by
- What: Valorant Champions Tour 2025: Americas Kickoff
- Date: January 16 – February 8, 2025
- Location: Riot Games Arena in Los Angeles, California
- How to Watch: YouTube and Twitch
American Valorant teams begin their road to the 2025 World Championships this month in Los Angeles with the VCT Americas Kickoff. In this event, which runs from January 16 through February 8, two spots at the 2025 Valorant Masters Bangkok and championship points are up for grabs. Twelve teams begin the event, which will have a double-elimination format. The four teams that qualified for the Champions Seoul event in 2024 received a bye in the first round. The remaining eight squads were seeded in a random draw for the first round.
Here are the four teams competing in the VCT Americas Kickoff event in 2025 who will compete in the second round: KRU Esports, Sentinels, G2 Esports, and Leviatan. The eight teams competing in the opening round are: Evil Geniuses, LOUD, MIBR, 100 Thieves, NRG, Cloud9, 2GAME, and Furia Esports. Sentinels won the 2024 Masters Madrid event and last year’s VCT Americas event.
Before we look at the betting breakdown for the Valorant Champions Tour 2025: Americas Kickoff, check out the best esports betting sites to get started on making the best Esports bets, and while you’re at it, take a look at our guide to the best esports betting apps.
Valorant Champions Tour 2025: Americas Kickoff betting picks
| To Win 2025 VCT: Americas Kickoff |  |  |  |
| G2 Esports | +250 | +300 | +250 |
| Sentinels | +300 | +300 | +300 |
| NRG | +350 | +330 | +350 |
| Leviatan | +500 | +700 | +500 |
| 100 Thieves | +800 | +1000 | +800 |
| KRU Esports | +1000 | +1200 | +1000 |
| MIBR | +1200 | +1300 | +1200 |
| Evil Geniuses | +1800 | +2000 | +1800 |
| Cloud9 | +2900 | +3300 | +2900 |
| LOUD | +2900 | +3300 | +2900 |
| FURIA | +3900 | +4000 | +3900 |
| 2GAME Esports | +5900 | +6600 | +5900 |
G2 Esports
The betting favorites to win the VCT 2025: Americas Kickoff, G2 Esports, have a bye in the first round. They face the winners of the matchup between NRG and Cloud9. The squad placed fifth in the 2024 Kickoff event, and then picked up a runner-up finish to 100 Thieves at the Americas League Stage 1 event, which gave them a spot in the Masters Shanghai event, where they placed third, winning $125,000. G2 Esports followed that with a 7th-8th place showing at the Champions 2024 event. In December, G2 Esports placed first in the Spotlight Series Americas 2024 event.
For the most part, G2 Esports has a roster that has been playing together since October 2023. The only member of the team to join in 2024 was jawgemo, who came on board in October.
Sentinels
Sentinels had some hype behind them heading into 2023, but the team never got things going. They finished the 2023 Americas League in a disappointing seventh place and failed to qualify for any international events. However, the squad bounced back in a big way in 2024. Sentinels won the Americas Kickoff and then placed first at the Masters Madrid event, winning $250,000. They also placed fourth in the 2024 Champions event, winning $130,000 after bowing out to eventual runner-ups, Team Heretics.
In their most recent play, Sentinels placed 5h-6th in the SOOP Valorant League 2024, after going 1-2 in Group play.
The team made some roster moves in October 2024, adding bang, N4RRATE, and reduxx.
Sentinels have a bye in the first round and meet the winner of the MIBR vs. 100 Thieves matchup.
NRG
Beginning the VCT: Americas Kickoff 2025 event with a matchup against Cloud9, NRG had a rough go of things in 2024. The team placed 3rd-4th in the Kickoff event and then 9th-10th in the Americas Stage 1 tournament. They managed to move up to eighth place in Stage 2 of the Americas series, but failed to qualify for the Masters event. However, the team finished the year with wins at SEN City Classic where they beat Sentinels and SOOP Valorant League, where the team bested Gen. G Esports.
NRG made big changes to its roster in 2024, adding FNS and s0m in May. In October, mada and Verno came on board. The team’s longest serving member is Ethan, who has been with the squad since December 2023.
If NRG gets by Cloud9 in the opening round, they face G2 Esports in the second round.
Best bet to win VCT 2025: Americas Kickoff
The betting pick to win the Valorant Champions Tour 2025: Americas Kickoff event is Sentinels.
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
Sports Betting Sites 