One of the most anticipated StarCraft 2 tournaments is just around the corner, with the world's best players getting ready to fight for their share of $500,000 in prize money.
A legendary esports event, the Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Katowice is a CS:GO tournament held in Poland. In this guide, we'll go over all the participating teams, details about the schedule, as well as everything you need to know about IEM CS:GO betting!
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The LEC (League of Legends European Championship) is entering a new decade starting with the inaugural Winter split. From team rosters to an all-new tournament format, the league will be seeing much more competition.
Intel Extreme Masters Beijing 2020 reached the playoffs and quarterfinals have already been played. Given the fact that there were quite a few surprises so far, we decided to give our take on this CS:GO event by offering IEM predictions that you should not miss out on. On top of that, we will go over the necessary information regarding this event. Shall we get straight into it?
Don't forget to check our guides to other esports tournaments too!
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As mentioned above, Intel Extreme Masters betting can be tricky since only the best CS:GO teams in the world will compete at IEM events. However, by offering our tips and predictions, we believe that your winning chances will rapidly increase.
In the grand finals of Intel Extreme Masters Beijing 2020 Europe, two top teams will battle it out in a best of 5 series. A lot of things are up for grabs including a spot in the IEM XV Global Challenge. Let's start with the current form of both teams.
Vitality is looking sharp right now and they won their last three matches while only dropping one map in total. Natus Vincere is one the same run but honestly, they looked more dominant. It is also crucial to say that Natus Vincere and Vitality competed against each other on 17 maps. Vitality won 9 matches while Na'Vi got to their name.
When it comes to map pool, things are going to be straightforward since 5 maps in total will be played. As usual, Natus Vincere will remove Vertigo while Vitality will permaban Train. Here is our take on the remaining maps.
Dust 2 is definitely favoring Vitality here. Even though Natus Vincere showed that they can also compete on Dust 2, they never do much against top contenders. Mirage, on the other hand, is a map that favors Natus Vincere. Despite having solid results on this map, Vitality is not on the same level as the Ukrainian franchise on this map. Inferno is another map where Natus Vincere thrives. From our point of view, their banana hold on this map is insane. However, Vitality did rack up quite a few victories on this map. All in all, Inferno is a coin flip in our opinion.
Honestly, we would be crazy if we do not favor Natus Vincere on Nuke. They literally stomped G2 yesterday on this map and they will look to do the same once they start competing here against Vitality. This map is definitely going to be their first pick since Vitality has nothing to hope for on this map, especially if Na'Vi picks off where they left from.
Both Astralis and Spirit tried to pick Overpass against Na'Vi and they did not have much success. Vitality, however, proved that they are more than solid on this map, but their defense has a lot of holes. If they are unable to rack up enough rounds on the T-side of Overpass, things could go sideways really fast.
Here are the key factors regarding this match. Both teams are playing on a really high level right now and their star players are hitting their shots. Since this is a best of 5 series, we made a breakdown for every map that is going to be picked. To summarize, Natus Vincere is favored on Nuke and Mirage while Dust 2 is a map that favors Vitality in this one. Both Inferno and Overpass are coin flips. This leads to a simple conclusion. Natus Vincere will come out on top in this one.
Prediction: Natus Vincere to win Odds: 2.00 Betting Site: bet365
In the first quarter-final match, French CS:GO roster will look to get a win against a solid Natus Vincere line-up. After signing Nikola “NiKo” Kovač, everyone expected instant results from G2. However, this is not what happened and they are still looking for synergy. It is important to mention that G2 came out on top in their last three bouts by beating North, mousesports and FaZe Clan.
On the other hand, Natus Vincere is riding a decent strike of two victories. They were able to defeat both Spirit and Astralis without dropping a map and they looked really good in the process. When it comes to map pool for this Intel Extreme Masters match, we are heavily leaning towards one side.
Let's start with permabans. Vertigo is a no-go for Natus Vincere and they will for sure ban this map first. Overpass, however, is definitely a map G2 does not want to play and they will look to remove it immediately. This leaves us with quite a few maps that lean towards Natus Vincere.
First and foremost, Train should be their first pick as G2 did not show that much on Train. If you pay close attention to the last couple of map veto's G2 was involved in, you can notice that they are often going for Dust 2 pick. Despite them having an advantage on this map, we would never write Natus Vincere off on this map. After the first picks, Inferno and Mirage should be removed next which will leave us with Nuke as a decider.
Let's conclude this IEM betting pick. Despite winning their last 3 matches, G2 did not show that much, especially against a poor mousesports side. Contrary to that, Na'Vi stomped both Astralis and Spirit. Once they get on a hot streak, it is really hard to stop them and we believe that roster changes made by G2 will offset their rhythm and that Natus Vincere will capitalize on that.
Prediction: Natus Vincere to win Odds: 1.70 Betting Site: bet365
Will a one-man army in the form of ZywOo prevail over the team play Complexity has? Here is our take on this match and of course, our pick. Let's start with the form. Both teams are looking sharp right now, especially on their map picks. However, it is important to mention that Vitality did struggle on Nuke after not being able to close the series against Heroic who managed to crawl a comeback victory and force a decider. On Inferno, Vitality looked surprisingly good and you all know that this is not what we are used to.
Let's talk map pool. Vitality will remove Train while Complexity will not be interested in playing Inferno. This leads us to first picks. Mirage seems like a reasonable pick for Complexity as this is the only map where we would them an advantage. French CS:GO roster has a deep map pool to choose from. From our point of view, Dust 2 or Overpass seem like a perfect fit against Complexity. On to the second wave of bans. If Complexity removes Vertigo, this will leave Vitality with either Nuke or Dust 2/Overpass.
To put things in perspective for you, here is a short recap of our thought process. There is no denying that Vitality is as strong as ZywOo on a particular day. Contrary to that, Complexity will play a well-structured and team-oriented game. This type of play worked against Vitality in the past(we can see that from their head-to-head ratio), but we simply believe that Mathieu is on a mission right now. Both map pool and individual skill are on Vitality's side and this is their game to lose.
Prediction: Vitality to win Odds: 1.65 Betting Site: Pinnacle
The event itself started on November 6th. A total of 16 teams tried their best to go all the way and claim that IEM XV – Global Challenge seed. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the event had to be played online. Just like every other Counter-Strike tournament, Intel Extreme Masters was split into two parts, the group stage and the playoffs.
Two double-elimination groups have been put in place. Each group consists out of 8 teams. Every match, including the opening ones, is played in the best of 3 format. The top 4 teams from each group will book themselves a spot in the playoffs. Below, you can find which teams qualified for the playoffs.
Group A:
Group B:
Let's face it, playoffs matches are the most entertaining to bet on. This is why our IEM predictions are based on the semifinals + grand final match once it is seeded. Here are the facts. A single-elimination bracket is put in place which means that there are no second chances for anyone in the playoffs. Basically, you lose one match and you are out. All matches except the grand finals are played in the best of 3 format while the final match is going to be contested in the best of 5 series.
Out of 100+ operators, how can we choose the ones that suit the best for IEM betting? There are certain parameters that we take into account while reviewing betting sites we suggest. It is very important for these sites to provide excellent coverage, a variety of payment methods and excellent promotions. Below, you can find a couple of sites that will offer the full package.
We would be crazy if we did not suggest you sign up and place your bets at the most popular betting site in the world. Bet365 has been around for a while now and we have never seen anyone complain about this bookie. Alongside being one of the most trustworthy sites, bet365 will also provide excellent IEM Beijing coverage for both the EU & NA versions of the event. Furthermore, you will also enjoy competitive odds and an excellent selection of special bets.
Live betting is also available here which many punters find very enjoyable. There is also a variety of bonuses and other promotions to choose from. All in all, bet365 is a perfect fit for anyone interested in esports betting.
Pinnacle is the first site that accepted esports bets. However, they did not stop there. This bookie expanded their esports markets and right now, they will provide everything one punter needs in order to be successful. From our point of view, this bookie will provide the highest odds once compared to other sites. There are also 50+ special bets per match.
Alongside CS:GO betting, you can also place bets on many other esports such as LoL, Dota 2, Overwatch, Valorant, etc. It is also important to state that Pinnacle accepts a variety of payment methods like credit cards, e-wallets, pre-paid cards and much more.
If someone told us that Intel Extreme Masters will reduce their prize pool all the way to $150,000, we would probably laugh at them. Due to the situation, it is how it is. Below, we will provide you with a full structure and prize pool distribution.
In order to provide the full experience, we have put in place a stream that will allow you to watch Intel Extreme Masters matches right here on our site. If you want to watch the stream directly on Twitch, you can do so by clicking here.
Read about the other CSGO tournaments such as IEM Katowice 2021.