MOUZ wygra
WIN — HLTV and BLAST both list Astralis 1-2 MOUZ on 2026-08-01 in a BO3 semi-final; our pick was MOUZ at 58%. ([hltv.org](https://www.hltv.org/matches/2396019/astralis-vs-mouz-blast-bounty-2026-season-2-finals))
MOUZ and Astralis both arrive with three straight wins in the event path, but both have warning flags: MOUZ needed three maps against 3DMAX, while Astralis have repeatedly played close 2-1 series against lower or volatile opposition. Our own recent MOUZ track record supports the pick at conservative confidence: MOUZ beat both FOKUS and 3DMAX as forecast, but the 3DMAX series was narrow enough to avoid any upgrade.
MOUZ hold the better baseline with official BLAST VRS #6 and HLTV world #10 versus Astralis at official BLAST VRS #15 and HLTV #15. Astralis' quarter-final win over paiN is meaningful live-LAN confirmation, and our HOTU upset miss against Astralis reinforces that Astralis' baseline should not be casually discounted. That does not overturn the MOUZ pick, but it supports keeping the number in the high-50s only.
Astralis actively selected MOUZ as their semi-final opponent, which suggests preparation and confidence. MOUZ still have the deeper class prior, stronger recent H2H context, and a more reliable late-series profile, but the semi-final setting plus our prior failed HOTU-over-Astralis upset call keep confidence conservative.