Final: Natus Vincere (36.5%) to beat Team Vitality (28.1%)

Semifinal 1: Natus Vincere (52.6%) to beat MOUZ (16.3%)

Semifinal 2: Team Vitality (47.7%) to beat G2 Esports (18.7%)

Quarterfinal 1: G2 Esports (39.8%) to beat FaZe Clan (32.8%)

Quarterfinal 2: MOUZ (35.9%) to beat Eternal Fire (24.7%)

Advertisement

Group stage: 

1. Natus Vincere – 48.7% to finish 1st; 17.0% to finish 2nd; 84.1% to make playoffs

2. Team Vitality – 40.8% to finish 1st; 17.4% to finish 2nd; 77.7% to make playoffs

3. G2 Esports – 19.3% to finish 1st; 20.4% to finish 2nd; 56.7% to make playoffs

4. MOUZ – 14.5% to finish 1st; 21.8% to finish 2nd; 53.0% to make playoffs

5. FaZe Clan – 13.9% to finish 1st; 21.0% to finish 2nd; 50.2% to make playoffs

6. Eternal Flame – 40.7% to finish 1st; 16.2% to finish 2nd; 40.7% to make playoffs

7. Liquid – 16.3% to finish 7-8th; 35.7% to make playoffs

8. Virtus.pro – 15.4% to finish 7-8th; 29.9% to make playoffs

9. Astralis – 28.9% to finish 9-12th; 31.5% to make playoffs

10. The MongolZ – 32.7% to finish 9-12th; 25.4% to make playoffs

11. Complexity – 34.3% to finish 9-12th; 21.2% to make playoffs

12. Heroic – 26.8% to finish 9-12th; 23.5% to make playoffs

13. paiN – 36.5% to finish 13-16th; 21.0% to make playoffs

14. FURIA – 36.4% to finish 13-16th; 20.9% to make playoffs

15. 9z – 44.7% to finish 13-16th; 14.6% to make playoffs

16. Imperial – 49.1% to finish 13-16th; 13.9% to make playoffs

It has been quite the run for NaVi despite their loss with back to back grand finals in recent weeks but CSDB.gg’s predictive model suggests there will be no let up for the Ukrainian esports organisation.

G2 will also be looking to build more momentum in preparation for Majors season with NiKo on a quest to finally get over the line this year to win his first major title. Hopefully Rio won’t have to see a repeat of his reaction in the semifinals at BLAST Premier Fall Final 2024 where he punched a hole in a table after losing out to Team Vitality in a key moment.

However, the hosts of Intel Extreme Masters Rio 2024 may want to lockdown any nearby furniture and reinforce their desks if G2 are set for disappointment at the semifinals stage as predicted by the CSDB.gg SuperComputer.

A victory in Rio could be even more consequential for how the end of the year shapes up for the leading teams on the circuit. The Valve Global rankings have both teams close at the very top (NaVi at 1988 and G2 at 1953) meaning a win for either team could hand them a key advantage when it comes to who enters the Majors as top seed. 

Advertisement

Back-to-back wins in T1 events for G2, should they prosper in Rio, would set the Berlin-based team on an incredible trajectory going into the winter months.

Meanwhile, Brazilian hopes for glory look slight according to the CSDB.gg SuperComputer with FURIA, the team co-owned by Neymar, having only been given a 20.9% chance of even making the playoffs. 

They are the leading contenders to make an impact for the home crowd but there are other teams flying the flag for Brazil with paiN and Imperial also set to give it their best to give local fans something to cheer on.

In terms of forecasted matchups of note, G2 and FaZe Clan could offer up a fascinating encounter in the quarterfinals should both teams qualify, with each organisation rated as having a strong chance of making the semis with little to separate them should they meet.

How was the CSDB.gg CS2 Tournament SuperComputer created?

Advertisement

The CSDB.gg CS2 Tournament SuperComputer is a predictive model created using world ranking points, team quality ratings and performance trends. An element of randomness is also included in the model to avoid the best teams and players always winning, to reflect the fact that upsets can happen.

Every tournament is simulated 1,000 times with the results aggregated into a percentage rating of the chances teams or players have to achieve the predicted result.

Walking into the racetrack at Santa Anita on Saturday was more like walking into a sophisticated Hollywood mansion party than a gambling venue.

Santa Anita went ‘all in’ by throwing one heck of a horse racing celebration aimed at attracting a young, stylish group of fans. There was a thrilling three-horse photo finish in The California Crown $1 million stakes race, but the crowd was there to party and mingle first, cocktail and dine second, and maybe add in a bit of old-fashioned horse race gambling too.

SGG Media, the leading sports social media marketing agency, was one of the selected advertising partners to ensure the word got out about this ‘must attend’ L.A. event.

SGG’s young CEO, Troy Paul, (age 27) knew just what to do – by arranging seating and private boxes for six of his top L.A.-based social media Influencers and their 10 million social media followers. The value of SGG Media’s in-depth understanding of how to interact with younger fans certainly came to the fore in the run-up to the race, with the company’s clever strategic planning creating one million event-focused social media impressions that helped draw fans into the action.

SGG Media has a strong track record for promoting top sporting events by using its extensive network of 2,500 sports micro-influencer content creators and their 75 million sports fan followers – and Troy is certainly no stranger to the racetrack either, having begun attending races with his dad at the age of four before going on to visit major races such as the Derby and the Belmont.

Advertisement

Troy Paul, Chief Executive Officer at SGG Media, said: “Santa Anita threw one great race day party, bringing guests food from L.A.’s trendiest restaurants such as Funke and Wally’s while also giving them the chance to dance to first-class entertainment from star artists including Shaboozey.

“From SGG’s perspective, we’re thrilled to bring younger fans to events like this by showing them the excitement and beauty of horse races in stunning venues like Santa Anita, so we’re happy with the buzz we could create around what was a stunning party and an exciting day at the races.”

Peter Rotondo, Senior Vice President at 1/ST Racing, said: “California Crown was a huge success that featured top quality stakes horses, drew over 21,000 fans and generated total national wagering of nearly $24 million dollars”.