After much drama, back-to-back clutch rounds, and an epic bug decision, the final four teams of VALORANT Champions 2022 have been revealed. With no region left with more than one representative, LOUD, FunPlus Phoenix, DRX and OpTic Gaming are closer than ever to the trophy.
Starting on August 31st, the year-end tournament finally takes a two-day break for the first time in a busy calendar. During this time, teams will be resting and reviewing their training in an effort to be more prepared for the final matches.
We have two matches to go over. Sadly, we do not get to see the FNC vs XSET rematch duel we predicted. But, we have banger matches nonetheless.
FunPlus Phoenix vs DRX
No matter how well prepared and how well they perform, DRX always find themselves in the lower-bracket in international tournaments. Getting eliminated in Lower-Bracket Round 2 in every tournament during the 2022 season, the team has now taken their success one step further. They face FunPlus Phoenix in Lower Round 3, for a long-shot at the finals.
At Masters Copenhagen, these two teams met in Lower Round 2 and FPX won that series 2-1, eliminating their opponent from the tournament. Looking at the performances in this event, it’s safe to say that history is very likely to repeat itself. Especially Zyppan’s and suygetsu’s increasing play will give DRX a lot of headaches.
If we get to guess a scoreline, I’d safely go for a clean 2-0 by FPX.
LOUD vs OpTic Gaming
The rivalry between LOUD and OpTic grows with each new international tournament. They had to face each other in every event they took part in together. So much so that LOUD players expressed their discomfort with the statement:
“We are tired of playing OpTic in every tournament”.
As much as the players want to share their thoughts, there is a reality in front of us. LOUD are coming to avenge the disappointment OpTic gave them at Masters Reykjavík. On the other hand, the North American representative wants to make their mark in 2022 by winning the most important tournament of the year.
Whether it’s a twist of fate or something Riot planned, both teams’ journey to VALORANT Champions 2022 began in Group B. After early wins, OpTic defeated LOUD in the Winners’ match to top the group and advance to the playoffs, pushing their opponent to second place. With the group match, the North American giant had a clear advantage over their opponent. Playoffs went well for both teams. LOUD beat DRX and Leviatán, while OpTic defeated Team Liquid and XSET.
LOUD’s smoker, pANcada, has been the best player on his team, averaging a 1.13 rating so far. On the OpTic side, this title is held by crashies with 1.12. The North American representative’s habit of losing at least 1 map in every series always puts them in a difficult situation. If LOUD can capitalize on this weakness, they can take down their arch-rival this time.
Expect three maps played here, with OpTic likely ending up on top.
If we take a look at potential Valorant betting markets, we can two fold a decent slip for ourselves. Going for correct score on both matches will earn us ten-fold (10x) return over at DuelBits. This simply means going for a 2:0 win for FPX and a 1:2 win for OpTic in both series.
Alternatively, going for a safer bet, and guessing winners of each match still earns you three-fold returns.
