Dust2's Underdog Fantasy Pick 'Em PGL Major Preview

The Major is finally upon us, blessing us with glorious glitter stickers, creative player autographs, and ESIC bans just under five days before the event. It wouldn't be a Counter-Strike event if there wasn't the slightest bit of controversy heading into the bi-annual penultimate tournament. It's what we have been looking forward to for months since the PGL Stockholm Major saw Natus Vincere and Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev win their first Major in history. This upcoming Major almost seems completely wide open with anyone having a shot. Okay, maybe not IHC Esports, but like, almost anyone.

For many, gambling is just part of sports, and with esports, it's hard to find reliable, trustworthy partners in the space where you can trust your money. At Underdog Fantasy, the site is a secure, legal, United States-based Pick 'Em and DFS website that was founded by former FanDuel employees. In full disclosure, Underdog Fantasy gave me the credit to utilize the website and understand its full potential. Its esports-specific offering is fantastic and blows the competition out of the water. The creativity, the options, and the trust that it is a reputable site built by reputable people is why I support this partnership between Dust2 and Underdog Fantasy. Additionally, they go through a rigorous process to ensure that you are of legal age to gamble, so please follow all rules and gamble responsibly. Dust2 only encourages responsible fun. For the first few bets, there were some lines that immediately attracted my eye for the first round of the PGL Major, but I could only pick so many. Here are our favorite round one betting lines at the PGL Antwerp Major, sponsored by Underdog Fantasy.

Ryan: Mathieu "ZywOo" Herbaut (21.5) versus Complexity

Now, I hate to go against my North American friends, but I just don't see them stopping the French superstar right now. In the last five maps, he has averaged 24.6 kills against the likes of MOUZ and Natus Vincere, two opponents that you can argue are tougher competition than Complexity. With Underdog Fantasy only giving Zywoo at 21.5 kills, I would absolutely consider this one of your options for the first day and probably for the rest of the weekend. Given the swiss system always pitting the higher ranks against the lowest seeds, this seems like a no-brainer.

Ryan: Vinicius "VINI" Figueiredo (17.5) versus Spirit

This other one I have might seem like I'm betting against one of my own, but it's just betting that they are going to do exactly what I think they are going to do. Listen, I love VINI. I like him a lot. I think he's a good character and a good person overall. Do I think that he will get over 17.5 kills in Map 1 against Spirit? No, no I do not. I could be wrong. Team Spirit had their coach banned for cheating and they will obviously be discombobulated, but is that enough for VINI to get 18 kills on Monday? I don't think so. He has only had 18 or more kills in 6 of the last 18 maps. It's not looking like he is the main fragger for Imperial and not a safe bet for the over. Because of that recent performance, I have to take the under on his 17.5 kills.

Lukas: Keith "NAF" Markovic (17.5) versus G2

Despite Liquid’s slow start, NAF has not faltered in his impact on the team. Through the 46 maps played, he has averaged 19.3 kills per map. This match also doubles as a revenge game for NAF, as he netted only eleven frags in both maps of their 0-2 loss to G2 at IEM Katowice earlier this year. Some bettors will see that and run away but do not fret. In Liquid’s two 2021 matchups against G2, NAF was nearly untouchable, averaging 20.8 frags across the five contested maps. With Liquid seemingly in better shape than they were for their first match in February, expect NAF to put on a performance that spectators are used to seeing. With everything said and done, NAF at 17.5+ looks especially juicy.

Have you heard the saying, "It's not about the size of the dog in the fight, it's about the size of the fight in the dog"? No matter how the game goes, there are just certain players that cannot be kept down. With the Challenger's Stage set to begin, here are your "Dog in Him" players of the week, sponsored by Underdog Fantasy:

• Fernando "fer" Alvarenga (Imperial)

• Ricky "floppy" Kemery (Complexity)

• Ismailcan "XANTARES" Dörtkardeş (Eternal Fire)

• Mareks "YEKINDAR" Gaļinskis (Outsiders)

• Mathieu "ZywOo" Herbaut (Vitality)

Sign up on Underdog Fantasy with our affiliate link here and they will match your first deposit up to $100. For mobile bettors, download the app and use promo code "DUST2" to match your first deposit. After signing up, anyone who uses your signup link or codes will receive a deposit match of up to $100 for their first deposit. As always, Dust2 would like to remind all readers and bettors to please follow all rules associated with gambling and to always gamble responsibly.