If you are a fan of CS:GO esports, this coming weekend you have not one, but two big esports tournaments to watch.

Beginning Nov 29, the SuperNova CS:GO Malta 2018 event will get underway, featuring eight top teams from around the world battling it out for a prize pool of $150,000. A day later, a further eight teams face off at the DreamHack Winter event in Jonkoping, Sweden.

Both of these events serve as tasty preludes to the next CS:GO Major — the ESL Pro League Season 8 Finals. They’re set for Dec. 4-9 in Odense, Denmark.

SuperNova Malta 2018

Malta’s first-ever top-level CS:GO esports tournament will be contested at the International Arena Conference Centre in St. Julians. The Group Stage will see the eight teams in two double-elimination GSL groups on Nov. 29 and Nov. 30. The opening matches will be best-of-one and the remaining games best-of-three. Two teams from each group will make it through to the Playoffs on Dec. 1 and 2.

Group draws and opening games

Group A

Team Liquid vs. Virtus.pro

NRG Esports vs. Team Kinguin

Group A winner betting:

Team Liquid – 3/5

NRG Esports – 11/5

Team Kinguin – 8/1

pro – 10/1

Group B

BIG vs. TyLoo

HellRaisers vs. Gambit Esports

Group B winner betting

BIG – 27/20

HellRaisers – 7/5

TyLoo – 11/2

Gambit Esports – 7/1

(All prices via Betway as of 1 p.m. on Nov. 28.)

The top two teams in each group will qualify for the playoffs, which will be a single-elimination bracket, best-of-three series of games. In the semifinals, the top seed from one group takes on the second seed from the other.

The winning team will pocket $80,000 while the runners-up receive half that. The third-place team receive $15,000, and fourth place gets $5,000.

It is certainly an exciting time in Malta right now for esports gaming. The country is actively courting investment in esports. And with its fantastic year-round climate, it certainly makes for an attractive proposition, especially during the European winter months.

Outright Winner Betting – SuperNova 2018

Team Liquid – 17/20

BIG – 11/2

HellRaisers – 11/2

NRG Esports – 6/1

Team Kinguin – 14/1

TyLoo – 18/1

pro – 20/1

Gambit Esports – 21/1

This event promises to be the first of many big esports event in Malta, and it should be a cracking tournament. Team Liquid are the clear favourites to win. In fairness, given their recent performances and results compared to their opponents, they should be.

However, if one team is liable to upset them, then Berlin-based Big are my pick. After finishing 3rd in the cs_summit 3 and a creditable 5th-8th finish in the FACEIT Major in London in September, the team also has a 2nd place finish at the ESL One Cologne 2018 under their belt this season.

DreamHack Winter 2018 preview

In contrast to Malta, Jonkoping Sweden, is certainly no stranger to topflight CS:GO. It will once again host the DreamHack Winter event Nov. 30 through Dec. 2.

Once again, a $100,000 prize pool is up for grabs, as is customary at DreamHack events. Eight teams will compete, initially in two double-elimination GSL groups, with best-of-one and then best-of-three matches.

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The two winners from each group, plus the runners-up, progress into the Playoffs.

Group A

compLexity Gaming vs. x6tence Galaxy

Team LDLC.com vs. Heroic

Group B

Optic Gaming vs. Bravado Gaming

ENCE Esports vs. G2 Esports

It has already been a period of change for one team in Group B. G2 Esports saw two roster spots and their coach all change on Nov. 26. Joining G2’s trio of French players, Lucky, JaCkz, and maLeK will take on their roles effectively immediately.

As with all DreamHack events, the winning team will pocket $50,000.

DreamHack Winter betting

Once again, the odds below are provided by Betway as of 1 p.m. GMT on Nov. 28.

ENCE Esports – 11/4

com, OpTic Gaming – 7/2

Heroic – 13/2

compLexity Gaming – 15/2

G2 Esports – 8/1

X6tence Galaxy – 16/1

Bravado Gaming – 33/1

As you can see from the odds on the outright winner, market for the DreamHack Winter, at least five of the eight teams competing have decent chances of landing the win.

ENCE eSports are the favourites at present. The Finnish team have had some good results this year in Minor events, picking up wins at the ASUS Rog Finnish Championship and the Assembly GameXpo 2017, as well as second place in the DreamHack Montreal event in September.

However, it was their victory at the StarSeries & i-League CS:GO Season 6 event that pocketed them a huge $125,000 winners cheque and has made them the team to beat here.