VCT Master Tokyo Playoff Betting Preview: Evil Geniuses with an Edge?
Intense Battles and High Stakes
After two weeks of intense Valorant action, we are down to the final three teams at VCT Masters Tokyo playoffs. This was the second international Valorant esports event of 2023 after VCT LOCK//IN. With only two matches left, the tournament is moving from the Tipstar Dome Chiba to the Makuhari Messe, one of Japan’s largest convention centers.
Big names like LOUD, Team Liquid, and NRG have already bowed out of the tournament, leaving us with Fnatic, Evil Geniuses, and Paper Rex. It is an incredible cast, as only a few people expected EG and Paper Rex to make it this far in Tokyo, albeit for different reasons.
The Americas team didn’t know until a few days before the event started that Max ‘Demon1’ Mazanov would be able to travel to Japan. And Paper Rex has had to make do without star player Ilya ‘something’ Petrov.
Below is everything you need to know about VCT Masters Tokyo playoffs.
Participating Teams and Rosters
Here are the three teams remaining in the VCT Masters Tokyo playoffs, along with their rosters and esports betting odds to win the tournament.
| Fnatic (+105) | Evil Geniuses (+450) | Paper Rex (+700) |
|---|---|---|
| Boaster | Demon1 | d4v41 |
| Derke | jawgemo | mindfreak |
| Leo | C0M | Jinggg |
| Alfajer | Ethan | f0rsakeN |
| Chronicle | Boostio | CigaretteS |
Fnatic’s VCT Masters Tokyo Playoff Road to the Final
Fnatic has already had a very successful 2023 campaign that started with immediate success as Fnatic was able to win the LOCK//IN tournament in Brazil at the start of the season. Fnatic came in as the EMEA League’s 2nd seed. However, due to their success at the LOCK//IN tournament earlier in the year, EMEA’s 2nd seed was automatically seeded into the bracket stage, void of having to play through the Group Stage.
Fnatic started their VCT Masters Tokyo playoff run with a dominant 2-0 win over NRG, closing the match out with a 13-4 blowout on Bind. Their next match was another 2-0, this time against Paper Rex, and featured a 13-5 blowout on Lotus. The Upper Bracket Final is the first time Fnatic seemingly stumbled, losing their first tournament map in their 2-1 win over Evil Geniuses.
Fnatic awaits as Paper Rex and Evil Genuises duke it out in the Lower Bracket Finals to see who they will face. Regardless of who comes out of the Lower Bracket, you can expect Fnatic to feel confident, having already beaten both teams.
VCT Masters Tokyo Playoff Lower Bracket Final
Evil Geniuses have had a dream run in this Masters Tournament. Firstly, even before they got here, they lucked out because MIBR defeated 100T in the Americas League. Second, their star Duelist, Demon1, wasn’t supposed to make Tokyo. However, he was present a couple of days before their first match. Since these events, EG has been unstoppable, beating fan-favorite teams quite easily. They did not just beat them; they destroyed them by winning every match 2-0.
EG’s teamwork has reached newer heights due to the synergy of their composition and how they play off of each other’s utility usage. Their entry-fragging potential is lethal, and they have continued to nail down timings for each site hit and retakes. They are no strangers to hero plays.
People had doubts about PRX, on the other hand, due to their star Duelist missing out on the tournament due to visa issues. However, they have held their own and made it to the Lower Bracket Finals. This match will decide the matchup of the VCT Masters Tokyo playoff Grand Final.
Paper Rex has looked dominant despite having a substitute playing instead of Ilya ‘something‘ Petrov. They have managed to stop the bleeding during crucial points in their matches and have bounced back with vigor. Standing against them is the NA Team Evil Geniuses, who have had a Cinderella run these past few months in Competitive Valorant.
Who will Join Fnatic in the Grand Final?
🎮 Evil Geniuses vs Paper Rex 🎮
(-275) vs (+195)
Both teams have looked solid in the matches leading up to this showdown, as we saw in the section above. However, this is the first time these two teams will face each other, so expect some theatrics from both sides.
Evil Geniuses have looked solid in this run, from their teamwork to the utility usage. Evil Geniuses entered the VCT Master Tokyo playoffs much differently than the other two remaining teams. EG ended the VCT schedule with a 4-5 record putting them in 6th place in the Americas League standings, which gave them the last spot in playoffs. They then made an incredible run through playoffs before losing in the Lower Bracket Final, giving them the 3rd and final America’s League spot at Masters.
Paper Rex, on the other hand, has done well too. The only problem is that it takes them some time to activate and play up to their standards. Those delays caused them to Map 3 with 2 of the three teams they faced in this event. Although that should not be a significant concern as it will be a Best of Five.
Putting all of it together, Evil Geniuses might have the upper hand on this one due to their team compositions and contact plays. However, counting PRX out of the match would not be brilliant. The upper hand for this match would be Evil Geniuses because they have faced the most challenging opponents out of all the regions and beat them flawlessly.
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