Full Focus to Survive: Counter-Strike 2 StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 Betting Predictions & Stage 3 Pick’Ems (December 4-14)
Stage 3 of the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 marks the final qualification hurdle before the Champions Stage. Sixteen teams enter this decisive phase, but only eight will move forward to the Spíler Arena playoffs. With proven giants joining in, underdogs finishing their improbable climbs, and map-pool gaps getting brutally exposed, Stage 3 often produces the tournament’s most unpredictable matches.
StarLadder CS2 Budapest Major 2025 Stage 3: Key Details
Stage 3 takes place from 4 to 7 December and features a stacked 16-team field: eight teams arriving from Stage 2 and eight higher-seeded contenders entering directly at this point. It follows the familiar Swiss format where teams need three wins to advance and are eliminated after three losses.
ℹ️ Tournament:
Counter-Strike 2 StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, Stage 3 & Playoffs
🧾 Format:
CS2 LAN S-tier tournament with 16 teams and a Swiss System format
🏟️ Venue:
MTK Sportpark (for Swiss) and MVM Dome (for Playoffs), Budapest, Hungary
🗓️ Dates:
4-14 December 2025
At this level, the pressure intensifies. Stage 2 teams who relied on tempo-heavy playstyles must now prove they can survive deeper anti-stratting. Top seeds, meanwhile, no longer enjoy the breathing room of being favourites as anything can happen in the Bo1s, while you can face another tough opponent who wasn’t focused in the opening games. The map veto becomes increasingly decisive, and teams with limited comfort picks risk being cornered early. Because Stage 3 mixes styles, regions and seeding tiers, bettors can expect both clear-cut spots and genuine upset opportunities.
CS2 StarLader Budapest Major 2025 Odds & Favourites
FURIA enter Stage 3 with late-season momentum, confidence, and a maturing map pool. Their early-round aggression has stabilised thanks to improved mid-round coordination, while their fragging core consistently performs against elite opposition. In a Swiss format where fast starts can snowball, their stylistic volatility becomes an asset. FURIA are among the safest candidates to qualify cleanly and even push for a flawless run if the bracket aligns in their favour, while their outright winning chances after victories at The Thunderpick WC 2025, IEM Chengdu, and BLAST Rivals S2.
Team Vitality @ 4.0 (3/1)
Vitality’s stability and tactical depth make them a perennial favourite in these stages. Their defaults remain among the most polished in CS2, and their support structure enables their star players to shine in high-tension matches. Vitality are the defending Major Champions, and after their drop in form in the second part of the season, they can be psychologically refreshed and ready for another big trophy. Their last trophy was the ESL Pro League S22 in early October, but they couldn’t keep up with other top teams at elite events.
Team Falcons @ 4.5 (7/2)
With star power across all roles and a well-structured tactical base, Falcons arguably have the highest floor among all Stage 3 squads. Their veterans perform well in controlled tempo games, and their map veto rarely leaves them exposed. Falcons excel at shutting down underdogs early, making them a strong favourite to reach the Champions Stage without much drama and finally bring the first Major trophy into the hands of “NiKo.”
Team Spirit @ 5.5 (9/2)
Spirit continue to be one of the most dynamic rosters in the scene. They rarely play two matches at the same level, but their top gear is elite-tier. Strong mechanical prowess and layered T-side calling make them particularly effective in Bo3s, where they can easily recover even after slow starts. After a few roster updates this year, Spirit can finally deliver the needed teamplay and pretend for the trophy.
MOUZ @ 7.5 (13/2)
MOUZ possess a well-structured approach and one of the most disciplined young cores in the tournament. Their fundamentals make them a challenge for less organised teams, though they sometimes struggle to close maps when pressured. If they manage to stabilise mid-round calling early, MOUZ have a legitimate path to the final and maybe even winning the trophy as the local Hungarian crowd will heavily support “torzsi.”
Pick’Em For Stage 3 of Starladder Major 2025
One of the traditional elements of every CS Major becomes the Pick’Em Challenge, which goes in parallel with the Counter-Strike 2 betting predictions and simple fans’ support. Fans should choose 3-0, 0-3, and the Advancing teams.
Participants & Opening Matchups
Before going to the pick’em, let’s take a look at the opening games and the overall list of the teams:
MOUZ vs PARIVISION
Imperial Esports vs The MongolZ
Team Spirit vs Team Liquid
Passion UA vs G2 Esports
Team Vitality vs FaZe Clan
paiN Gaming vs 3DMAX
FURIA vs Natus Vincere
B8 Esports vs Team Falcons
Teams highlighted in bold are the rating favourites who skipped the previous stages and start their major just now. Oftentimes, they can be not warmed, which is especially dangerous in the Bo1 series, where an unexpected pick and a few crazy rounds can make the game.
Team That Will Advance Undefeated (3:0): MOUZ, Spirit
Spirit’s confidence, firepower and fast tactics, headlined by “donk”, usually stumble most of the opponents. Maybe they are not the most complete squad entering this stage, but they can face an underdog in the 2-0 pool as favourites will surely fall.
MOUZ comes as one of the most disciplined sides, being young and hungry for big trophies. Their map pool provides flexibility in early Bo1s, and their explosive starts often set the tone against slower teams. A clean 3-0 run is within realistic reach for both.
Teams That Will Be Eliminated Without Winning (0:3): PARIVISION, paiN
MOUZ remain one of the hardest teams to upset, which makes the way for PARIVISION through the bracket pretty tough. They were somehow lucky to reach stage 3, but more experienced teams should deal with them in either Bo1 or Bo3.
The Brazilian side is quite unpredictable, but their structured approach sometimes faces a lack of experience in late-round situations. Facing 3DMAX in the opening game feels like a good choice, but the French side was improving across stage 2 and now will show a balanced game and feel warmed up. Starting the Swiss system with 0-1 usually turns into hell, and it can be the case for paiN.
Advancing Teams
Some of the favourites will surely fall in Stage 3, and this time we pick FURIA and G2 to be among the losers. They have quite dangerous opponents in the opening games, which is only facilitated by the Bo1 unpredictability.
As for the Advancing teams, we see the following ones, including some unexpected names that should also make some noise:
Falcons have the most stable overall framework among Stage 3 teams. Their composure and map veto strength make qualification the most likely outcome. This pick is also paying tribute to “NiKo,” who has been performing for 10+ years on the tier-1 stage and has yet to win a Major. With the hunger for this trophy from the rest of the pack, focused IGL, and star-performer in the face of “m0NESY,” Falcons bring a nice mix of quality, talent, and hunger. With “zonic” at their backs, the team should be ready to break heavy situations and find the solutions when it matters the most.
Because of their aggressive openings and strong duel-taking, 3DMAX have a good map pool for both Bo1 and Bo3. They are also pretty warmed up and have a character to perform comebacks even against favourites. They don’t look like the side to win outright, but their tempo-heavy style keeps them in the mix for the playoffs.
NAVI looked too good in the second stage, reminding us that they are the sleeping giant that can be very dangerous if their players perform well. Their main stars in the face of “b1t” and “w0nderful” were dominant against all opponents and on all maps, showing that the team is ready for the Major. In games like this, the value is hidden in the unexpected results and higher odds, and this game is among them. The map pool for the game better fits NaVi, who don’t play Overpass, which is the best map for the Brazilians, while FURIA bans Ancient, which is pretty moderate for Natus Vincere. It should be either Inferno or Train, and that will be the choice made by NaVi with appropriate preparation and good chances for a victory.
Our CS2 Budapest 2025 Major (St. 3) Betting Picks
Stage 3 brings together the Major’s most diverse mix of strategies and experience levels. We see the following betting options looking underrated and worth reviewing:
Elite contenders like Falcons and Vitality are expected to secure comfortable progression, while teams such as NAVI and Spirit rely on consistency in key moments to finish the job. Dark horses like 3DMAX and B8 introduce volatility into the picture, creating interesting betting angles across handicap and map-total markets. With only eight places available in the Champions Stage, the pressure will create both powerful performances and unexpected collapses — the perfect environment for well-researched, value-driven bets.
Rebecca is a Liverpool gal and a big fan of the club. She likes nothing more than sharing tips and predictions on sports betting. Her other favorite sports include horse racing, snooker, and golf. Rebecca is in charge of writing and media at BetZillion. You can thank her for making our articles look so great.
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