G2 vs 3DMAX Prediction — CS2 Expert Pick

G2 without huNter were the story of day two. Despite being written off by most before a ball was kicked, tAk and the squad pushed Vitality to three gruelling maps — winning Mirage 13 to 5 and ending the world's longest active win streak of 24 maps, before eventually losing Inferno 16 to 13 in overtime and Dust2 by the tightest of margins at 13 to 11. The individual performances from HeavyGod, MATYS and NertZ were exceptional, with the trio producing consistent impact that made Vitality look genuinely uncomfortable across the series. That kind of output does not disappear overnight.

3DMAX come into this match off a lower bracket first-round exit against Liquid — a team that Spirit swept 13 to 2 on Ancient just two days prior. That scoreline tells you everything you need to know about 3DMAX's ceiling in this tournament. While the French side showed some life at PGL Bucharest 2026 by reaching the semi-finals, their results against top-seeded opponents at S-tier events have been consistently poor. Their day one 13 to 1 defeat on Ancient versus Falcons confirmed they are not equipped to match the individual quality G2 fields even without a primary IGL.

The key question is whether tAk's stand-in limitations become a factor again. Against Vitality the calling structure held up well enough, and 3DMAX simply do not have the firepower to punish G2's tactical imperfections the way Vitality did. NertZ, acquired from Team Liquid earlier this year, is a proven big-game performer who elevates the roster in elimination scenarios. G2's individual depth should be the deciding factor. At 1.35 the odds feel slightly low given the stand-in situation, but the talent gap is real.

CS2 Betting Prediction: G2 to win at 1.35 odds. 

CS2 Side Picks: G2 -6.5 match rounds at 1.85 odds @Thunderpick

The G2 Esports team seems to be in much better shape than many expected before IEM Rio