The lineup of competitors at ESL One Raleigh is stacked, but the main event for many is in round one of the group stage with Team Falcons taking on Tundra Esports. Who’s worth betting on in this match, though?
ESL One Raleigh’s lineup of competitors is stacked, bringing together all of Dota 2’s best teams alongside some exciting contenders. Fans are also blessed right now with a solid amount of parity at the top of the Dota 2 scene right now. That makes a match like this particularly compelling, but how should bettors approach it?
INCREDIBLE SERIES! Tundra Esports vs Team Falcons – Highlights | FISSURE Universe Ep.4: Playoffs
Tundra Esports and Team Falcons will play in a two-game series in the opening round of the ESL One Raleigh group stage. The group stage consists of a round robin, with the 12 competitors divided into two groups. The two teams with the most wins in each group advance to the upper bracket of the playoffs, the third and fourth-place teams start in the lower bracket, while the bottom two are eliminated.
Tundra Esports surged at the start of 2025, winning Fissure Playground 1 and BLAST Slam 2. This was followed by grand finals appearances in PGL Wallachia 3 and DreamLeague Season 25. Then a shocking change happened for the team.
Though Tundra has been successful, it recently added a new carry player to its roster, with ESL One Raleigh being his second event with the team:
Doom, Abaddon, Dark Seer, Lifestealer, Dragon Knight, and Marci have been the best heroes for Tundra Esports to this point in patch 7.38. Each of those heroes has been picked at least 10 times, with Tundra winning at least 70% of its matches when using them.
Team Falcons is entering ESL One Raleigh riding a string of solid results, but something of a skid in terms of tournament wins. Falcons won a long list of events in 2024 but 2025 has seen the team place anywhere from second to fifth, but not first.
Bettors ought to note that Team Falcons’ roster will be different at ESL One Raleigh, as Stanislav “Malr1ne” Potorak is unable to attend due to visa issues. The team’s roster will instead include these players:
Falcons’ go-to heroes on patch 7.38 have been Crystal Maiden, Muerta, Bristleback, and Pangolier. However, its best heroes have actually been Mars, Tidehunter, and Nature’s Prophet.
Tundra Esports and Team Falcons have already played each other seven times in 2025. Tundra has won five of those matches, but Falcons actually came out on top of their most recent match. That was in Fissure Universe 4’s playoffs.
Falcons is regarded as the favorite in this match against Tundra Esports, but the most likely outcome according to bookies is a draw. A 1-1 finish to this match has a 1.97 line, while Falcons winning is pegged at 3.14. On the flipside, Tundra Esports going 2-0 is 4.09.
If this match doesn’t end in a draw, it will likely end in Tundra winning 2-0. The bookies are in love with Team Falcons, but Tundra has better recent results, has been getting the better of this rivalry in 2025, and Falcons is playing with a substitute. There are still questions about the addition of Crystallis, but no more than how CCnC will fit in with Falcons on short notice.
Think you know who will win? Place your bets here!
21+ and present in VA. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
