Tickles - B8 predictions and free betting tips [21/11/2023]

Pinnacle: 25 Year Anniversary Show, Group A. Kicking off the second match day of the tournament, we look forward to the debut of Daniil 'Dendi' Ishutin's new roster, which is highly anticipated by fans worldwide. Although they debuted previously in the open qualifiers for ESL, this is the main stage of the tournament where a margin for error exists and the pressure is not as high. Team Tickles will cross swords with B8 Esports.

Team Tickles

Perhaps not a tag that draws instant recognition and a rather peculiar team, the question arises as to why an invite was extended to Team Tickles to this tournament. The answer lies in the fact that they are, in essence, the former Luna Galaxy, who secured the third spot in The International 2023 qualifiers for Western Europe. Whilst the line-up has undergone changes, familiar traits persist. The present roster of Team Tickles has already managed to make it to the closed qualifiers of West Europe for ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023. However, they met with failure there despite convincingly winning the first open qualifier with an ensuing easy adversary in the first winners’ round, where they defeated Nightshade 2:0. Following this, they encountered losses against Team Liquid, who proceeded first to ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023, and then Team Secret, the second participants in ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023 from the closed Western Europe qualifiers. Thus, it can be concluded that Team Tickles lost to the strongest teams in the region.

B8 Esports

Dendi's collective underwent a replacement of two out of its five players following the qualifiers for The International 2023 in North America. There, they secured the second spot, stopping one step away from the main event of the year. Currently, B8 Esports are competing in Western Europe. Thus far, their performance hasn't been up to the mark, evident from their defeat in both the first and second open qualifiers for ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023. The present B8 Esports, as a result, is quite ambiguous in terms of their skill level. While they have managed two victories at European Pro League Season 14, it is a plainly Tier-3 level tournament where none of the participating teams compete in LAN tournaments. Therefore, the Pinnacle: 25 Year Anniversary Show is likely to present one of the sternest tests for B8's new roster. This is a tier-2 level team in terms of the names, but it remains to be seen whether they can overcome a similar team fluctuating between the tier-2 and tier-3 scenes. Team Tickles seem to be the preferred choice for now, but a week can change a lot, and the B8 Esports team, with several matches under their belt, could establish their game and look stronger.

Head-to-Head

Team Tickles and B8 Esports have yet to meet in competition.

Predictions

It is unsurprising that the favourites of this match are Team Tickles, with Betsiti offering odds of 1.22 for their victory, while B8 Esports' win is set at 4.00. Choosing to go with the favourite doesn't seem like a safe bet as we're still uncertain about the strength of B8 Esports. I'd rather put my chips on the HANDICAP2 ( 1.5) for 1.85. After all, Dendi's squad should be able to clinch at least one map. It's not that bad just yet, even by names alone, and in due course they might even secure a victory.