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As the final LAN event before the Call of Duty World Championships on Sept. 2, MLG Orlando represents both a preview of the worlds biggest stage and a tune-up for teams either qualified or preparing to qualify for the marquee event. And with the lions share of the $100,000 prize pool plus 2,500 Call of Duty World League Pro points set to go to the winner, MLG Orlando could be one of the most intense competitions this season. Here are our predictions for what we might see on August 5-7.FormatThe Open bracket will begin with a mix of 96 amateur squads battling it out through a series of double-elimination, best-of-three matches, with the top four teams qualifying for group play. Those four teams will be slotted into predetermined groups of CWL teams, with every team then slogging through best-of-five series against its opponents for pivotal positioning within the Championship Bracket.From there, the top two teams in each group will advance into the Championship Bracket, in which another set of double elimination, best-of-five matches will commence in order to crown the MLG Anaheim Open champion.Now with the format formalities out of the way, lets break down who has the best odds of advancing into the Championship Bracket from group play!*Note: Predictions will not include amateur teams because the winners of the open bracket have not yet been determined.Group AGroup A teams: Team EnVyUs, ex-Team SoloMid, eLevateWho will advance: Team EnVyUs and eLevateGroup A boasts two teams coming off very different ends to the CWL Stage 2 season. After rallying to a first-place finish to end the Stage 2 regular season, Team EnVyUs erupted through the playoffs, losing just two maps en route to the Stage 2 championship. With some of the top competition to the CWL throne (heres looking at you, OpTic Gaming and FaZe Clan) having been knocked out early during the playoffs portion of Stage 2, Team EnVyUs appears to be the hot team heading into MLG Orlando.Whatever definition of hot you may want to use, eLevate is certainly not it. At one point sitting firmly in contention for a Stage 2 playoff spot, eLevate dropped its final four games, ending the season with an 11-11 record and on the outside of the eight-team playoff, sitting just map-percentage points behind Dream Team, Luminosity Gaming and H2k for one of the final spots. The team is certainly not devoid of talent, as Ulysses AquA Silva managed to put together the second-best kill/death ratio (1.14) in the CWL during Stage 2, but the rest of the team must step up in order to make a dent during group play.As the ex-TSM squad put up an even more disappointing record in Stage 2 (5-17), this may be a group where an open-bracket team could make its mark.Group BGroup B teams: Ex-Dream Team, H2k, InfusedWho will advance: Infused and Ex-Dream TeamAfter falling short in its mission to claim the Stage 2 European crown, Infused appears to be in prime position to make some noise at MLG Orlando, although Group Bs open bracket team may throw a monkey wrench into these projections. Infused posted a 14-4 record during the European Stage 2 regular season, culminating with a second-place finish at the Stage 2 playoffs, and placed fifth/sixth at MLG Anaheim. Dont be surprised if the team places even higher than fifth/sixth at MLG Orlando.Speaking of defying expectations, the team formerly supported by Dream Team has seemingly beaten the odds since the start of Stage 2. The squad flummoxed both FaZe Clan and Luminosity Gaming en route to a second-place finish during the Stage 2 playoffs, a feat few people predicted heading into the event. And with emerging star Martin Chino Chino set to compete at MLG Orlando, thanks to crowdfunding efforts by the Call of Duty community, people are expecting great things of this team at Orlando.Group CGroup C teams: Rise Nation, FaZe Clan, compLexity GamingWho will advance: FaZe Clan and compLexity GamingPick a team, any team! At the moment, each team in Group C could make a case to be considered among the top tier teams at the tournament. Whether it be Rise Nations impressive consistency throughout Stage 1 and 2, FaZes Clans potential revenge performance after an early loss in the Stage 2 playoffs to Dream Team, or compLexity Gamings reconfigured roster, each team has the potential to make an impact at MLG Orlando.FaZe Clan and Rise Nation would have matched up well against the previous compLexity Gaming roster, but since the team brought on Patrick ACHES Price and Andres Lacefield Lacefield, compLexity Gaming could have a chance to sneak into the Championship Bracket. Its a longshot, as FaZe Clan and Rise Nation have arguably the most prestigious rosters this side of OpTic Gaming, but after a topsy-turvy Stage 2 playoffs, anything is possible.FaZe Clan should come away with the first spot in the group, as they will be in hyperdrive mode after a playoffs loss, but compLexity will sneak in as Rise Nation looked lackluster in their Stage 2 playoff lossGroup DGroup D teams: OpTic Gaming, Luminosity Gaming, Team KaliberWho will advance: OpTic Gaming and Luminosity GamingRevenge is a dish best served cold. After a humbling upset loss to Luminosity Gaming in the first round of the Stage 2 playoffs, this may be a proverb OpTic Gaming finds appealing.After dominating the Call of Duty scene for the better part of a year, OpTic Gaming now sits at a precarious position heading into MLG Orlando. Before the Luminosity upset, OpTic looked like a runaway World Championship favorite after first-place finishes at Stage 1 Playoffs, ESWC and MLG Anaheim. Will it bounce back and challenge for a first-place finish at Orlando, brushing off the Stage 2 playoff loss as a fluke, or has the rest of the competitive scene finally caught up to the Green Wall? One thing is for certain: its unwise to discount a vengeful, motivated OpTic Gaming.After its terrific performance during the Stage 2 playoffs, it wouldnt be a shock to see Luminosity Gaming continue its successful run and cement its name among a handful of other elite fixtures of the competitive scene. Luminosity Gaming will likely rely on the slaying capabilities of Anthony NAMELESS Wheeler and Renato Saints Forza, the hero of the Stage 2 playoffs upset over OpTic Gaming, to propel it through the tournament. If either player struggles, look for Team Kaliber, who picked up a handful of former CWL players in Cole ColeChan Chancey, Jevon Goonjar Gooljar-Lim and Nick Happy Suda, to push its way into the Championship Bracket conversation. Swell Flaska Sverige . PETERSBURG, Fla. Swell Sverige .com) - The Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks both take aim at their first wins of the season on Saturday, as the Canucks open their home slate at Rogers Arena. http://www.swellbottlesverige.com/ . -- Devin Hester is done returning kicks in Chicago. Swell Vattenflaska Swell Bottle Sverige . LOUIS -- Lance Lynn was one of the more enthusiastic participants as the St. SAN FRANCISCO -- Jeff Samardzija is going to prepare as if he might pitch a potential wild-card playoff game Monday and stay ready in case he might be needed sooner if San Franciscos season is on the line.The Giants wasted Samardzijas latest stellar start with a chance to grab momentum after a big offensive outburst a night earlier, yet instead the playoff-hopeful Giants ended up with a costly dud in a 2-0 loss to the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night.As long as they know Im ready, thats all that counts, Samardzija said. ... This is the time of year, man, this feels great to be out there pitching when the weather turns a little bit and the season comes to an end. I always love being able to see the finish line and it always allows me to go a little harder. I enjoy staring down the tube when its about to be done and just let it all hang out. Hopefully we get a chance to do that here a handful more times.The bats had better be ready the rest of the way, too.Rockies right-hander Tyler Chatwood (12-9) struck out nine in eight innings and outdueled Samardzija (12-11), shutting down San Francisco a day after the Giants pounded 19 hits in a 12-3 win.San Francisco dropped 1 1/2 games behind the Mets for the top wild card and remained a game up on St. Louis for the second spot after the Cardinals lost to Cincinnati.In a game that began with a hovering mist above the field on a cool Bay Area night -- with first-pitch temperature 55 degrees -- Samardzija struck out a season-high 11 in six-plus innings of his final regular season start. He allowed seven hits and two runs, walking one.Pinch-hitter Kelby Tomlinson doubled leading off the ninth against Rockies closer Boone Logan, who then allowed Brandon Belts two-out infield single. Adam Ottavino retired Buster Posey on a groundout to third to end it for his sixth save.The Giants lone runner to reach second before the ninth was Angel Pagan on a wild pitch in the second. What a contrast from San Franciscos free-swinging performance Tuesday, when it produced 10 extra-base hits with three home runs, four triples and three doubles.Two different teams, manager Bruce Bochy said of his club from one night to the next. Chatwoods been tough on us. He was good tonight. We just couldnt figure him out. We had a runner on second base one time through eight innings. Thats going to work. We pitched well, we played well, this offense couldnt get it going,, couldnt figure him out.ddddddddddddwice baserunners were caught stealing and the Giants grounded into two double plays. They know they have serious work to do in order to keep alive a streak of World Series championships in even years this decade: 2010, 12 and 14.Samardzija has struck out nine or more in each of his past three starts against the Rockies. With runners on first and third and one out in the sixth, Samardzija induced an inning-ending double play by Nolan Arenado.Chatwood dazzled -- and that has been the norm for him away from Coors Field. He allowed three hits and walked two as the Rockies snapped an eight-game road losing streak.He is 8-1 with a majors-best 1.69 ERA in 13 road starts, and he is 3-1 with a 2.12 ERA in six career outings at AT&T Park. Chatwoods road ERA is the lowest in franchise history for pitchers with at least 80 innings.After allowing Conor Gillaspies leadoff single in the third, Chatwood retired the next 11 batters in order before Belt drew a leadoff walk in the seventh.He can put the ball on the ground with the best of them. He got two huge double plays. To shut that team down for eight innings, that was impressive, manager Walt Weiss said.Arenado and Gerardo Parra hit RBI singles for the Rockies.In Thursday nights series finale, San Francisco will try to win just its second home series since the All-Star break and fourth series overall in 22 over the second half.San Francisco was shut out for the 13th time, nine coming after the All-Star break.TRAINERS ROOMRockies: NL batting leader DJ LeMahieu, hitting .349, had the night off as Weiss went with Daniel Descalso. Weiss will pick his moments when to use LeMahieu over the final week.Giants: While INF Eduardo Nunez still hopes to return from a hamstring injury this weekend for the season-ending series against the NL West champion Dodgers, Bochy considers it questionable. Nunez has a mild right hamstring pull. ... RHP Johnny Cuetos strained left groin felt fine a day after his bullpen session and he is set to start Thursdays series finale.UP NEXTRockies: RHP Jon Gray (10-9, 4.45 ERA) has struck out 26 batters his past two starts, most in a two-game span in club history.Giants: Cueto (17-5, 2.79) is 2-0 with a 0.77 ERA in three starts against the Rockies this season. ' ' '