ESL Pro League Season 20 returns to Malta for another action-packed event. MOUZ winners of seasons 18 and 19 are back to defend their title. Can they secure a third consecutive win? Or will a new winner emerge in Malta? Our Counter-Strike 2 ESL Pro League Season 20 preview offers insights into likely outcomes for this tournament.
ESL Pro League Season 20 kicks off September 3rd in Malta, with 32 teams battling for a $750,000 prize pool. The tournament features the most top-ranked pro teams in the ESL World rankings. However, after failing to qualify, SAW and paiN won’t compete at this event. The season culminates in a best-of-five grand final on September 22nd.
| ℹ️ Tournament: | Counter-Strike 2, ESL Pro League Season 20 |
| 🧾 Format: | CS2 LAN S-tier tournament with 32 teams and a few stages |
| 🎮 Venue: | InterContinental Hotel, Saint Julian’s, Malta |
| 🗓️ Dates: | Tuesday, September 3rd – Sunday, September 22nd, 2024 |
The ESL Pro League will unfold in two phases: a Group Stage and Playoffs. Four groups featuring eight professional teams will each take part in the group stage. At this stage, the tournament will follow a double-elimination format. The games will be played as best-of-three matches—the top two teams in each group advance directly to the quarterfinals.
The third-place and fourth-place teams in each group will enter the first round of playoffs. The playoff stage is also a single elimination format, with best-of-three matches for all rounds. However, the Grand Final will be a best-of-five series contest.
ESL Pro League S20 will have a $750,000 prize pool. Tournament winners will receive a $170,000 prize and gain direct entry to the first 2025 ESL Pro Tour Championship tournament. Second-placed teams will receive $80,000, while third—and fourth-placed teams will receive $45,000 each.
The best sports betting sites in Malta have offered the following CS2 ESL Pro League S20 odds for likely winners of this contest. Here, we preview the top five CS2 teams:
Fresh off two good results in a row, Team Vitality enters this contest in excellent form. Their star power has always been evident, but they’ve struggled to finish well at most tournaments this year. However, their recent triumphs at BLAST Premier: Fall Groups 2024 and IEM Cologne 2024 have reignited their winning streak. The Cologne victory was particularly historic, marking the first time a French team or player has claimed that prestigious title. Vitality’s impressive performances have propelled them to the number two spot on the HLTV rankings, surpassing MOUZ, G2, and Team Spirit. Given their current standing, Vitality is the top favorite to emerge with the title.
NaVi has failed to replicate its winning performance at the Esports World Cup 2024 in recent outings. They’ve finished 5th at BLAST Premier: Fall Groups 2024 (but claimed a Fall Finals spot in playoffs) and second at IEM Cologne 2024. Despite those outcomes, NaVi still remains the top team in competitive CS2 based on their HLTV ranking. Their current ranking is down to their consistent performance in several competitions this year. They’ve secured two titles and two runner-up finishes in their last seven events. Given these results, they are strong contenders for the title in Malta.
Since their IEM Katowice 2024 triumph, Team Spirit has struggled to replicate their success at major events until their recent BetBoom Dacha Belgrade Season 2 victory. They also took second place at BetBoom Dacha Belgrade 2024 in January, secured third at IEM Dallas 2024, and fifth at PGL Major Copenhagen 2024 and the Esports World Cup 2024. However, their 13th-place finish at IEM Cologne 2024 was a significant setback. But now reignited with confidence, Spirit remains a formidable force, led by the talented duo of Danil “donk” Kryshkovets and Dmitry “sh1ro” Sokolov. Given the quality of their roster, they are certainly in the running for victory in this tournament.
G2 Esports remains a formidable team capable of surprising opponents. This fact is evidenced by their IEM Dallas 2024 victory and a runner-up finish at the Esports World Cup. While their 5th-place finish at IEM Cologne was disappointing, they will be determined to improve their performance in Malta. For G2 to succeed in this tournament, star players Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov and Nikola “NiKo” Kovač must deliver standout performances. However, with their proven ability to compete at the highest level, G2 is expected to be a strong contender.
It may come as a shock to many that MOUZ is the fifth favorite on this list. However, their appearance is a testament to the intense competition in CS2. MOUZ comes into this contest with back-to-back wins in the ESL Pro League S18 and 19 events. This team has also won the BetBoom Dacha Belgrade 2024 tournament. Despite a 9th-place finish at IEM Dallas 2024, they’ve rebounded with three top-three finishes in their last three tournaments. Their consistency in recent outings is a good sign. They could emerge as champions in this contest if they take an extra leap and assert themselves in the latter stages of this competition.
Here are our ESL Pro League Season S20 predictions:
1 (50%)
(50%) 1
We begin our CS2 predictions for ESL Pro League Season 20 by selecting Team Vitality as the top pick for the title. Vitality’s recent success marks a long-awaited return to form. They have consistently reached the latter stages of tournaments this year, but a title win has been elusive. With their Cologne victory, they’re poised to compete for more championships, starting with this contest.
They have a star-studded roster featuring Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut, Lotan “Spinx” Giladi, and Shahar “flameZ” Shushan. These players have experience at the highest level and will be hungry for more titles. Given their reputation, Vitality is in the best placed to secure their second major tournament win of 2024 in Malta. We expect them to achieve victory in this contest. Team Vitality has 4.00 (5/2) CS2 odds for betting on this option.
2 (100%)
0
Given their quality, it isn’t out of place to expect the leading team in CS 2 to emerge as the top team from Group A. NaVi is an excellent side expected to make a deep run into the latter stages of this contest. In terms of their major achievements this year, NaVi won the Esports World Cup 2024 and PGL Major Copenhagen 2024. They also finished second at the IEM Cologne contest. Given their reputation and quality, we expect them to emerge as the top team from Group A. Their toughest opponent can be a struggling FaZe Clan team or even lower-ranked teams, which rarely trouble a confident Ukrainian-based team.
2 (100%)
0
Team Spirt is the team to beat in Group B. The Russian organization has been exciting this year, with several top performances in numerous events. Their most prominent win came at the IEM Katowice 2024, but victories at BLAST Spring Finals 2024 and BB Dacha Belgrade S2 show they are strong enough. Their only serious opponent should become unstable G2, and choosing between the two goes in favor of the Dragons.
Danil “donk” Kryshkovets and Dmitry “sh1ro” Sokolov have been exceptional this year, securing several wins for their side thanks to their excellent skills. Team Spirit should overcome opponents in their group and secure direct qualification to the quarterfinals of this contest to prove their most recent victory. Numerous ESL Pro League Season 20 predictions expect a similar outcome and are ready to pay enough for this likely outcome.
2 (100%)
0
MongolZ has the edge in this contest as they are the better of the two teams. The Mongolian outfit has been competitive in recent outings. They won the YaLLa Compass 2024 and MESA Nomadic Masters Spring 2024. They also finished 9th at the Esports World Cup 2024 and IEM Cologne tournaments. In contrast, their opponents, 3DMAX, finished 21st at the IEM Cologne tournament. MongolZ is much stronger, and we expect them to win this clash. If you want a risk-free wager, use this option to bet on 2024 ESL Pro League CS2, as it is one of the safest options among our picks.
Here are our 2024 CS2 ESL Pro League betting tips:
Team Vitality is our top favorite for victory in Malta. Use our betting predictions for ESL Pro League CS2 to place winning bets on this contest. You can also visit our website for other detailed guides to bet on Esports events.
