The hype for VALORANT Masters Santiago is currently through the roof. Following the elimination of Gentle Mates and Furia in the lower brackets, all focus is now on the upper bracket semifinals.
G2 Esports will be facing off against Nongshim RedForce in the first-ever encounter between these two organizations. Here are our betting predictions for the much-anticipated VALORANT Masters Playoffs semifinals match.
| Match | Nongshim RedForce vs G2 Esports – VALORANT Masters Santiago |
|---|---|
| Kick-off | March 9, 2026, at 6 pm CET, 9 am PST, 12 pm EST |
| Top pick | Nongshim RedForce |
| Best price | GG.BET |
| Betting favorite | G2 Esports |
Nongshim RedForce after qualifying for VALORANT Masters. Image source: Riot Games
In the 2026 season of VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT), Nongshim RedForce are the only unbeaten team from all four leagues. This year, they were flawless during VCT Pacific Kickoff, defeating RRQ in the upper bracket final with a score of 3-2.
As they finished as the first seed from VCT Pacific, they received a bye to the playoffs stage of VALORANT Masters Santiago.
In the playoffs stage draw, Nongshim RedForce selected Gentle Mates as their first opponents in the tournament.
In this much-anticipated face-off between Dambi and Marteen, Nongshim RedForce secured the win with a 2-0 clean sweep. Nongshim RedForce won both maps 13–10, securing their spot in the semifinals.
Image source: Riot Games
G2 Esports have not had quite the expected start to the season. Following the shocking loss to FURIA, G2 Esports fell into the middle bracket of VCT Americas Kickoff 2026. They went on to defeat MIBR in the middle finals in a dominant fashion and qualified for VALORANT Masters Santiago as the second seed from VCT Americas.
During the Swiss Stage of VALORANT Masters Santiago, G2 Esports lost to Paper Rex in their first match. Following this loss, the team went on a rampage, defeating Xi Lai Gaming and T1 in back-to-back 2-0 victories.
In the playoffs, they faced the first seeds of VCT China, All Gamers. This wasn’t a pretty affair as G2 Esports defeated them 2-0, where All Gamers just won 10 rounds during the series.
| Metric | Nongshim RedForce (PAC #1) | G2 Esports (AM #2) | Data-Driven Advantage Statement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Series Win Rate | 100% (9-0) | 64% (7-4) | Nongshim: The world’s only undefeated champion in 2026. |
| Avg. Kills per Map | 78.6 | 76.8 | Nongshim: Higher fragging ceiling; cleared 80+ in 4 of last 5 maps. |
| Pistol Round Win % | 70.8% | 54.2% | Nongshim: Historically dominant; wins ~7 out of 10 pistols. |
| Eco/Thrifty Win Rate | 19% | 23% | G2: Superior at stealing rounds on low-tier weaponry. |
| Map | NS RedForce | G2 Esports | Map Advantage Statement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haven | 100% (6-0) | 83% (5-1) | Nongshim: Unbeaten; defensive rotations are the world’s best. |
| Abyss | 50% (1-1) | 100% (4-0) | G2: The gold standard; G2’s vertical macro is flawless. |
| Split | 80% (4-1) | 50% (3-3) | Nongshim: Statistical edge; G2’s B-site hold has looked shaky. |
| Corrode | 75% (3-1) | 60% (3-2) | Nongshim: NS adapted Neon/Yoru faster to the new map meta. |
| Breeze | 100% (3-0) | 75% (3-1) | Nongshim: Undefeated; G2 typically bans this first. |
| Metric | Nongshim RedForce | G2 Esports | Betting Insight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avg. Round Time | 41s | 51s | NS plays 20% faster; look for “Early Plant” markets. |
| Clutch Success Rate | Rb (35%) | trent (38%) | trent is the tournament’s best “closer” in high-pressure 1vX. |
| Attack Win Rate | 67.1% | 58.2% | Nongshim has the highest T-side conversion rate in Santiago. |
| Defensive Round % | 59% | 64% | G2 is statistically tougher to break once the trap is set. |
| Player | Team | FB Success % | Duels / Map | 2026 Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dambi | NS | 65% | 6.3 | 1.28 |
| leaf | G2 | 59% | 6.2 | 1.21 |
| valyn | G2 | 55% | 3.2 | 1.28 |
| Francis | NS | 54% | 4.6 | 1.14 |
| Market | Odds |
|---|---|
| G2 Esports to win | 1.69 |
| Nongshim RedForce to win | 2.1 |
| Over 2.5 maps | 1.87 |
VALORANT betting odds via GG.BET, March 7, 2026.
Going into this match, the favorites according to the odds are G2 Esports. There is a clear reason for this as well. After the defeat to Paper Rex, G2 Esports haven’t lost a single map. Across their previous six maps, only one map was played in overtime, which G2 Esports went on to win.
If we take a look at the stats between Nongshim RedForce and G2 Esports, there are several interesting trends. This season, NS RedForce have a 70.8% pistol win percentage vs G2 Esports’ 54.2%. If Nongshim RedForce can secure the win on the opening pistol round, it could set the tone for the series.
It is likely during the map veto to see the map of Abyss be banned by Nongshim, as it is G2 Esports’ best map this year. Breeze, Split, and Haven are the most likely maps to be played.
This will be quite an interesting series as G2 Esports are the clear favorites to win this tie. In our opinion, Nongshim RedForce will take down G2 Esports and secure the win with a scoreline of 2-1.
G2 Esports as the match winner 2-1 @ odds at 2.15 odds at GG.BET.
Featured image source: Riot Games
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