The first round of PGL Cluj-Napoca’s group stage has wrapped up and the best match of the second round is set to be FaZe Clan vs Eternal Fire; how should bettors approach it?
PGL Cluj-Napoca brings together an interesting mix of teams ranging from the undisputed elite to high-end regional teams. It’s a formula that initially made for some wild mismatches in round one. But in round two, things are about to get much more competitive.
FaZe Clan and Eternal Fire both scored relatively easy wins in the first round. FaZe took down SAW with a +13 round differential, while Eternal Fire gave Imperial Fe its latest lopsided loss since receiving it started receiving invites to top-level tournaments. Now, the two teams are set to face off in an interesting best-of-three showdown. But where’s the best action to be found?
FaZe Clan stands as roughly a 2.10 underdog against Eternal Fire, who is a 1.70 favorite.
Though FaZe Clan was previously held among Counter-Strike 2’s elite teams, the squad has slipped a bit over recent months. It’s still a consensus top-10 team and is defeating formidable opponents, but the team has been alternating wins and losses since adding North American star Jonathan “EliGE” Jablonowski in January.
FaZe Clan’s current Counter-Strike 2 roster includes these players:
During that same stretch of time, Eternal Fire has a 10-3 record. That’s been good for a top-six finish in IEM Katowice 2025 and a finals berth at BLAST Bounty Spring 2025. The team achieved that record with the following roster:
Over the last 13 months, Eternal Fire and FaZe Clan have faced off five times, with FaZe winning three of those matches. The teams faced off just recently in Katowice, with Eternal Fire taking a 2-0 win. That victory came via a 13-4 stomp on Anubis followed by a 25-22 marathon on Nuke.
For bookmakers, this translates to two roughly comparable teams, but with one stepping onto the server on a hot streak.
Anyone that is feeling bullish on either one of these teams can feel pretty good about the moneyline bets. 1.72 is a solid return given how strong Eternal Fire has been on the server, while FaZe Clan faithfuls get more than double back on a straight bet on the team. Those looking to get some extra juice from the squeeze have some strong alternatives, though.
When Eternal Fire is hot, it’s white hot. Since adding Samet “jottAAA” Köklü back to its starting roster in January, Eternal Fire has a 10-3 record in matches. Of those 10 wins, eight of them have come via 2-0 scorelines.
FaZe Clan still boasts a mature, veteran lineup that can stay composed and recover after a stumble. Still, When Eternal Fire gets the ball rolling, it’s proven to be very difficult to stop.
A straight moneyline bet on Eternal Fire is something of a value at 1.7, and it’s worth taking a look at. Putting aside the recent results and FaZe Clan alternating wins and losses, Eternal Fire’s map preferences are tough for FaZe to work around.
FaZe Clan’s best map over the last three months is Ancient. Eternal Fire typically bans it. FaZe Clan’s next-best map is Anubis. That just so happens to be Eternal Fire’s go-to for its first map pick. There isn’t a map where FaZe has a decisive advantage over the Turkish squad, either.
All this is to say Eternal Fire is just an awkward matchup for FaZe Clan, and there isn’t some sneaky picks-and-bans shenanigans that they can do to get around them. Though FaZe is too good to completely brush off, Eternal Fire’s odds of victory are probably better than the 1.7 moneyline bet implies.
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