This matchup between the two South American teams is a lot closer than the recent form alone might suggest, but I’m still leaning towards 9z. MIBR have looked much better since nqz joined the roster, yet outside of the head-to-head record—which dates back more than five months—there isn’t much pointing in their favor heading into this decider.

9z have spent most of this tournament proving that their opening loss was just a bump in the road. They bounced back with convincing wins over SINNERS and 3DMAX before running into an Alliance squad that played the series of its life. Even in defeat, 9z remain one of the most complete teams left fighting for a playoff spot.

This feels like one of the safer picks in the Round 5 slate. MIBR certainly have enough firepower to take a map if insani or venomzera catches fire, but over a full best-of-three, I’d rather trust 9z’s deeper map pool, much stronger form, and overall structure.