Spirit - Liquid predictions and free betting tips [27/10/2023]

The International 2023. Final stage of the tournament. Upper bracket. First game day. The third match of the game day and the opening of the upper bracket on the main stage. Already, many are calling this match the hidden grand finale of the tournament, simply because Team Spirit is considered the strongest team in the world right now, and Team Liquid are known for reaching tournament finals and losing them.

Team Spirit

Perhaps the main contender to win this tournament. Team Spirit has been considered the strongest team in the world for the last three months, losing very rarely, not just series, but even maps. For instance, in this tournament, their map score is 12-1. The Eastern European team breezed through the group stage without a single defeat. Four victories in four matches and a first-place finish gave them the privilege of choosing their playoff opponents. They selected Shopify Rebellion, a squad from North America. Though they struggled, Team Spirit clinched a 2:0 victory. Team Spirit first encountered problems in the first round of the winners' bracket during their match against Virtus.pro. They lost the first map and should have lost the second but managed to win an incredible game and finally secured the series. As a result, they became the first team to advance to the final stage of the tournament and simply awaited their opponent.

Team Liquid

Their opponents turned out to be the main failures of this season, although it's a matter of perspective. On the one hand, they are unsuccessful, as they have lost five grand finals out of five, but on the other hand, they got there, which means they were at least better than all the other teams in the tournaments, but each time they lost the decisive tournament match. Hence, they awaited The International 2023. The Western European team passed the group stage with a single defeat in one map against Azure Ray in the very first match of the tournament. Afterward, Team Liquid didn't lose a single map. Firstly, they beat Evil Geniuses in the playoffs with a 2:0 score. Their opponents in the winners' bracket were Talon Esports, whom they completely crushed without any chance of winning, also with a 2:0 score. After this victory, they proceeded further along the winners' bracket in the final stage of the tournament, where Team Spirit were already waiting for them. As a result, Team Liquid was the second team which lost only one map in the whole tournament, but that one was in the group stage, where it mattered the least.

Head-to-Head

Team Spirit and Team Liquid have played 13 matches against each other. Out of these, Team Spirit won five. Team Liquid prevailed over their opponents six times, and two matches ended in a draw. This season has seen two draws, one victory for the Western European team, and two victories for the Eastern European team.

Prediction

It's not surprising that Pinnacle views Team Spirit as the favourite in this match, with odds standing at 1.56, given that their current form seems monstrous and they have also won the recent head-to-head matches. The odds for Team Liquid are 2.40. Here, I would suggest going with win at Spirit. Realistically, everything is going too well for the Eastern European team to stumble at this stage.