PGL Astana Semi-Finals Betting Odds: Aurora vs Astralis and FURIA vs Spirit
The first day of the PGL Astana Playoffs featured a handful of close matches and a surpriset. HooXi’s debut event under the Astralis is exceeding expectations, cooking up some good storylines as we advance to the Semi-Finals.
GGBet does not currently have odds.
Odds provided by third party sportsbooks – subject to change.
Aurora vs Astralis – A Semi-Final Set to Surprise
The first series of the day pits Aurora against Astralis for a spot in the Grand Final. While the CS2 odds may lean toward Aurora, I’m predicting a much tighter clash than the numbers imply.
Aurora have finally shaken off their playoff demons, at least temporarily. Known for their inability to perform in high-pressure playoff matches, earning the reputation of “playoff ghosts,” Aurora finally took a much-needed win against The MongolZ.
While their victory marks progress, context matters: The MongolZ are also notorious for underperforming in playoff matches. In essence, it was simply a battle between two shaky playoff squads, and one of them had to come out on top.
Astralis, on the other hand, are riding a wave of momentum with a new strategist. The team has shown a dramatic uptick in form, as shown by a monstrous three-map upset over NAVI, one of the tournament favorites.
The Danes look revitalized and dangerous, especially when Staehr puts up star-level performances with a 1.51 rating against the Copenhagen Major winners.
While Aurora may be the statistical favorite, I expect Astralis to deal major damage in this series. The Turks have a track record of shaky playoff runs, and Astralis look like they are in prime form.
A smart angle here might be taking Astralis’ round handicaps or a +1.5 series handicap. However, I wouldn’t be too surprised if Astralis win their own map pick – or even pull off another upset.
FURIA vs Spirit – A David and Goliath Story
In the second PGL Astana Semi-Final, FURIA face the monumental task of taking down tournament favorites Team Spirit – a challenge that may prove too steep for the Brazilian side.
FURIA have made their way to their first Semi-Final appearance in what feels like an eternity, giving their millions of ionate fans something to be proud of. However, context tempers the hype, as their quarter-final win came against MIBR, arguably the weakest team in the playoffs.
Still, a spotlight falls on the team’s newest recruit, molodoy, who dropped a staggering 1.54 rating in that match. However, the real question is whether he can replicate that form against Team Spirit on the biggest stage of his life.
You don’t need to be an analyst to know that Team Spirit enter this match as the clear favorite. They’re not expected to win this series, but the entire tournament. The Eastern European titans have shown remarkable consistency against lower-ranked opposition and are one of the hardest teams to pull off an upset against.
On paper, this is Spirit’s series to lose. While FURIA have shown some promise, they’ll need the series of their lives to make it competitive, and that’s assuming Spirit underperform.
I recommend skipping this series, as it’s difficult to find some good CS2 betting value. But if you really want to, jumping on Spirit handicaps look like the safer angles.
PGL Astana Semi-Finals Schedule
