Nova Esports vs. Paper Rex Prediction on December 18, 2025

Match info

The VALORANT Radiant International Invitational 2025 is designed as a high-profile international LAN (it used to be an Asian-only event earlier) that brings together elite teams from different regions ahead of the main VCT calendar milestones. While the ranking stage doesn’t eliminate teams immediately, it plays a crucial role in shaping the bracket and momentum for the rest of the event. In a best-of-one format, every round carries amplified importance—there is no room for slow starts or recovery maps.

For Hong Kong-based Nova Esports, this match represents an opportunity to assert regional credibility on home soil and prove they can compete with established global contenders. For Singapore’s Paper Rex, it’s about maintaining their reputation as one of the most dangerous teams in the world, even in non-VCT international environments. From a viewer and market perspective, this is one of the most scrutinized Day 1 fixtures, especially for fans browsing the best offshore sports betting sites, where single-map volatility often creates sharp early value.

Nova Esports vs Paper Rex will kick off on Thursday, December 18, 2026, at 18:00 CST (China Standard Time, local time) at Fuzhou Gymnasium (Fuzhou, China). The event is played offline (LAN), a key factor given Paper Rex’s extensive stage experience compared to Nova’s more limited exposure at this level.

Meeting statistics

Current form and & playstyle: Nova Esports

Nova Esports comes into this match as a disciplined but relatively conservative side when facing international opposition. Their recent form highlights strong structure on defense, with an emphasis on information control and methodical site holds rather than constant aggression.

Nova often prefer slower defaults on attack, relying on mid-round reads and coordinated utility usage to open bombsites. While this style can punish undisciplined teams, it sometimes struggles against opponents who thrive in chaos and tempo shifts—something that could be decisive in a bo1.

Current form & playstyle: Paper Rex

Paper Rex, by contrast, remains one of VALORANT’s most instantly recognizable teams in terms of playstyle. Their current form continues to reflect relentless pressure, creative agent compositions, and fearless entry play.

PRX are comfortable turning rounds into brawls, forcing opponents into uncomfortable fights, and breaking standard setups with unexpected timing. Even when early rounds go against them, they rarely lose confidence, often swinging momentum back through explosive mid-half adaptations.

Head-to-head

There’s no notable official head-to-head history between Nova Esports and Paper Rex in major international VALORANT competitions. This is their first meaningful clash on a global LAN stage, making preparation, map veto outcomes, and early-round confidence especially important.

Match analytics

Paper Rex enters the match as the clear favorite due to its superior international pedigree, LAN composure, and ability to thrive in high-variance Bo1 environments. Nova Esports are capable of keeping the scoreline respectable—especially on defensive-leaning maps—but beating PRX over a single map would require near-perfect execution and discipline throughout. Given that the Paper Rex to win market gives low value, we suggest the following bet, aggressive but justified if PRX establish early momentum…

Tip: First map – round handicap, (-4.5) Paper Rex at 1.71 odds on Black Magic Casino.