Cloud9 vs NRG Tips & Predictions – VCT 2025 Americas Stage 1

By Tit Krajnik

20 Mar 2025

Tit Krajnik 20 Mar 2025

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Cloud9 vs NRG VALORANT betting predictions for Friday, March 21, 2025, in the first round of Group Omega at VCT 2025: Americas Stage 1 (14:00 PDT)
NRG are expected to start VCT Stage 1 with a win
With little to separate the two teams quality-wise, this promises to be a competitive series

Cloud9 (Getty Images)

Cloud9 vs NRG Predictions

Cloud9 and NRG will face off on the first day of VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) 2025: Americas Stage 1, marking their second clash of the season after Cloud9 defeated NRG during the Kickoff event.

Cloud9 vs NRG Predictions
Head to Head
Cloud9 Form
Cloud9 Squad & Team News
NRG Form
NRG Squad & Team News

For the rematch, NRG are favoured to win, having made a couple of changes to their VALORANT roster this offseason, which bumped them up a bit.

However, we have yet to see the new-look lineup play, so I would tame my expectations regarding NRG and whether they are any better than earlier in the season. I do not have a clear favourite for this match. Expect a competitive game.

Cloud9 defeated NRG during VCT Kickoff event
NRG debut a new-look roster
Expect a close game

Head to Head

Cloud9 and NRG faced off in the first match of VCT 2025: Americas Kickoff when Cloud9 won.

Cloud9 2-0 NRG – January 18, 2025

Cloud9 Form

Cloud9 did not have the best start to the 2025 VALORANT esports season, finishing the VCT 2025: Americas Kickoff tournament in ninth-12th place with a 1-2 record.

They bested NRG in the opening match of the tournament but lost the next two against G2 Esports and MIBR, with 0-2 and 1-2, respectively. With just three games to look at, it is impossible to make any firm conclusion on where Cloud9 stand, but I would not consider them massive underdogs for this match.

Cloud9 Squad & Team News

Cloud9 have not made any roster changes.

Erick "Xeppaa" Bach
Francis "OXY" Hoang
Victor "v1c" Truong
Mitchell "mitch" Semago
Michael "neT" Bernet

NRG Form

NRG ended VCT 2025: Americas Kickoff with just one win from three games played, ending the season-opening event in seventh-eighth place with a 0-2 loss to Cloud9, 2-1 victory against 100 Thieves, and a 1-2 loss to KRU Esports.

Despite going 1-2, NRG showed some good things, which should inspire some confidence that NRG will do better in Stage 1.

For the first stage, NRG made some changes and brought in a new coach and brawk as the newest player. This, while solid additions on paper, raise some concerns, mainly how fast NRG will manage to integrate a new player and learn how to play under a new coach.

Some adjusting early one is expected, but NRG can do well this stage.

NRG Squad & Team News

NRG have added a new coach Michael "Mikes" Hockom and player Brock "brawk" Somerhalder ahead of VCT 2025: Americas Stage 1.

Brock "brawk" Somerhalder
Ethan "Ethan" Arnold
Pujan "FNS" Mehta
Sam "s0m" Oh
Adam "mada" Pampuch

Verdict

Cloud9 v NRG

NRG are the safe prediction for this match. Thea arguably should’ve beaten Cloud9 in their first meeting of the season, but thanks to Xeppaa, Cloud9 rolled that day. It is more than fair to expect Xeppaa not to have another superb performance like that on Friday, although that’s a bad reason to take NRG’s side at these odds.

With a new coach and a new player, NRG will need some time to adapt, which will likely lead to poorer performances early on. This looks like a coin-flip match.

Over 2.5 Maps

Over/Under

@-108.70 - 3 Units

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