Match Prediction: NRG - Natus Vincere | VALORANT

perepelovsky

Total Over 2.5

NRG and Natus Vincere will meet in the first round of the group stage of the VALORANT Champions Tour 2023: Masters Tokyo. It just so happens that already at the Long Conger of the championship we were given a match that pulls in a conditional semi-final-final.

And The International it is interesting to see what Born to Win will come up with after failing in the regional league play-offs. The NRG, on the other hand, also had time to "play around" in their championship, creating problems for themselves out of the blue.

Last year the teams played only once, and then the victory went to the current players of Natus Vincere. However, it's hard to say now which team will win, given the slight slump of both teams. Therefore, I would rely on three maps here.

Form NRG

The third team in the North American rankings had a mixed performance at the VALORANT Champions Tour 2023:LOCK//IN São Paulo, but there the boys were almost unlucky to reach the LOUD in the quarterfinals.

As for their regular season appearance, VALORANT Champions Tour 2023: Americas League, the NRG scored six straight victories but still did not jump out on top.

However, the North American squad ran into problems in the play-offs, as they lost to Evil Geniuses straight away and were unable to climb out of the hole.

NRG's latest results:

A 1-2 defeat to Evil Geniuses.
A 2-0 win over FURIA.
2-1 win over Cloud9.
Beat Evil Geniuses 3-1.
0-3 defeat by LOUD.

NRG's best wins:

Bind - 80% wins.
Haven - 78% wins.
Lotus - 60% wins.
Pearl - 57% wins.
Split - 50% wins.

It is worth noting that the North American squad often turns down Fracture.

Form Natus Vincere

The fifth European ranked team looked good at the VALORANT Champions Tour 2023:LOCK//IN São Paulo, where they reached the semifinals, but there they had no chances against Fnatic.

On the other hand, Born to Win played well in the group stage of the VALORANT Champions Tour 2023: EMEA League, where they suffered only two defeats and made it straight to the semis.

However, in the play-offs, Natus Vincere unexpectedly faltered to Ledge against Team Liquid and FUT Esports, and with that, finished on a very hairy footing.

Natus Vincere's latest results:

A 2-0 win over FUT Esports.
Defeat to Fnatic by a score of 0-2.
Defeat to Team Liquid by a score of 0-2.
Beat Giants Gaming 2-0.
Defeat by FUT Esports 0-2.

Best Natus Vincere scores:

Pearl - 100% wins.
Ascent - 86% wins.
Fracture - 67% wins.
Bind - 50% wins.
Split - 50% wins.

In turn, the European team has consistently turned down Haven.

NRG - Natus Vincere encounter statistics

Last season, the teams played one meeting at the VALORANT Champions Tour 2022: Stage 2 Masters - Copenhagen, the victory went to Natus Vincere (FunPlus Phoenix) 3-1.

NRG vs Natus Vincere

An intriguing match in which it is difficult to pick a favorite. In fact, both teams deserve a place in the play-offs. On the other hand, every team has its weaknesses. While NRG is weak on Pearl, Born to Win is very unstable on Bind. So in this case, I'd recommend betting on Total at 2.5 over.