Counter Strike: Global Offensive | ESL Pro League Friday betting preview & tips

When to watch

From 1.25pm Friday

ESL Pro League overview

The first two groups are done and dusted in season 11 of the ESL Pro League.

In the two all-European sections, Astralis, Ninjas in Pyjamas and Tea Vitality progressed from Group A, while Natus Vincere, Fnatic and forZe kept their hopes alive in Group B.

Groups C and D have just got started and the top three in each will join the qualified outfits in the knockout stage.

Astralis suffered a wobble in the group phase with defeat to Ninjas in Pyjamas in week one but quickly arrested the slide and remain 11-4 favourites with Hills to win the title.

Best bet

Evil Geniuses -2.5 rounds on map-one handicap (9pm Friday)
1pt 5-6 bet365

ESL Pro League match previews

The fiercest betting heat in Friday's ESL Pro League selection of matches sees the USA's Evil Geniuses take on the only Australian outfit in the competition, 100 Thieves.

While the Thieves played Swole Patrol on Thursday, this will be the first game of the new season for their American counterparts.

As far as recent meetings go, Evil Geniuses have the edge with two wins in the last three games between the sides.

One of those victories was in season ten of the Pro League in November - they prevailed 2-0 with all five members of the Evil Geniuses team posting positive kill-death ratios on map one Mirage.

Evil Geniuses have also won the first map against 100 Thieves in their two meetings since in the IEM Katowice and the Blast Premier Series.

Punters may be tempted by the 8-13 offered for an Evil Geniuses win but given they should be sharper and have a habit of starting well, backing them at -2.5 on the rounds handicap on map one could be the way to go.

They won 16-8 16-10 in their Pro League victory against Thieves last year.

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