Stake Ranked Ep 4 - CS2 Betting Picks & Predictions

Stake Ranked Episode 4 predictions: our CS2 picks and winner picks

This October, the finals of the next episode of our Stake Ranked professional CS2 series begin. The finals for Stake Ranked Episode 4 get underway on 1 October. There’s a $100,000 prize pool to be won, and the Grand Final will decide the winners on 4 October.

This is an offline LAN tournament held in Barcelona, Spain, and organized by StarLadder. 8 teams, including 6 invitees and 2 from the qualifiers, will compete in a double-elimination bracket.

Upper bracket quarterfinals schedule:

Odds are available on every match of Stake Ranked Episode 4 here at Stake Sportsbook. We’ve got free live streams too, so you can watch the action. Before placing your bets, check out our picks and predictions.

Our outright winner prediction for Stake Ranked Episode 4

We’re picking Astralis to win Stake Ranked Episode 4. They’re one of the betting favorites and have shown strong performances at major tournaments this year.

According to the opening outright winner odds, FaZe Clan are the betting favorite to win the Stake Ranked Episode 4. They were invited to the Finals based on their VRS, which ranked them as the 13th-best team in the world.

Meanwhile, Stake-sponsored Astralis are also favored by the oddsmakers. The Danish side joined the Finals of Episode 4 as the 19th-best side in the world according to their VRS ranking.

Astralis – can the Danish side take their first Stake Ranked title?

Astralis have had a solid 2026, coming 3rd in the ESL Pro League Season 23 and finishing as runners-up at PGL Bucharest. Now they’ll take on the Stake Ranked series for the first time.

The Astralis roster is experienced in LAN tournaments, with a lot of appearances in S-tier competitions this year, including the Esports World Cup. However, they haven’t won a tournament since the B-tier RES Showdown Spring in 2025.

Astralis has a win rate of 72% on Ancient in the last 6 months. This is also their most-picked map. Meanwhile, their highest ban rate is on Anubis, where they have a 0% win rate in 2 matches. Their top player is Staehr, with a rating of 1.16.

FaZe Clan

FaZe Clan are making their 2nd appearance in the Stake Ranked tournament, after finishing 3rd in Episode 2. Their best performance this year was a runners-up finish at the C-tier tournament HLC Cyprus PRO. However, they also finished runners-up at the StarLadder CS2 Budapest Major in 2025.

As the tournament's highest-ranked team, FaZe Clan has a strong chance of reaching the Grand Final. They also have a relatively easy opening match, facing one of the tournament's lowest-ranked teams. Meanwhile, they have a very experienced roster.

Over the past 6 months, Cache is their most-picked map. They have a 75% win rate on this map too. Meanwhile, Mirage has their highest ban rate, though their lowest win rate is Anubis at 22.2%. frozen is their best player over the past 6 months, with a rating of 1.20 and a K/D ratio of 1.16.

Dark horse picks for Stake Ranked Episode 4

The betting favorites don’t always win, of course, and all the teams taking part in Stake Ranked CS2 tournaments have a chance. Heroic won Episode 3, and they were one of our dark horse picks before the VRS event began.

B8

B8 are currently 3rd favorites to win, just behind Astralis in the opening betting odds. This will be the first CS2 Stake Ranked tournament they’ve appeared in, but they’ve played in several S-tier tournaments this year. Most recently, they finished 9th-16th at the Esports World Cup. Their last tournament win was the C-Tier PArken Challenger Championship #3.

BIG

BIG enter Stake Ranked Episode 4 as the #21 team in the world according to their August Valve Regional Standings. However, according to the opening odds, they’re less favored than some lower-ranked teams. That’s at least partly because their match history isn’t showing great form, but their roster is still talented. They have a decent chance of getting through their opening match.

Luminosity

Luminosity are outside the top 3 in terms of the outright betting odds. However, they’re in great form currently, reaching the final of the Roman Imperium Cup VIII and Logitech G Play Connect. They have a tough opening match against B8. However, the double elimination format means that even if they lose, they can still progress.

Can Fnatic or Nemiga Gaming pull off a qualifier upset?

Fnatic are the least favored by oddsmakers according to the opening odds. However, they showed brilliant performances during the Stake Ranked Episode 4 qualifiers. They finished ahead of 100 other teams to secure a spot in the closed qualifier. In the closed qualifier, they finished joint top, beating Virtus.pro and Ninjas in Pyjamas to qualify.

Fnatic now has a top opening match against BIG in the upper bracket quarterfinal, but there’s a chance they could still progress through the lower bracket.

Meanwhile, Nemiga Gaming entered the closed qualifier based on their August VRS points. They defeated teams like Team Nemsis and FOKUS to qualify. Nemiga Gaming has a very tough opening match, but we predict they can progress through the lower bracket.

Our bracket predictions for Stake Ranked Episode 4

Upper bracket - our predicted run to the final

The top betting favorites, Astralis and FaZe Clan, will meet each other in the Upper Bracket semifinals if they win their opening matches. At this point, we think Astralis will go through to the Upper Bracket Final, beating B8.

Lower bracket - who survives and reaches the grand final

FaZe Clan or Astralis have a good chance to be sent down to the Lower Bracket in just their 2nd match of the tournament. We’re predicting FaZe Clan to be sent down, where they’ll face teams like Alliance and Luminosity. We’re predicting them to win the Lower Bracket Final and reach the Grand Final.

Our predicted Stake Ranked Episode 4 final and result

Our predicted final result is for Astralis to face FaZe Clan for the 2nd time. We think that Astralis will win the Bo5 Grand Final 3-2.

Map veto predictions and player prop picks for Episode 4

While making your picks, check the latest map trends. Pay close attention to the ban rate and win percentage for specific maps. Some teams excel on specific maps where they can use a strategy that works best for them, but every team has a map that they’re weakest on. Paying attention to these stats will help you choose map winner bets and also give you an idea of how each team will perform. However, teams sometimes save the maps they perform best on for crucial elimination matches. As a result, map veto trends don’t always repeat during the tournament.

Player props such as total kills, kills per round, headshots, or multikills are also available on Stake Ranked Episode 4 matches. You should make player prop picks based on the stats coming into the game. Has any player stood out in the earlier rounds or previous LAN tournaments? When there’s a big disparity between the 2 teams, you might consider betting on the over line for total kills.

Value bets and parlays for Stake Ranked Episode 4

To find value on Stake Ranked Episode 4 matches, look for markets where the true probability is higher than the odds suggest. For example, if you think Fnatic will upset the odds in their match against BIG. Pay attention to recent form, and use live betting markets to react as the action unfolds.

With parlays, you can combine multiple bets inside your bet slip. This will increase your odds and potential winnings, but each selection has to win for your bet to pay out. This is available on upcoming matches and live betting.

Manage your risk carefully when placing parlays on Stake Ranked. The Stake Shield feature is available to activate on qualifying parlay bets, ensuring that even if one selection loses, your bet can still win.

Where to bet on Stake Ranked Episode 4

You can bet on all Stake Ranked Episode 4 matches right here at Stake. Get Stake Ranked CS2 live odds while matches are in-play and make the most of the wide range of betting markets. What’s more, there are free live streams. Watch all the tournament action with streams of live matches. You’ll also be able to enjoy our excellent Esports betting promotions when you join Stake.

We offer a rewarding VIP Club, where you can earn exclusive rewards by placing bets and leveling up your Stake account. Check out the VIP FAQ page to learn more about how it works and how you can benefit from it.

Make sure you choose responsible bet sizes while enjoying the Stake Ranked Episode 4 Finals. Follow our responsible betting guidelines to stay Stake Smart.