Counter Strike: Global Offensive has become one of the world’s most popular team-based video games for professional eSports competitions. The Home Sweet Home league offers a new competition each week, moving from group play all the way through a playoff bracket. Cup 5 of the spring 2020 season began on May 19 with group play. Group C and Group D matches will take place on May 21 and 22, so for those of you who want to include this with your Counter Strike betting, take a look at our match preview. We’ll look back at last week’s Cup 4 results and then update you on the latest Cup 5 standings before previewing the last two groups.
eSports: Counter Strike Global Offensive – #HomeSweetHome Matches for May 21 & 22
Cup 4 Results
Group Format: Each group has four teams. After each team has played a match, the winners meet; the winner of this match advances to the playoffs as bracket winner. The losers meet to determine which team is eliminated, and then the loser of the winners’ match and the winner of the elimination match meet in the decider match for second place in the group. The top two from each group advance to a single-elimination playoff bracket. The winning team from the playoff bracket collects $30,000, and the runner-up collects $10,000. The plus/minus refers to the differential in points won in the opener as well as games won in the next round.
- Group A Group B
- Team Matches +/- Team Matches +/-
- Hard Legion Esports* 2-0 +24 Team Secret* 2-0 +6
- Salamander Gaming* 2-1 -12 Complexity Gaming* 2-1 +28
- Ambush Esport 1-2 -1 SINNERS Esports 1-2 -5
- ALTERNATE aTTaX 0-2 -11 ESPADA 0-2 -29
- Group C Group D
- Team Matches +/- Team Matches +/-
- Endpoint* 2-0 +2 Sprout* 2-0 +21
- SMASH Esports* 2-1 +9 Gambit Youngsters* 2-1 +17
- SKADE 1-2 0 Copenhagen Flames 1-2 -20
- KOVA Esports 0-2 -11 AVEZ 0-2 -18
Playoff Results
Quarterfinals
- Hard Legion Esports d. Gambit Youngsters, 2-1
- Team Secret d. SMASH Esports, 2-0
- Complexity Gaming d. Endpoint, 2-0
- Sprout d. Salamander Gaming, 2-1
Semifinals
- Team Secret d. Hard Legion Esports, 2-1
- Complexity Gaming d. Sprout, 2-0
Grand Final
- Complexity Gaming d. Team Secret, 2-0
Week 5
Group A (May 19) Opening Matches- AGO d. Salamander Gaming, 16-2
- SMASH Esports d. Hard Legion Esports, 16-12
- SMASH Esports d. AGO, 2-1, SMASH Esports advances to playoffs as top seed
- Hard Legion Esports d. Salamander Gaming, 1-0
- Hard Legion Esports d. AGO, 2-1, Hard Legion advances to playoffs as second seed
- Team Secret d. Apeks, 19-17
- Team Spirit d. AVEZ, 16-5
- Team Secret vs. Team Spirit
- Apeks vs AVEZ
- TBA
Group C (May 21)
Opening Matches
c0ntact Gaming (1.65) vs Syman Gaming (2.11)(4:50 am ET)
This will be the first match between c0ntact Gaming and Syman Gaming. c0ntact Gaming has been getting walloped in their ESL One: Road to Rio matches, losing five in a row dating back to April 29.
Syman Gaming has not won since May 1, when they beat pro100 in their ESL One: Road to Rio bracket. However, they are in the CIS bracket, while c0ntact GAming is in the Europe bracket. In Hellcase Cup 8, Syman Gaming has dropped two in a row and four in a row across all competitions. So if you look at recent competitions, it’s hard to get excited about either team. Given that Syman Gaming offers slightly more value and has that recent win, I’m taking them here.
Prediction: Syman Gaming wins
forZe (1.197) vs HONORIS (4.288) (6:20 am ET)
HONORIS and forZe will meet for the first time in Thursday’s match. forZe has split their last two matches in ESL One: Road to Rio, and in Home Sweet Home Cup 3, they did not make it out of group play, losing to Salamander Gaming before beating Mustang Crew in the Elimination Match but then falling to AGO in the Deciders’ Match.
Even with that checkered record, forZe comes in as the heavy favorite over HONORIS, which appears to be making its debut at this level. I’m going to go with the experienced side despite the lack of value.
Prediction: forZe wins
Group D (May 22)
EndPoint (1.6) vs SKADE (2.25) (4:50 am ET)
These two sides know each other well, as they have met six times in the past. EndPoint has won four of the matchups, with SKADE winning twice. EndPoint has beaten SKADE in their last two meetings, in Home Sweet Home Cups 3 and 4. EndPoint has not lost since May 16, when they lost in the playoffs of Home Sweet Home Cup 4 to Complexity Gaming. This week they beat AVEZ at BLAST Rising 2020 and then beat SG.pro and LDLC at Hellcase Cup 8.
SKADE has dropped four matches in a row across all competitions. They beat SMASH to open Home Sweet Home Cup 4 but then lost to EndPoint and SMASH to fall out of the playoff bracket. Then they lost to Espada and HellRaisers in WINNERS League Season 4 Europe and SECTOR: MOSTBET Season 3, respectively. EndPoint has had SKADE’s number recently, and I don’t see that changing.
Prediction: EndPoint wins
Heroic (1.512) vs Winstrike Team (2.464) (6:20 am ET)
This will be the third meeting between Heroic and Winstrike Team. The two sides split their first two meetings, with Heroic winning the last meeting on March 26, 2019, at the GG.BET Sydney Invitational. Heroic fell to Astralis yesterday at the DreamHack Masters Spring 2020 – Europe but had won two in a row at LOOT.BET Season 6 previously, beating Team Secret and Nordavind.
Winstrike Team has won two of their last four at ESL One: Road to Rio – CIS and also took a loss against BIG at LOOT.BET Season 6. Heroic has the slightly better record recently, so I’m putting my money there.
Prediction: Heroic wins
