Eternal Fire vs BIG Academy - ESL Challenger League Season51

BIG Academy arrive in strong form, with four wins in their last five and a 67% winrate over the past month. Their Nuke dominance at 86% is a real threat, and smart teams will leave it unbanned at their peril. Eternal Fire must take that lesson seriously and ban Nuke early, stripping BIG Academy of their most dangerous weapon before the map phase even begins.

Once Nuke is off the table, the map pool tilts in Eternal Fire's favor. Mirage is a core map for Eternal Fire, with a 52% winrate across 42 maps and a high pick rate baked into their tactical identity. BIG Academy sit at just 40% on Mirage across 20 maps, making it a clear decider that Eternal Fire should target. Inferno at 65% over 23 maps adds another reliable route to a map win.

Eternal Fire's recent form shows some inconsistency, with two losses in their last five, but the map pool logic here is hard to ignore. If they execute the veto correctly and keep Nuke banned, BIG Academy lose their biggest equalizer. Eternal Fire have the structural map advantages to close this out.

Thunderpick odds(at time of writing):

Eternal Fire to win 1.31

BIG Academy to win 3.17