Welcome to all esports and Dota 2 fans! From September 4 to 14, 2025, the biggest tournament of the year, The International 2025, will take place. Sixteen teams will compete for the Aegis of Champions and a massive prize pool. On the eighth day of the tournament, we look at the clash between BB Team and Nigma Galaxy, which promises to be as thrilling as it is intense. BB Team advanced through the Swiss stage in 3rd place with a 4-1 record, entering the playoffs directly while teams with 3-2 and 2-3 records had to fight in the play-in round. Meanwhile, Nigma Galaxy finished the Swiss stage with a 2-3 record, defeating Aurora Gaming 2-1 to secure their playoff spot. As the teams prepare, let’s try to predict the likely winner and share some betting insights and betting tips for this matchup.
How the bookies view it: BB Team favorite
Most analysts and bookmakers see BB Team as the clear favorite against Nigma Galaxy in the TI 2025 playoffs. The Eastern European squad has had a stable season, proven its strength on the international stage, and is currently considered more confident and prepared. According to the bookmakers, BB Team’s chances of winning are higher, with odds at 1.43 compared to 2.69 for Nigma Galaxy. This reflects the general perception: BB Team is expected to control the pace and dictate the game, while Nigma will likely try to fight back and surprise their opponent. For those looking for betting tips, the odds suggest BB Team is the safer choice, but careful attention to map performance can provide additional edge.
BB Team Form
BB Team enters The International 2025 with an updated roster and solid results on the pro scene. In the winter, Danil “gpk” Skutin returned to the mid position, with Kiyotaka moved to the bench.
BB Team roster: Pure, gpk, MieRo, Save-, Kataomi Coach: boolk
The return of gpk brought stability and experience, which immediately reflected in results. Over the season, BB Team showed strong performance at key tournaments. They won PGL Wallachia Season 5, finished second at DreamLeague Season 26, placed 5th at Riyadh Masters 2025, and advanced through the group stage at Esports World Cup 2025 with just one map lost.
TI 2025 group stage started unevenly. BB Team lost to Nigma Galaxy 0-2 in the first round but quickly bounced back with a 2-0 win over BOOM Esports and another 2-0 victory against Natus Vincere. These wins restored confidence and proved BB Team can impose their game even under group stage pressure.
Strengths: smart drafting, high coordination, and the ability to capitalize on map advantages. The return of gpk added mid stability, while Pure and Save- remain key players in clutch moments. Still, BB Team is working on consistency against top-tier opponents—the loss to Nigma highlighted this challenge.
Overall, BB Team enters TI 2025 in strong form, with titles, finals experience, and the ability to compete against the best.
Most Popular BB Team Heroes
Over the past 6 months, BB Team’s top heroes:
- Ringmaster — 30 matches, 60.00% winrate
- Kunkka — 27 matches, 66.67% winrate
- Windranger — 24 matches, 62.50% winrate
- Monkey King — 23 matches, 69.57% winrate
- Shadow Shaman — 22 matches, 63.64% winrate
- Beastmaster — 21 matches, 61.90% winrate
- Bristleback — 20 matches, 85.00% winrate
- Bane — 19 matches, 89.47% winrate
On the lanes, the team feels stable thanks to early pressure from Monkey King, Windranger, and Beastmaster. Combined with Bane’s save potential and Ringmaster’s versatility, this provides a solid foundation for mid-game dominance.
Nigma Galaxy Form
Nigma Galaxy enters the TI 2025 playoffs with an updated roster and high motivation.
Nigma Galaxy roster: Ghost, SumaiL, No!ob, GH, OmarCoach: KuroKy
The season was inconsistent, but key victories earned them a TI slot. In the Western Europe qualifiers, Nigma defeated OG in the decider to secure the final spot. At Clavision Masters 2025: Snow-Ruyi, they went undefeated in the group stage, leaving behind Paravision, BOOM Esports, and Tundra Esports. In the TI elimination stage, Nigma defeated Aurora Gaming 2-1 to reach the playoffs.
Strengths: experience of SumaiL and GH, precise timing, and strong drafting skills allow Nigma to challenge stronger opponents. Weaknesses include early-game instability and occasional adaptation issues to unexpected strategies. Despite this, they are capable of surprising top teams in the playoffs.
Most Popular Nigma Galaxy Heroes
Top heroes over the past 6 months:
- Tusk — 36 matches, 61.11% winrate
- Elder Titan — 26 matches, 57.69% winrate
- Puck — 23 matches, 60.87% winrate
- Morphling — 19 matches, 57.89% winrate
- Bristleback — 18 matches, 55.56% winrate
- Mars — 14 matches, 71.43% winrate
- Magnus — 14 matches, 64.29% winrate
- Sven — 12 matches, 58.33% winrate
Nigma shows strong form on heroes with high teamfight impact and aggression—Tusk, Mars, and Elder Titan allow them to control the map, while Morphling and Sven provide reliable late-game carry potential. Betting tips here suggest watching their pick/ban phase closely, as hero choices can heavily influence the match outcome.
Head-to-Head History
Nigma Galaxy vs BB Team matches have always been intense. In 2024, the teams frequently drew, and in 2025, they exchanged victories at DreamLeague and ESL One. At The International 2025, Nigma defeated BB Team 2-1, proving they can beat the favorites.
Predicted Match Analysis: BB Team vs Nigma Galaxy
This matchup is expected to be a full three-map series. Nigma Galaxy has faced BB Team before and has shown they can adapt to their style, aiming to take at least one map. BB Team focuses heavily on banning GH’s heroes, Ghost’s Lone Druid, and key third-position heroes from Nigma to limit early aggression and map control. Meanwhile, Nigma Galaxy bans gpk’s signature heroes, Beastmaster MieRo, and some of Pure’s popular picks to reduce BB Team’s lane dominance and late-game impact.
Given the experience and strategic flexibility of both squads, the safest betting option is total over 2.5 maps, as the series is expected to be tightly contested with both teams finding ways to fight back.
Betting Prediction: Total Over 2.5 maps
