
The Esports World Cup is set to feature two of the most exciting new squads in Dota 2 esports with NaVi taking on Talon Esports in the first round of the group stage.
Match | Esports World Cup Group Stage |
---|---|
Kick-off | July 8, 2025 at 5 am ET |
Top pick | Talon wins 2-0 |
Best price | GG.BET live odds |
Betting favorite | Talon Esports |
Pro Dota 2 has felt extremely repetitive over the last few years. Every event seems to boil down to some combination of Gaimin Gladiators, Team Liquid, Team Spirit, BetBoom Team, and Team Falcons being the top five. Talon Esports and NaVi could be the teams that inject some fresh blood into the top of the scene, but they’ll be going head-to-head to start this event.
Betting tip: Talon’s performance in DreamLeague Season 26 is something to buy into in this matchup.
My NaVi vs Talon Esports pick: Talon wins 2-0 (3.20 at GG.BET)
Talon Esports had an ugly skid across April and May. Despite qualifying for multiple big tournaments in 2025, the team bombed out of ESL One Raleigh 2025 and PGL Wallachia Season 4, arguably a low point for the organization’s time in Dota 2 after bouncing in and out of elite status for years.
That necessitated some changes from Talon, which came in the form of a returning Nuengnara “23savage” Teeramahanon. The veteran player is a familiar face for Talon, having played for the team in 2022 and 2023 for some of the organization’s finest moments. He returned on loan from OG after an unremarkable stint with the team and benching in March.
23savage seemed to make an immediate impact on Talon when he made his official re-debut. After unremarkable performances throughout the year, the team placed took third in DreamLeague Season 26, a run where the team took series victories over the likes of BetBoom Team, Team Liquid, and Gaimin Gladiators. The good times didn’t last long as Talon fell a map short of qualifying for The International 2025, but the team is still positioned for success with 23savage.
While the new NaVi lineup, which previously competed as NaVi Junior, is a solid squad, it’s not yet proven in high-tier competition. It was very good in regional-level play and posted a respectable top-eight showing in PGL Wallachia Season 4, but much of its success comes at the expense of lower-level teams. That should have bettors eyeing up Talon Esports.
Position | BetBoom Team | Gaimin Gladiators |
---|---|---|
Carry | Pure | watson |
Mid | gpk | Quinn |
Offlane | MieRo` | Ace |
Support | Save- | tOfu |
Hard Support | Kataomi` | Malady |
Metric | NaVi | Talon Esports | Edge |
---|---|---|---|
Radiant win% | 62.86% | 35.00% | NaVi |
Dire win% | 57.58% | 51.02% | NaVi |
Match record | 19-2-9 | 10-5-14 | NaVi |
Stats include all matches played by Talon Esports over the last three months. NaVi stats are those of NaVi Junior, which saw its full roster promoted to the main NaVi lineup on July 1, 2025.
Talon Esports and NaVi Junior played five times from December 2024 to May 2025. The record is even at 2-2 with one draw, though the most recent match between the teams came at DreamLeague Season 26, which was a 2-0 win for Talon. This was the lone match that included 23savage on Talon.
NaVi Junior last played in The International 2025 and Esports World Cup qualifiers, a pair of victories which saw the team confirmed as the new primary NaVi squad.
Talon Esports went from a third-place finish in DreamLeague Season 26 to an unsuccessful attempt at qualifying for The International 2025:
Market | Odds |
---|---|
NaVi to win | 3.59 |
Talon Esports to win | 3.20 |
Draw | 1.93 |
Lines pulled from GG.BET at 9:30 am MT on July 4, 2025.
The GG.BET live odds suggest this match is a tossup, but Talon Esports’ run in DreamLeague Season 26 shows that the team has what it takes to hang with elite competition today. The new NaVi hasn’t really pulled that off quite yet so while there’s a high ceiling for the team, buying in isn’t the best call right now. Though it’s not the worst idea ever, either.
Our NaVi vs Talon pick: Talon Esports wins 2-0 at 3.20 odds at GG.BET.
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