused bets.
1. Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut, Team Vitality
One of the top players to watch at the BLAST.tv Austin Major is Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut. He is considered the top player in the world right now, known for his deadly AWP skills. He’s also part of an extremely strong roster — Team Vitality. This squad has won six major tournaments this year alone and is currently on a 30-match win streak going into the Austin Major.
2. Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov, Team Falcons
Another player to keep an eye on is Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov. He recently joined Team Falcons, which has reunited him with his former G2 teammate Nikola “NiKo” Kovač. Team Falcons was already having a pretty incredible year, getting second at multiple big events like IEM Melbourne. However, fans will be watching to see if m0NESY brings them a first-place finish.
3. Danil “donk” Kryshkovets, Team Spirit
Team Spirit’s Danil “donk” Kryshkovets is a fan-favorite due to his impressive CS2 skills at such a young age. He’s aggressive, has impeccable aim, and knows how to outmaneuver the enemy due to his map knowledge and mobility skills. Watching donk go wild on the map is most definitely exciting for fans.
4. Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyljev, FazE Clan
Perhaps one of the most iconic CS2 players of all time, Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyljev has joined FaZe Clan as a stand-in. Fans will most definitely be watching the team to see if s1mple gets a chance to compete, so have Abios’ livestreaming widget available on your sportsbook, giving viewers stats and odds as the game progresses. However, even the team’s IGL Finn “karrigan” Andersen is worth checking out, s1mple or not.
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