VCT Stage 2 North America Challengers Finals Betting Preview

Now that we know the final four contestants, it’s time to wrap our collective head around the VCT NA Stage 2 Finals. The event kicks off this Thursday, April 29th, and will feature the eight best teams on the two NA Challengers stages. This event is set to determine the two North American contestants for the upcoming Valorant Champions Tour Stage 2 Masters in Reykjavik, Iceland.

Here are the participating teams:

• 100 Thieves
• XSET
• Team Envy
• Version1
• Sentinels
• Cloud9 Blue
• NRG
• Andbox

VCT NA Stage 2 Challengers Finals Preview

In this section of our VCT NA Stage 2 Finals betting preview, we’re going to discuss the most interesting facts. Obviously, we’re starting off with the betting side of the story here!

Do Esports Betting Sites Offer Valorant Betting Options?

Can you bet some money on this event? Is Valorant betting even a thing nowadays? Well, the demand for Valorant betting options is ridiculously high for what’s still a relatively fresh title. But, I guess it’s just a perk of being a tactical FPS. People seem to enjoy betting on games featuring round-based, fast-paced FPS action!

Key Figures

Let’s go over the key figures about the event! As stated in the intro, the event kicks off on Thursday, April 29th, and runs through Sunday, May 2nd. There’s $100,000 in the prize pool, but more importantly, there are two Masters Reykjavik tickets on the line. The top two teams, AKA the grand finalists, will get to represent the NA region in Iceland next month.

As for the tournament format, we’re looking at a double-elimination bracket from start to finish. The event starts with best of three matches but sports a grandiose bo5 at the very end. Last but not least, the VCT NA Stage 2 Finals are supported by Riot Games and Nerd Street Gamers and will run on the Valorant 2.06 patch.

VCT NA Stage 2 Challengers Finals Team Storylines

Before we start discussing the most notable contestants, let’s take a closer look at the opening-round matchups:

• 100 Thieves (-357) vs. Andbox (+243)
• Version1 (+327) vs. Sentinels (-526)
• Team Envy (-156) vs. Cloud9 Blue (+116)
• XSET (-135) vs. NRG (+100)

Remember, we’re looking at a double-elimination bracket here! That means the opening-round losers aren’t automatically eliminated from the contest. They’ll still have a second chance in the lower bracket, though another loss would guarantee elimination.
With that said, let’s check out the most notable teams!

100 Thieves

Let’s start off with 100 Thieves! First of all, they are coming into this event with eight consecutive wins. Yep, they won the last event they competed on, the NA Stage 2 Challengers 1. But, that comes as a double-edged sword as they haven’t competed on a single event since then.

They are set to play against Andbox in the first round. Obviously, they are the heavy favorites thanks to in-form Asuna and Ethan. But, Sentinels ought to be the opposing side in the second round, assuming they both win their opener. Can 100T put Sentinels to the test early on? Well, it’s going to be an uphill struggle, but if Asuna and Ethan pull all the right moves, it’s going to be a tight one!

Envy

Next up, let’s talk about Team Envy! They snatched their spot in the VCT NA Stage 2 Finals via the Challengers 1 event. They were one map away from reaching the grand finals, but ended up in the third-place following losses to 100 Thieves and XSET.

However, Envy have two straight losses and face a grave danger against Cloud9. They are the favorites, but ever so slightly! They’ll need FNS at the top of his game if they are to go through to the second round and face the better of XSET vs. NRG.

Sentinels

Even though Sentinels had won the Stage 1 Masters, their Challengers 2 campaign didn’t start on the right foot. A disheartening defeat to Andbox pushed them into the lower bracket with fear of elimination crawling under players’ spines. Luckily, TenZ and the boys came2 to their senses and won four straight matches to reach the grand finals. On their lower bracket path, they defeated T1 and immortals, had their revenge against Andbox, and swept NRG aside to clinch the grand finals. Cloud9 Blue stood no chance, suffering a quick 3:0 defeat.

// Split started out so good but @Cloud9 Blue were no match for @Sentinels losing 3-0.#Sentinels are the #VCT North America Challengers 2 Champions (what a mouthful)#Valorant #ValorantEsports pic.twitter.com/DWM7Gyjp41

— VALORANT Esports (@EsportsValorant) April 25, 2021

That said, Sentinels are coming into the VCT NA Stage 2 Finals as the favorites. With Version1 as their first opponents, TenZ and the boys should feel comfortable coming into the opener. But, 100T vs. Andbox is the match they’re crossing with in the next stage. No matter who wins that one, Sentinels will have to show up for the occasion if they are to reach the upper bracket finals!

Cloud9 Blue

Finally, Cloud9 Blue! Everyone thought Cloud9 Blue would be out of the equation following the departure of TenZ. But, the addition of floppy did them a world of good and paved the way for them to reach the grand finals through the upper bracket.

But, what can they do now that they’re in the Finals?

Well, they’re going up against Team Envy in the opening round. It’s a rather interesting clash, to say the least. FNS and the boys are the favorites coming into this one, but Cloud9 Blue won’t back down without a fight. It’s a pretty level match in my books. I for one won’t be choosing a side to bet on here!

Outright Betting on VCT NA Stage 2 Finals

Unfortunately, betting on the winner of this event is not possible but you can still place bets on the individual matchups at Valorant betting sites. That’s been the case with most other VCT tournaments thus far. Yep, there’s demand for Valorant betting opportunities, that’s for sure, but the game’s competitive scene is still way too chaotic to be considered outright-winner-friendly.

At the moment, CSGO is going through a similar situation. The online ecosystem made absolute havoc on the game’s competitive scene, and bookies had to stop offering outrights for all but the biggest CSGO events out there. Let’s just hope the situation returns back to normal after the end of good old ‘rona.

Source: https://www.gamblingsites.org/blog/vct-stage-2-north-america-challengers-finals-betting-preview/