MOUZ enter the opening round of the BLAST.tv Paris Major European RMR following a disappointing showing at BetBoom Playlist. Urbanistic, where they crashed out of the semifinals with a 0-2 defeat against forZe. It marked MOUZ’s third loss over their last five series and only the seventh official match since the turn of the year.

The lack of games might explain why MOUZ couldn’t reach further in the tournament; however, it’s not like forZe are a particularly weak team. So even though MOUZ aren’t in the best form ahead of the Major qualifiers, they should do well against the likes of B8.

B8 have been very active this year but mostly attended lesser tournaments and a couple of qualifiers. Most recently, B8 were seen fighting in Intel Extreme Masters Dallas 2023: European Open Qualifier #1 and #2, where they failed to achieve anything noteworthy (17th-32nd).

This is still a best-of-one series where it’s not uncommon for the favourites to slip. But B8 have given us nothing to feel excited about. Take MOUZ to get it done with at least five rounds to spare.

Virtus.pro were given the green light to start competing under their old banner at the end of March, following a somewhat questionable transfer of brand ownership. That was the only notable thing that happened with the Russian CS:GO squad since the departure of Timur “buster” Tulepov, who left the team in January, although he was never a part of the roster that won the Rio Major.

This year, however, wasn’t as fruitful for the squad, who placed fifth-sixth at Intel Extreme Masters Katowice 2023 and crashed out of ESL Pro League Season 17 in ninth-12th place. And to top it all off, VP exited BetBoom Playlist. Urbanistic after a 0-2 loss against forZe.

Despite their lack of success, Virtus.pro should feel confident facing SAW, who haven’t achieved anything in 2023 besides semifinal appearances in a couple of B-Tier events at the start of the year. But the Portuguese squad have been ramping up over the last couple of weeks, sporting a 9-2 record.

Virtus.pro are individually superior to SAW, but it’s tough to justify placing money on the Russian team after what they’ve shown in March. SAW should keep it close.

The clash between Fnatic and Viperio is billed as one of the most one-sided fixtures of the opening round, which isn’t too surprising. Viperio are a second-division team from England, whose only tournament victory over the last year came at ESEA Advanced Cash Cup: Europe – 2023 #5.

On the other side, we have Fnatic, who have had some concerning performances this year but found momentum at Intel Extreme Masters Dallas 2023: European Qualifier earlier this month, when they defeated Team Spirit (2-0) and Ninjas in Pyjamas (2-0).

Fnatic aren’t serious candidates to contest the Paris Major title, and they’re not even ranked inside the top 10 on the global CS:GO ladder. But this is still a top-tier team that shouldn’t give up much against squads like Viperio. Barring any major upsets, Fnatic should keep Viperio at single digits.

Bad News Eagles have returned to the RMR, chasing their third Major ticket, but their shaky form ahead of the tournament makes it look like they will have a hard time emulating their success from the last two RMRs.

With early exits from ESL Challenger League Season 44: Europe (13th-16th) and BetBoom Playlist. Urbanistic (ninth-12th) and with a 5-5 record over their last ten series, the Kosovar squad have a lot to prove. But it’s not like 1win are in a much better spot.

The CIS squad rebuilt its lineup in February with the addition of Kirill “Boombl4” Mikhaylov and Aleksey “NickelBack” Trofimov, which led to a fruitful honeymoon phase and a bronze medal at ESL Challenger League Season 44: Europe. But like BNE, 1win failed to deliver in their last two tournament appearances, finishing BetBoom Playlist. Urbanistic in ninth-12th and CCT Central Europe Series #5 in ninth-16th.

On paper, this looks like a coin-toss match and the CS:GO betting odds reflect that. Expect a close game, so we’ll take over 26.5 rounds.

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