This week, 32 professional CS:GO teams come together in Saint Julian’s, Malta, for more than a month of high-intensity esports action. In what is the final ESL Pro League season before the transition to Counter-Strike 2, and with $850,000 on the line, plus qualification to several big events coming up, the competition will be fiercer than ever. Read on for our CS:GO ESL Pro League S18 predictions.
It’s one of the tightest seasons of CS:GO in recent memory, with a handful of teams all having a genuine shot at winning the ESL Pro League over the next month. Can Team Vitality back up their win at Gamers8? Or will G2 Esports, double IEM winners this year, rekindle their form? And what about ENCE, FaZe, and Heroic?
We look at the ESL Pro League Season 18 odds and unpack the answers to all these questions and more.
| Tournament: | ESL Pro League Season 18, Esports (CS:GO) |
| 🧾 Format: | CS:GO Offline S-tier tournament with 32 teams and few stages |
| 🏟️ Venue: | InterContinental Malta, Saint Julian’s, Malta |
| 🗓️ Dates: | Wednesday, 30 August to Sunday, 1 October |
Before we get into our betting tips for CS:GO, let’s look at the latest ESL Pro League Season 18 odds from the best CS:GO bookies. Here’s how the favorites are standing ahead of the season’s launch on Wednesday:
Tell me an event is going to be close without telling me an event is going to be close. Looking at these outright betting odds, it’s evident to anyone that Season 18 ESL Pro League CS:GO is going to be a hard-fought contest. Team Vitality, G2 Esports, and ENCE are all neck-and-neck at 4.50 (7/2) to win overall, while Heroic and Cloud9 are just a step behind, level on 5.50 (9/2). Bring it on!
This is one of the more exciting CS:GO events of the year simply because of the number of teams competing and the nature of the format. A total of 32 teams will be vying for the $200,000 top prize, but not only that – the winner gains automatic qualification to IEM Katowice 2024, as well as the BLAST World Final 2023 and 3,000 BLAST Premier points.
In terms of format, ESL Pro League Season 18 will be contested by four triple-elimination groups. What this means is that teams are split into groups of eight, with four teams qualifying from each group through a series of knockout games and different brackets.
The top qualifying team from each group goes straight to the quarter-finals, while the runner-up heads to the round of 12 as the high seed, and the next two qualifiers enter the round of 16 as the high and low seeds, respectively.
Here’s how the groups have come together for ESL Pro League Season 18 and how we say each will pan out:
| Participating Teams | Group A Prediction |
|---|---|
| Team Vitality | Winners |
| ORKS | Last |
| Astralis | Runners up |
| Ninjas in Pyjamas | Fifth |
| FURIA Esports | Third |
| Movistar Riders | Sixth |
| Grayhound | Seventh |
| GamerLegion | Fourth |
Team Vitality have a safe group here and should be relatively unchallenged for the top spot and direct qualification for the quarter-finals. Astralis will be their biggest rivals, but their recent results don’t bode too well for a big push here. FURIA Esports, GamerLegion, and Ninjas in Pyjamas will be contesting the final two spots, and we give GL the edge here to upset the Ninjas.
| Participating Teams | Group B Prediction |
|---|---|
| Heroic | Runners up |
| Rooster | Last |
| BIG | Fifth |
| Monte | Fourth |
| MOUZ | Third |
| MIBR | Sixth |
| Evil Geniuses | Seventh |
| ENCE | Winners |
Tough group to call here, with Heroic and ENCE neck and neck for the top spot. We say that ENCE will continue their strong form, which has seen them win the IEM Dallas and come runner-up in their past three events, claiming the top spot here. Expect Monte and MOUZ to grab the remaining two spots with the chances for BIG as well.
| Participating Teams | Group C Prediction |
|---|---|
| FaZe Clan | Runners up |
| 9z Team | Fifth |
| Imperial Esports | Sixth |
| Fnatic | Third |
| Apeks | Fourth |
| M80 | Seventh |
| 5ylone | Last |
| Natus Vincere | Winners |
Two big names in esports sit in Group C, with both FaZe Clan and Natus Vincere looking to find some form in the ESL Pro League Season 18. NAVI have looked the better of the two in recent tournaments and should take the top spot, while Fnatic and Apeks will join FaZe as the remaining three qualifiers.
| Participating Teams | Group D Prediction |
|---|---|
| Cloud9 | Runners up |
| Eternal Fire | Sixth |
| Complexity | Seventh |
| 9INE | Fifth |
| Team Liquid | Third |
| Virtus.pro | Fourth |
| Lynn Vision | Last |
| G2 Esports | Winners |
G2 Esports backed up their win at IEM Cologne 2023 with a semi-final push at Gamers8 and are looking in good nick. Expect them to beat Cloud9 to the top spot in Group D, with Team Liquid and Virtus.pro fighting it out for the remaining places against 9INE and Eternal Fire.
For those who want to bet on Esports online, you’re in the right place. Betting on CS:GO is what we do best, and we’ve run the numbers to come up with the top CS:GO ESL Pro League S18 predictions. Here are our three finest:
Team Vitality to Win @ 4.50 (7/2)
1 (50%)
(50%) 1
Team Vitality are the best bet for an outright winner at the ESL Pro League this year. Not only are they winners of the most recent S-tier event in Riyadh, but they’ve also won the most big titles this season, picking up the Paris Major and IEM Rio as well.
If this seems like a team that’s ready to go off the boil, here’s the thing – they already have. After winning in Paris and Rio, they went to three major events in a row without making the final. By bringing ‘flameZ’ instead of ‘dupreeh’, they’re back and have proved beyond a doubt that they not only have the skills to win big events but also hunger.
ENCE to Make the Final @ 2.25 (5/4)
2 (100%)
0
If there’s one thing ENCe knows how to do, it’s put in consistent performances event after event. Here’s what their last four results are: second, second, second, and first. Sure, ENCE were somewhat erratic in the first half of the season, but their roster is settled now, and they’re churning out consistent results. Expect them to keep doing what they do best and make at least the final here at ESL Pro League Season 18.
Esports fans are in for a treat over the next month, as the best 32 teams in Pro CS:GO are coming together for the final edition of the ESL Pro League in Malta. With plenty of cash and some important qualifications on the line, this triple-elimination format will be sure to deliver plenty of opportunities for Esports predictions lovers.
We say that Team Vitality will back up their impressive win in Riyadh by claiming ESL Pro League Season 18 here, but not without a hearty challenge from a resurgent FaZe Clan. Back ENCE to again make a deep run, likely losing to Vitality in the final – deja vu anyone?
