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Astralis vs Ninjas in Pyjamas Live Stream & Tips - Astralis backed as ESL Pro League Season 18 begins

By Tit Krajnik

30 Aug 2023

Tit Krajnik 30 Aug 2023

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Astralis vs Ninjas in Pyjamas betting tips for Wednesday, August 30, 2023, at ESL Pro League Season 18 (19:30 CEST)
Astralis are priced as favourites
Ninjas in Pyjamas have been struggling since changing the in-game leader

Team Astralis (Getty Images)

Astralis vs Ninjas in Pyjamas Preview

Astralis and Ninjas in Pyjamas are set to clash on Wednesday, August 30, in the first round of ESL Pro League Season 18 Group A. It'll mark their second meeting in a month after the two Scandinavian squads clashed during Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2023.

Astralis vs Ninjas in Pyjamas Preview
Head to Head
Astralis Form
Astralis Squad & Team News
Ninjas in Pyjamas Form
Ninjas in Pyjamas Squad & Team News

Esports bookmakers have priced Astralis as 1.33 favourites to defeat Ninjas in Pyjamas who enter the match as 3.25 underdogs. The offered betting odds make sense, both because Astralis beat NiP a month ago (2-0) and mainly because Ninjas in Pyjamas have not looked good since the recent roster change.

Astralis are slowly finding their stride
Ninjas in Pyjamas are in terrible form
Barring any surprises, Astralis should win comfortably

Head to Head

Ninjas in Pyjamas and Astralis last met during Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2023 at the end of July, when Astralis won 2-0, and according to the latest esports betting odds, the Danes are expected to win again.

Astralis 2-0 Ninjas in Pyjamas - July 31, 2023

Astralis Form

Astralis have looked pretty good since the end of the summer break for their standards. They had a slow start, with a concerning ninth-16th place finish at Gamers8 2023: Last Chance Qualifier, and they didn't impress at BLAST Premier: Fall Groups 2023 either.

However, then something clicked at Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2023, where Astralis played exceptionally well and lost just two games – twice against the eventual champions, G2 Esports (1-2, 0-2).

Most recently, Astralis also attended Pinnacle Cup V, where they shockingly crashed out of the semifinals with a 1-2 loss against 00Nation. But it's highly likely that Astralis didn't care too much about that tournament, so I wouldn't put too much weight on that outcome.

Overall, Astralis have proven to be a competitive team, and even though they still have a long way to go, the Danes look to be in a fine spot to reach ESL Pro League Season 18 playoffs.

Astralis Squad & Team News

Astralis have not announced any roster changes.

Benjamin "blameF" Bremer
Nicolai "dev1ce" Reedtz
Christian Møss "Buzz" Andersen
Victor "Staehr" Staehr
Johannes "b0RUP" Borup

Ninjas in Pyjamas Form

Ninjas in Pyjamas enter ESL Pro League Season 18 in terrible form, and even that might be an understatement. Even though NiP won BLAST Premier: Fall Groups 2023 with an upset win against Team Vitality, this squad hasn't produced much over the last month.

They suffered an early exit from Gamers8 2023: Last Chance Qualifier (fifth-eighth), didn't make it far at IEM Cologne 2023 (13th-16th), and last week, NiP exited Intel Extreme Masters Sydney 2023: European Qualifier in fourth place.

Over their last ten games, NiP have won five, against Vitality (2-0), Into the Breach (5-16), Imperial Esports (2-1), 1win (2-1), and OG (2-1). However, they've also lost against MOUZ (0-2), FaZe Clan (1-2), Astralis (0-2), 9INE (0-2), and BetBoom Team (0-2).

I still have hope that NiP can wake up and start playing better, but as it stands now, NiP are in terrible form and look like prime candidates for an early exit from ESL Pro League Season 18.

Ninjas in Pyjamas Squad & Team News

No changes for Ninjas in Pyjamas.

Fredrik "REZ" Sterner
Hampus "hampus" Poser
Ludvig "Brollan" Brolin
Danyyl "headtr1ck" Valitov
Kristian "k0nfig" Wienecke

Verdict

Astralis v Ninjas in Pyjamas

Ninjas in Pyjamas lost against Astralis just a month ago, and there's nothing that would suggest the rematch will play out any differently. While Astralis have been improving over the last few weeks, Ninjas in Pyjamas have not.

Individual talent-wise, NiP are not a bad team, and if they can find some stability, Ninjas in Pyjamas should be a competitive team. However, until they show something, it's hard to justify betting on them, even at the offered betting odds.

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