The BLAST World Final playoffs are set to begin shortly with Cloud9 taking on MOUZ in the first quarter-final. Either Cloud9 or MOUZ will progress in the playoffs to face FaZe Clan in the semi-final on Dec. 16. Read our match preview and team analysis ahead of this match.

CS2 odds used in this article were provided by one of the best sites for betting on Counter-Strike 2 – Pinnacle.

Cloud9 vs MOUZ Match Preview

Cloud9

Cloud9 are performing at a solid and consistent level at the moment. The Russian-majority squad took care of a struggling ENCE in their opening match in Abu Dhabi, before falling short against Vitality for the second time in the last few weeks. Despite not having a dedicated sniper, they are still extremely dangerous, especially when on the attack. However, they lack that dominant AWPing presence on their CT-side, which they used to have when Dmitry “sh1ro” Sokolov was still a part of the main roster.

Since his departure, some of Cloud9’s riflers had to pick up the slack and raise their individual outputs. During this tournament, it’s been Denis “electroNic” Sharipov and Sergey “Ax1Le” Rykhtorov who led the team by example, delivering the most impact and continually showcasing their talent.

MOUZ

MOUZ’s current situation is not great, having lost their star player, David “frozen” Cernansky, to one of their competitors just a couple of weeks before the last event of the year. Despite the not ideal circumstances that they currently find themselves in, the international squad managed to give G2 a good fight in their opener and quickly dispatched a wounded Heroic in Group B’s elimination match.

While they may be the underdog in this matchup, the young squad still possess a ton of talent on their roster, which could power them through even the toughest games against top-tier opposition.

Cloud9 vs MOUZ Odds & Prediction

Pinnacle Esports have Cloud9 as favourites to beat MOUZ and secure themselves their second top-four placing in the last two BLAST events. There is no doubt that MOUZ’s stand-in situation further sways the odds in C9’s favour.

• Prediction: Cloud9 (2-1) MOUZ
• Odds: Cloud9 Win (-181/1.552), MOUZ Win (+147/2.470)
• CS2 Betting Site: Pinnacle

Odds are correct at the date of publication. Subject to change.

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